dome, lotfollah mosque, isfahan oct. 2007
sheikh lotfollah (or lutfallah or lotf allah) mosque, isfahan, iran,
1602-1619.
architect: muhammad reza ibn ustad hosein banna isfahani.
consider the cool geometric mastery and inventiveness behind the ornamental incrustation of the dome.
sheila blair and jonathan bloom write, "the apex of the dome is filled with a giant sunburst, from which descend tiers of ogival medallions filled with floral motifs, which swell in size with the curve of the dome". I like this description even if I had to look up ogival.
pope wrote, less objectively, "the chamber is entirely empty. any appurtenances would have been superfluous and quite overwhelmed by the powerful forms and commanding colors. this is pure architecture, flawless and serene, and still as perfect as on the day of dedication three hundred years ago". guess he liked it. this language is very typical of pope's introductions and (apart from the word appurtenance) it doesn't teach you much.
this photo was uploaded with a CC license and may be used free of
charge and in any way you see fit.
if possible, please name photographer "SEIER+SEIER".
if not, don't.
Comments and faves
ZhengHe, Doctor Casino, tsaaby, J Mark Dodds [a shadow of my future self], and 179 other people added this photo to their favorites.
marklarmuseau (67 months ago | reply)
superbe
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
it really is exceptional architecture and ornament.
Doctor Casino (67 months ago | reply)
The hits just keep coming! Wow.
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
thanks doc
Wen Lee [deleted] (67 months ago | reply)
i really like the way it is off centred. consider the effect of parallax. imagine how the texture would resonate with the movement of the eye...
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
I was quite happy with the crop as well. the original photo has the whole dome but artificial light ruined the left hand side.
it would have been great to see the dome from other angles but old iranian architecture offers little in that respect - you are always placed flat on the floor.
[c] (67 months ago | reply)
Incredible, admirable
And well taken
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
thanks c02 - and I could absolutely say the same about your flickr.com/photos/92486261@N00/2004172407/
[c] (67 months ago | reply)
Thanks… I'm very proud of being catalan and happy to live in BCN, just because Gaudí was also
;-)
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
there is so much good architecture in barcelona but gaudi is the greatest, no doubt about that.
.danilo almeida (67 months ago | reply)
beautiful textures!
seier+seier (67 months ago | reply)
yes, these guys really knew how to apply ornament.
seier+seier (66 months ago | reply)
Sublime Sunburst : muslimcultures.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archiv e.html
Arria Belli (65 months ago | reply)
Thanks for uploading your photo under a Creative Commons license. This has enabled its use on Wikipedia. Its image page is here:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Sheikh_Lotf_ Allah_Mosque...
seier+seier (65 months ago | reply)
you are welcome. but isn't it the third photo of the dome in wikimedia?
Arria Belli (65 months ago | reply)
They're not in the Commons category devoted to the mosque:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sheikh_Lo tf_Allah_Mosque
Some of the images on the English-language Wikipedia's article on the mosque were uploaded to Wikipedia and not Commons. I'll try to get around to transferring them today or tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder.
Arria Belli (65 months ago | reply)
It's been done: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sheikh_Lo tf_Allah_Mosque
Thanks again!
seier+seier (65 months ago | reply)
again, you are welcome. I am still learning about wikipedia. have not yet come to wikimedia!
Arria Belli (65 months ago | reply)
The Wikimedia Foundation is the organization behind Wikipedia and several other wiki projects, including Commons, which is basically where all the images, sound files and video files are kept to be used on Wikipedia and its sister projects.
Please do contact me if you have any questions about Wikipedia or Wikimedia! I am an admin of the French-language Wikipedia.
seier+seier (65 months ago | reply)
thanks, a.b.
Karims (60 months ago | reply)
Magical
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Delight for the eyes and mind, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
seier+seier (60 months ago | reply)
karims, thanks you for the invitation! we are not posting to groups right now.
remisa_1986 (60 months ago | reply)
You are great. I googled, Friday mosque of Isfahan, and that's how I've been looking at your pictures for the past hour. I can't stop. I'm from Isfahan and I haven't been to any of these places. I'm a senior in architecture at Georgia Institute of technology and currently working on a research on Persian architecture. I'm just wondering what made you go to Iran. People usually go to Europe if they have the money to travel or the love for art and architecture.
seier+seier (59 months ago | reply)
thank you, s.t., for your kind comment and for stopping by.
my own reason for wanting to go to iran was to see and understand persian architecture and its part in the development of roman and european architecture. not really feeling I learned anything useful about the history of architecture at school, I am trying to slowly connect the dots myself, and rather than rely entirely on books, I try to go and see the stuff myself.
a general interest in muslim cultures and the special part persia has had also played a part...
we had planned a much more ambitious trip but when we finally became parents after years of waiting, we settled for a quiet trip to isfahan. it won't be the last.
I can only recommend it, isfahan is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet and people there are genuinely kind and hospitable.
Pattjr1 [deleted] (42 months ago | reply)
WHOA!
Thanks Kristian. This is a real gift.
JasonMayoff (41 months ago | reply)
Nice
seier+seier (41 months ago | reply)
:)
Yominessence (40 months ago | reply)
amazing picture, beautiful mosque, breath-taking dome. May I please use this image for my display pic on facebook etc.?
seier+seier (40 months ago | reply)
please go ahead :)
Yominessence (40 months ago | reply)
Thanks :) :)
seier+seier (40 months ago | reply)
you are welcome
Nimaarta (34 months ago | reply)
I have visited Isfahan at least 5 times but never stepped foot inside any of the mosque. I avoided them on purpose though. I'm Iranian but in all my life I've only been to a mosque once and that was when I was a baby. Somehow I couldn't even convince myself to visit historical mosques such as this one. Your pics have really changed my mind though (or maybe I'm getting a bit more mature lol).
seier+seier (34 months ago | reply)
I could think of a number of reasons, historical and contemporary, not to visit the mosques, but as an architect, I know another list of good reasons to go - I hope I have shown some of them here.
outside prayer, the mosques were open for cultural tourists like us and walking around these enormous buildings felt very natural.
if you feel ready, you should see them next time you are in isfahan.
seyed mostafa zamani (22 months ago | reply)
Fantastic photo
seier+seier (22 months ago | reply)
thanks :)
Ferry Vermeer (20 months ago | reply)
Wow!!
--
Seen on photos taken in Esfahan. (?)
seier+seier (20 months ago | reply)
:)
achoudry (16 months ago | reply)
phenomenal shot!
seier+seier (16 months ago | reply)
or crop...
Luke A. Bunker (16 months ago | reply)
This is absolutely gorgeous!
seier+seier (16 months ago | reply)
it is. I recommend going to isfahan.
Almsaeed (15 months ago | reply)
Very Nice Shot ..
Check this, you will find your picture there ...
www.digital-photography-school.com/33-inspira tional-image...
Diana Michaels (15 months ago | reply)
Hmmm :) More great patterns of yours :)
seier+seier (14 months ago | reply)
thanks, almsaeed and d.m. :)