Imam Mosque of Semnan

🕰️When was it built?

The mosque was built on the orders of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and nationally listed in 1979 under number 393. Its name changed in different periods, but Soltani and Shah remain part of its historic identity.

🏛️What was it built for?

Four iwans surround the mosque space, with terraces, prayer halls and chambers completing the complex. Prayer halls sit beneath the terraces, and chambers were built behind them. This arrangement brings open and covered spaces together for different uses.

👀What you will see

• Above the northern and eastern entrances, plaster muqarnas and two-storey side recesses appear alongside tilework.
• A small dome above the sanctuary of the western iwan is covered with blue tiles.
• Opposite the dome, a minaret rises above the eastern iwan. Compare both sides of the courtyard.
• Geometric facade patterns combine pieces of brick, tile and other materials.
• Flowers, branches and leaves recur in the arabesques. Notice how the lines curl along the borders.

💡Something interesting

The name of master architect Safar Ali appears in an inscription inside the eastern iwan. Behind all this detail, the name of one builder survives. When you reach the eastern iwan, look for it.

🎒Good to know before you go