Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, nicknamed the Pink Mosque for the rose-coloured tiles adorning it, is one of the most enchanting and photographed sights in Iran. A jewel of nineteenth-century Persian design, its western prayer hall is fitted with large windows of coloured stained glass, and when the morning sun streams through them, the interior is transformed into a dazzling, ever-shifting kaleidoscope of jewel-toned light spilling across the carpets, columns and tiles, a breathtaking spectacle of colour and devotion.

What you actually see

• The stained-glass hall - the coloured light flooding the interior at dawn.
• The rose tilework - the delicate pink-toned tiles that name it.
• The courtyard - the tiled facades and reflecting pool.
• The carved columns - the twisted stone pillars of the prayer hall.

When to go

Arrive early, soon after opening on a sunny morning, ideally in the cooler spring or autumn months, to catch the coloured light at its most dazzling; the effect fades as the sun rises, and the hall grows crowded with photographers, so being among the first is key.

Honest expectations

The famous light show is a brief, early-morning phenomenon on sunny days, and the small hall gets very crowded with photographers jostling for the shot, so it can feel more like a photo scrum than a serene visit; go right at opening. Modest dress is required, and women must wear a headscarf. Despite the crowds, the cascade of coloured light is genuinely magical.

Nearby

The tomb of Hafez, the Vakil Bazaar and Persepolis are around Shiraz.