Nasir al-Mulk Mosque

The “Pink Mosque”, whose stained-glass windows flood the prayer hall with coloured morning light.

The mosque was finished in 1888 in the Qajar style. It sits in the Gowd-e Araban district, right next to the Shah Cheragh Mosque. Today it is one of the most popular places for visitors in Shiraz. Visitors come early in the morning to see the light move across the hall, and the mosque is on Iran's National Heritage List, so it is protected as an important historic building.

Who built it and when?

It was built between 1876 and 1888. The person who ordered it was Mirza Hasan Ali Nasir ol-Molk, a nobleman from Shiraz. The main architect was Mohammad Hasan-e-Memar, who had earlier built the Eram Garden.

The mosque was added to Iran's National Heritage List in 1955. A foundation set up in the name of Nasir ol-Molk looks after it. Its decoration also uses traditional elements such as the Panj Kase, or five-concaved, design.

Why is it called the Pink Mosque?

The walls use many tile colours: blue, yellow, pink, azure and white. The pink tiles inside gave the mosque its nickname.

The winter prayer hall has seven wooden doors with stained glass in red, azure, yellow, orange and green. The passage of light through this coloured glass is a major attraction for visitors, especially at sunrise. The prayer hall has two main halls, called shabestans. The western one is used in winter, and arches, vaults and two rows of six columns divide its inside into smaller sections.

On the globe

The card says the model shows the Pink Mosque with its stained-glass windows lighting the prayer hall. Look for the many colours of the windows and the tiles.