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.

History

The mosque was built between 1876 and 1888 for Mirza Hasan Ali Nasir ol-Molk, an aristocrat of Shiraz and son of Ali Akbar Qavam ol-Molk, the city's kalantar, and it is still under the protection of the Nasir ol-Molk endowment. It was designed in the Qajar style by Mohammad Hasan-e-Memār, who had earlier built the Eram Garden, together with Mohammad Hosseini Shirazi and Mohammad Rezā Kāshi-Sāz-e-Širāzi. The stained glass is set in the seven wooden doors that join the western, or winter, prayer hall to the courtyard. The mosque was added to Iran's National Heritage List in 1955 (Wikipedia, Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque).

The main sights

• 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.

What to expect

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.

Key facts