Agha Bozorg Mosque

The Agha Bozorg mosque and madrasa was built in the late eighteenth century in Kashan and its plan is what distinguishes it: instead of a single courtyard it has two levels, with the mosque and its dome at the upper level and a sunken courtyard below holding the school cells around a garden, so that from the entrance you look down into the lower court and across to the dome and its two minarets beyond, an arrangement that lines everything up on one axis. The brickwork is largely unglazed, with restrained tile inserts, which is unusual for its date and gives the building a plainness that sets off the geometry. A badgir wind tower ventilates the lower level. It is quieter than the Kashan houses on the standard route.

What you actually see

• Two-level courtyard plan - the sunken school court below the mosque.
• The axial view - court, dome and minarets lined up from the entrance.
• Plain unglazed brickwork - restraint unusual for a building of this date.
• A wind tower - ventilating the sunken lower courtyard.

When to go

March to May and October to November. One hour. Late afternoon light on the dome from the entrance is the classic view. It closes at prayer times. Modest dress and headscarf required.

Honest expectations

It is small and half an hour covers it. Access to the lower courtyard is sometimes restricted. There is no interpretation. Kashan's better-known historic houses draw the crowds and the tour groups pass through here quickly.

Nearby

The Kashan historic houses are a short walk; Fin Garden lies south-west.