The smaller of the two great mosques on Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Sheikh Lotfollah is arguably the more beautiful. Built between 1603 and 1619 as a private royal chapel, it has no minaret and no courtyard — the entrance leads directly into the prayer chamber through a long, bent corridor. The interior dome is covered with arabesque tilework that shifts from cream to pale pink to terracotta as the light changes through the day. The effect at midday, when sunlight pours through the lantern, is particularly remarkable.
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Royal private mosque with tilework that shifts colour through the day
A story
Unlike most mosques, Sheikh Lotfollah has no minaret and no courtyard — because it was built as a private mosque for the royal harem. An underground passageway connected it directly to the Ali Qapu Palace opposite, so that the women of the court could cross the square unseen.