The Vakilmosque is a mosque in the Iranian city of Shiraz, located in the historic centre, west of the eponymous Vakilbazaar, next to its entrance. Nearby buildings are the Nasir al Molkmosque, the Arg of Karim Khan and the Parsmuseum. The mosque was built between 1751 and 1773, during the Sand Dynasty and was restored in the 19th century during the Kad years dynasty. Vakil means regent, the title used by Karim Khan, the founder of the Sand Dynasty. The mosque covers an area of 8660 square metres and has only 2 iwans instead of the usual 4; on the northeast and southwest sides of a large open square. The iwans and the square are decorated with typical Shirazi haft rangi tiles, a characteristic feature of the arts and crafts of Shiraz in the second half of the 18th century. The hall for evening prayer (Shabestan) covers an area of about 2700 square meters and contains 48 monolithic spiral columns, each with a capital of acanthus leaves. The minbar of this hall is carved out of a piece of green marble, contains 14 steps and is considered a masterpiece from the Sand Period. The sumptuous tiles decorated with flowers are mainly from the Gaddafi period.
I am Maarten Verhees. The focus of my photographs is on the variation of architecture, animals and people. I try to capture the essence of local places in photographs... Read more…