Jameh Mosque of Isfahan

The Jameh Mosque is the oldest and most complex building in Isfahan, begun in the eighth century and added to in almost every period since, so that walking it is a walk through the whole history of Iranian architecture in one enclosure. Its two Seljuk domes from the eleventh century are the reason specialists come: the southern one over the prayer hall, and the northern Gonbad-e Khaki, a small brick dome of such precise geometry and proportion that it is studied as a structural and mathematical achievement in its own right. Around the four-iwan courtyard are a Mongol-period stucco mihrab of extraordinary depth of carving, a Timurid winter hall on squat columns, Safavid tilework, and brickwork from every century in between.

What you actually see

• The Gonbad-e Khaki dome - eleventh-century brick geometry studied for its precision.
• The Oljaytu stucco mihrab - Mongol-period carving of great depth.
• The four-iwan courtyard - the plan this mosque helped establish.
• Twelve centuries of brickwork - every period visible in one building.

When to go

March to May and September to November. Two to three hours; it rewards a slow circuit. Mornings for light in the domes. It closes to visitors at prayer times. Winter is cold inside the brick halls.

Honest expectations

It is complicated and unlabelled, and without a guide or a plan much of the significance passes by. Some sections are closed for restoration at any given time. Modest dress and headscarf are required. It is quieter than Naqsh-e Jahan but the bazaar approach is busy.

Nearby

Naqsh-e Jahan square is south through the bazaar; the Armenian quarter lies across the river.