Southwest Iwan seen from across the courtyard of the Friday Mosque of Isfahan.
View of the majestic southwest iwan of the Friday Mosque, nicely framed by the elegant shape of the pointed arch of the northeast iwan, from within which the image has been taken. "The four iwans [of the Friday mosque] are not of equal importance and this fact is reflected in their different dimensions, structure, and decorative motifs. The southwest iwan, preceding the domed chamber with the mihrab, is the most prominent among the other iwans. Visually, it is flanked by two towers and referred to in the vernacular as suffa-i sahib or 'the high [dignified] space of the master.' The iwan, which is an element of early Islamic palace architecture (e.g., Sassanian), is used here for the first time to precede the maqsura and to emphasize the space of the sanctuary. The three other iwans in the middle of each court elevation repeat this motif."
Photograph created 1963. Photograph processed September 1963. Formerly cataloged as B.02.018. Notes written on the slide or index: Isfahan, Friday Mosque.
