Modest-Looking Mosque is a Dazzling Dream Inside

Mosque Named "King Of The Light"

A spectacular surprise awaits visitors to Iran's Shah Cheragh. This funerary monument and mosque, located in Shiraz, has been a treasured pilgrimage monument since the 14th century. Translating to “King of the Light,” Shah Cheragh houses the tombs of Ahmad and Muhammad, sons of the the seventh Shiite Imam Musa al-Kadhim and brothers of the eighth Shiite Imam Ali al-Ridha.

The space takes its name from the tale of its discovery by a man who was drawn to a light emanating from a grave. After excavating the grave, a body wearing armor—thought to be that of Ahmad—was found and a tomb was subsequently erected during the 1130s. The space really took shape hundreds of years later in the 14th century when Queen Tash Khatun erected a mosque and theological school on the site, in addition to ordering repairs and the decoration of the tomb with hundreds of thousands of pieces of glittering glass and colored tile. Iran is known for its spectacular mosque interiors, but the tomb's opulent reflection of light helps make it the most important pilgrimage center in Shiraz.

The decoration seems fitting for a space founded by and named after light, with the glass tiles casting beams of colorful rays across the space. The complex itself has seen numerous changes through the centuries, with half of the building collapsing after an earthquake in 1588, and the entire dome removed and replaced with a lighter iron structure in 1958. Yet, for all the changes, the complex remains a shining gem and incredible example of Islamic architecture.

Above image via fukenoyu

Shining Gem Of Islamic Architecture

Image via IslamSciFi

Mosque In Shiraz Is Treasured Pilgrimage Monument

Image via soniafilinto

Glittering Glass Covers The Inside Of Mosque

Image via IslamSciFi

Beams Of Colorful Rays Cast Across The Space Of A Mosque

Image via IslamSciFi

Mosque Decorated In Colored Tile

Image via Wikipedia

Spectacular Surprise Inside Modest Mosque

Image via IslamSciFi

Mosque In Shiraz Is An Opulent Reflection Of Light

Image via David Holt

Many Visit The Mosque Named "King Of The Light"

Image via H.L.Tam

You'd never imagine that such a spectacular sight is inside this modest structure: Mosque With Modest Exterior

Image via MAITE ELORZA

via [Bored Panda]

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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