Nasir al Molk Mosque is famous for its colors (Pink Mosque)

Nasir al Molk Mosque

Nasir ol Molk Mosque is a traditional mosque in Shiraz, Iran. The mosque is called by many different names. Mostly known as the “Pink Mosque”, it is also called the “Mosque of Colors,” the “Rainbow Mosque” or the “Kaleidoscope Mosque”. It is located in the district of Gowad-e-Araban, near Shah Cheragh mosque. There are numerous mosques all around the world. Each has a design of its own. However, in order to be distinctive from other mosques, a mosque needs to be unique and possess outstanding features. Nasir al Molk is one of the most elegant and photographed mosques in southern Iran. It is like stepping into a dream. From the outside, it seems like a fairly traditional house of worship and it looks like a conventional mosque but inside there is something more and it hides an impressive piece of architecture and design. The mosque includes extensive colored glass in its facade and displays other traditional elements such as the five-concaved design. In popular culture, it is called the Pink Mosque, due to the usage of considerable pink color tiles for its interior design.

There are some particularly fine Muqarnas in the smallish outer portal and in the northern veranda, but the stained glass, carved pillars, and polychrome faience of the winter prayer hall are the most eye-catching features. The multitude of stained glass windows turn the inside of the mosque into a riotous wonderland of color that is absolutely breathtaking and its walls feature a beautiful and vibrantly colorful array of painted geometric tiles. This is a space where light and worship intertwine. Its interior reveals a magnificent masterpiece of design with stunning colors. Once the sunlight hits the stained glass, the entire building is flooded by a vibrant rainbow of colors. The mosque comes to life with the sunrise and colors dance throughout the day like whirling dervishes. It reflects on the ground, walls, arches, and towering spires. It even reflects on the visitors as if a colorful ball is hit by the first sun ray and explodes to thousands of butterflies all around.

Photographers should come as early as possible in the morning for shots of the hall lit up through the glass. When people look at the photos of the interior of Nasir al Molk Mosque, they might think they are 3D images made by professional software. One might not be wrong, if one sees some 3D works inspired by the mosque itself. People might not distinguish between real and animated images. To that point, even one of the visitors to the mosque said “It is a mosque from a fairyland”. There is also a museum in the opposite prayer hall that opens into the Gav Cha (Cow Well), in which cows walked downhill to raise the water. The structure has survived numerous earthquakes, due in part to its construction using flexible wood as struts within the walls, look for the wooden bricks in the veranda columns.

The mosque was built during the Qajar era and is still in use under protection by the Endowment Foundation of Nasir ol Molk. It was built by the order of Mirza Hasan Ali (Nasir ol Molk), a Qajar ruler. It took 12 years to complete in 1888. The designers were Mohammad Hasan-e Me’mar and Mohammad Reza Kashi Saz-e Shirazi. Restoration, protection, and maintenance of this monument are being continued by the Endowment Foundation of Nasir ol Molk. This foundation is one of the largest in Fars Province and is under the administration of Mr. Mahmud Qavam. The foundation actively devotes most of its yearly income towards feeding the poor during and after the religious ceremonies of Moharram and Safar, and towards the renovation and upkeep of the mosque.

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