Symmetric Asymmetry, the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfollah in Esfahan, and the Mystical Architecture of Shia Messianism ΑΝΑΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΣΗΜΕΡΑ ΑΝΕΝΕΡΓΟ ΜΠΛΟΓΚ “ΟΙ ΡΩΜΙΟΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΗΣ” Το κείμενο του κ. Νίκου Μπαϋρακτάρη είχε αρχικά δημοσιευθεί την 13η Αυγούστου 2019. Ο κ. Μπαϋρακτάρης δημοσιεύει το περιεχόμενο συζητήσεών μας σχετικά με την μυστικιστική αρχιτεκτονική ορισμένων τζαμιών, τους μεσσιανικούς συμβολισμούς τους και την συνέχιση στο Ισλάμ αρχαίων ανατολικών (αιγυπτιακών και ασσυροβαβυλωνιακών) παραδόσεων χιλιετιών. Το Τζαμί του Σεΐχη Λουτφολλάχ στο Εσφαχάν είναι πολλαπλώς σημαντικώτερο των άχρηστων και ανίερων κτισμάτων που ανήγειρε η σαουδική πανούκλα σε Μέκκα και Μεδίνα με βάρβαρες σύγχρονες μεθόδους κατασκευών. Αλλά σε ομιλίες (Χαντίθ) του, ο προφήτης Μωάμεθ είχε προείπει το τέλος της Μεδίνας και της Μέκκας και την κατάληξη του Ισλάμ στην εξορία. ------------------- First republished on 7th October 2021 here: https://profmegalommatistextsingreek.wordpress.com/2021/10/07/συμμετρική-ασυμμετρία-το-τζαμί-του-σε/

1. Συμμετρική
Ασυμμετρία, το Τζαμί
του Σεΐχη Λουτφολλάχ
στο Εσφαχάν, και η
Μυστηριακή
Αρχιτεκτονική του
Σιιτικού Μεσσιανισμο
ύ
https://greeksoftheorient.wordpress.com/2019/0
8/13/συμμετρική-ασυμμετρία-το-τζαμί-του-σε/
================
Οι Ρωμιοί της Ανατολής –
Greeks of the Orient
Ρωμιοσύνη,Ρωμανία, Ανατολική Ρωμαϊκή
Αυτοκρατορία

2. Μικρότερο αλλά οικοδομημένο και
διακοσμημένο λίγο πριν από το Τζαμί του
Σάχη στο Εσφαχάν, πρωτεύουσα του
σαφεβιδικού Ιράν, το Τζαμί του Σεΐχη
Λουτφολλάχ ανεγέρθηκε στις αρχές του
17ου αιώνα προς τιμήν του πεθερού του
Σάχη Αμπάς Α’ (1587-1629).
Για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα ήταν ανοικτό
μόνο για τα μέλη της αυτοκρατορικής
οικογένειας, αντίθετα με το Τζαμί του Σάχη
στο οποίο είχαν πρόσβαση όλοι οι πιστοί.
Η μυστηριακή αρχιτεκτονική και
διακόσμηση, τα κορανικά εδάφια που
επιλέχθηκαν για να αναγραφούν, τα
αρχιτεκτονικά σημεία όπου αυτά
αναγράφηκαν, οι στίχοι από την ποίηση του
Σεΐχη Μπαχαΐ που προστέθηκαν στον
διάκοσμο, τα διακοσμητικά θέματα και η
περίεργη γεωμετρική υπόστασή τους
καθιστούν αυτό το αυτοκρατορικό
σαφεβιδικό τζαμί ένα σιιτικό κώδικα
αρχιτεκτονικού μεσσιανικού συμβολισμού
και μνημείο κρυπτογραφημένων αναφορών

3. στο Πλήρωμα του Χρόνου (αλ Υόμ αλ Άχαρ)
και στην τότε εμφάνιση του Ιησού και του
Δωδεκάτου Ιμάμη τον οποίο οι
Δωδεκατοϊμαμιστές σιίτες ταυτίζουν με τον
Μάχντι / Μεσσία του Ισλάμ.

5. Σε άλλα μνημεία θαυμάζεις την τέχνη. Εδώ
πρέπει να στρωθείς στη δουλειά για να
βρεις τα μυστικά μηνύματα που
απειροελάχιστοι σήμερα είναι ικανοί να
εννοούν. Ο έντονα αντι-σουνιτικός
χαρακτήρας του αρχιτεκτονικώς αλλόκοτου
τζαμιού προδιαγράφει το τι θα δούμε να
εκτυλίσσεται μπροστά στα μάτια μας τα
επόμενα χρόνια. Με δεδομένο ότι η μητέρα
του Δωδεκάτου Ιμάμη ήταν μια Ρωμιά, το
τζαμί έχει τόση σημασία για τους Ιρανούς
Σιίτες όση και για τους Ρωμιούς
Ορθόδοξους.

6. Θα επαναληφθεί άραγε στα προσεχή χρόνια
η παλιά μυστική συμμαχία των
αντικαθεστωτικών Σιιτών των χρόνων της
αβασιδικής Βαγδάτης με τους Ακρίτες της
Ρωμιοσύνης και πολεμιστές της Ρωμανίας
που υπό τον Διγενή Ακρίτα κράτησαν τα
σύνορα στον Ευφράτη για αιώνες;

7. Τυπικό δείγμα συμμετρικώς ασύμμετρης
διακόσμησης είναι οι λεμονόσχημες
ελλειπτικές φόρμες αραβουργημάτων στον
κεντρικό θόλο που δίνουν ταυτόχρονα την
αίσθηση της εγγύτητας / προσέγγισης και
του απείρου / απομάκρυνσης:

8. Δείτε το βίντεο:
Το Μυστηριακό Τζαμί του Σεΐχη
Λουτφολλάχ στο Εσφαχάν – Мечеть шейха
Лотфоллы, Исфахан
https://www.ok.ru/video/147526916772
5
Мечеть шейха Лотфоллы, Исфахан –
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan
https://vk.com/video434648441_456240
278
Το Μυστηριακό Τζαμί του Σεΐχη
Λουτφολλάχ στο Εσφαχάν: Αναγγελία
Συμμαχίας Ρωμιοσύνης και Ιράν;

9. Shaikh Loṭf–Allāh Mosque
The second, chronologically speaking, of
the significant mosques of Isfahan is the
mosque that was built across from the ʿĀli
Qāpu Palace on the Meydān-e Naqš-e
Jahān, which came to be associated with
Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh (d. 1032/1623), the
father-in-law of Shah ʿAbbās the Great
and one of the principal religious doctors
of his time (Blair and Bloom, pp. 185-
90; Honarfar, 1965, pp. 404-5). Shaikh
Loṭf-Allāh Mosque is unique among
Isfahan’s mosques in several respects.
Consisting of a single domed chamber, all
the standard features of a four-
ayvān courtyard-centered mosque,
including minarets, are foregone here, for
this is a mosque designed to serve private
royal functions rather than
congregational prayer (Honarfar, 1965,
pp. 401-15; Mehrābādi, pp. 693-710).

10. Covering almost 2,500 square meters, the
Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh Mosque was conceived
as an integral part of Shah ʿAbbās’s
conversion of Isfahan into his new
imperial capital. Construction of the
mosque began in 1011/1602-3 and was
completed in 1028/1618-19. Epigraphic
bands penned by ʿAli-Reżā ʿAbbāsi, the
famous calligrapher of this period, grace
both the exterior façade and the extensive
interior decoration of the mosque
(Honarfar, 1965, pp. 402, 407-10). The

11. mosque functioned as a private royal-
chapel mosque.
By placing the royal mosque outside the
palace compound on the Meydān and
across the ʿĀli Qāpu, Shah ʿAbbās and
his urban designers and advisors
exploited the symbolic value of traversing
the public space by the household; to go
to the Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh Mosque would
become a performative representation of
royal piety.
The pairing of the ʿĀli Qāpu Palace and
the Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh Mosque thus
symbolized, both in theory and practice,
the worldly and otherworldly sources of
Safavid legitimacy. As “the blessed
mosque (al-majed al-mobārak) of the
great sultan,” ʿAli-Reżā ʿAbbāsi’s
epigraphic program on the entrance
façade (dated 1012/1603) further
enunciated this ideological role of the
mosque (Honarfar, 1965, p. 402).

12. The association of the mosque with
Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh, the first chief clergy
of the mosque, was to demonstrate the
final and firm establishment by Shah
ʿAbbās of the legalistic or šariʿa-based
practice of Twelver Shiʿism as the religion
of the Safavid Empire. It is in this light
also that one finds inside the domed

13. chamber epigraphic panels in tiles,
wherein the shaikh’s name is mentioned
at the end of a poem in Arabic, invoking
the names of the Fourteen Infallibles and
pleading intercession for Shaikh Loṭf-
Allāh in the hereafter (done by the
otherwise unknown calligrapher Bāqer
Bannā; see Honarfar, 1965, pp. 413-15).
This oft-overlooked passage is tentatively
attributed to Shaikh Bahāʾ-al-Din
ʿĀmeli on the basis of a reference in the
poem on the other panel.

14. Like the Masjed-e Šāh, the orientation of
the Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh Mosque is skewed
in relation to the Meydān, thus allowing
the mosque to conform to the direction of
prayer. To compensate for the skewed axis,
a covered corridor reaches from the
entrance façade and wraps around the
northern side of the mosque to enter the
prayer chamber, so that the façade of the
mosque can remain aligned with the
Meydān.
The façade is covered in tile mosaic work
and the portal contains the first
monumental variation of the Safavid
declaration, standardized by Shah ʿAbbās
the Great, of the shah to be the
“propagator of the faith of the Infallible
Imams” (Honarfar, 1965, p. 402; Babaie,
in EIr., p. 499). The façade, much of it
restored in the 1930s, was made to be
flush with the inner corridor of the
Meydān periphery bazaar and was
decorated with a mix of marble on the

15. lower half and haft rangi tiles of densely
interlocking floral and vegetal motifs and
bands of inscription on the upper zones.
The haft rangi technique, also known
as cuerda secca or burnt-coil, allowed for
a more economical and faster production
than the laborious and expensive mosaic
tile technique favored by earlier Safavid
and Timurid periods.
Given the massive constructions of the
early 17th century and the consequent
expansion in the area of building
surfaces to be sheathed in tiles, this
proved to be the most common technology
in Isfahan and practically replaced the
mosaic technique.

16. The Shaikh Loṭf-Allāh Mosque is also
distinguished for the elegantly tapered
silhouette of its dome, which further
stands out for its golden yellow and blue

17. arabesques and inscriptions against a
predominantly earth-colored unglazed
tile work. The interior of the domed
chamber, on the other hand, is given to
an extravagant explosion of tiles
predominantly in blue on all surfaces
except for the inner dome where a
roundel (šamsa) in yellow gives the
illusion of the sun shining from within.
Equally impressive is the ingenious way
the dome is held aloft by a ring of
windows at the base of the dome, which
is itself resting on large corner squinches
that rise directly from the floor and are
supported by eight-pointed arches.
These arches are outlined by a turquoise
twisted molding that is framed by a
number of inlays of inscriptions and
floral patterns.
A balcony cut above the entrance into the
chamber looks down onto the prayer
niche elaborately decorated in tiles and
carved marble. In keeping with the royal

18. associations of the mosque, this single
chambered structure is a veritable jewel-
box, an extravaganza of Safavid
architecture and decoration.
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/isfa
han-x3-mosques

19. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Esfahan is one of the oldest cities of Iran
located 414 km south of Tehran and 481
km north of Shiraz.
This 2500 years old city served as Persia’s
capital from 1598 to 1722.
Esfahan was a crossroad of international
trade and diplomacy, and therefore was a
kaleidoscope of resident languages,
religions, and customs.

20. The city is known for its silver filigree
and metal work.
This city is renowned not only for the
abundance of great historical monuments,
but also for its Life-Giving River, The
Zayandeh-Rood, which has given the
city an original beauty and a fertile land.
Esfahan is filled with old gardens and
some of the best sights in Iran.
After selection of Esfahan as capital by
Shah Abbas I (1587-1629) who unified
Persia it reached to its pinnacle of
briskness.
Esfahan had parks, libraries and mosques
that amazed Europeans, who had not
seen anything like this at home.
The Persians called it Nisf-e-Jahan, half
the world; meaning that to see it was to
see half the world.

21. Esfahan became one of the world’s most
elegant cities.
In its heyday it was also one of the largest
with a population of one million; 163
mosques, 48 religious schools, 1801 shops
and 263 public baths.
Today, Esfahan is a major industrial
center and also is one of the important
tourism centers of Iran and the world.
The cool blue tiles of Isfahan’s Islamic
buildings, and the city’s majestic bridges,
contrast perfectly with the hot, dry

22. Iranian countryside around it: Isfahan is
a sight you won’t forget.
It’s a city for walking, getting lost in the
bazaar, dozing in beautiful gardens, and
meeting people.
Still sometimes known as Naghsh-e-
Jahan Square, this huge, open square is

23. one of the largest in the world (500m by
160m), and a majestic example of town
planning.
Built in 1612, many of the most
interesting sights in Isfahan are clustered
around the square, and it’s a place you
just keep coming back to again and
again.It is an important historical site
and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
It is 160 meters wide by 508 meters long
(an area of 89,600 m2).
The square is surrounded by buildings
from the Safavid era. The Imam Mosque is
situated on the south side of this square.
On the west side you can find Ali Qapu
Palace.

24. Immediately opposite the Royal Palace of
Ali Qapu stands one of the loveliest
mosques in Iran: the Sheikh Lotfallah
Mosque.
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is situated on
the eastern side of this square and the
northern side opens into the Isfahan
Grand Bazaar.
Sheikh Lotfollah mosque was built
during Shah Abbas time, and dedicated

25. to his father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a
prominent religious scholar and teacher
who came to Isfahan at the orders of Shah
‘Abbas, and resided on the site, but was
never involved in the mosque’s
construction.
Sheikh Lotfallah was born in Mess,
which is currently in the Lebanon.
Like his family he was a member of the
Imami, or Shi’ite sect and was encouraged
to take up residence in Iran under the
Safavid rulers as part of the policy of

26. promoting Shi’ism in Iran, along with
other followers of this tradition from
Bahrain.
At first he lived in Mashed, where the
second holiest of Shi’ite shrines is located,
that of Imam Reza, but, partly due to the
political instability of the area at the
time and partly because of pressure from
Shah Abbas, he took refuge first in
Qazvin and then in Isfahan, where he
seems to have acquired a son-in-law and
patron at the same time.
It was probably he who introduced the
great mathematician, Sheikh Baha Al-
Din Mohammed Ameli, otherwise known
as Sheikh Bahai, who designed the
famous sundial in the Royal Mosque, to
Shah Abbas. Sheikh Lotfallah died in
1622.

27. This beautifully proportioned and
decorated mosque, with some of the best

28. mosaics from that era, took nearly 20
years to complete.
The pale tiles of the dome change color,
from cream through to pink, depending
on the light conditions and the mosque is
unusual because it has no minaret or
courtyard.
The figure painted in the middle of the
floor under the dome is a peacock at
certain times of the day. The sunlight
enhances the peacock’s tail.
The mosque was once called the Women’s
Mosque, because there is apparently a
tunnel between this mosque and the Ali
Qapu palace, allowing women from the
old dynasties to attend prayers without
being seen in public.
The portal iwan is not aligned with the
Naghsh-e-Jahan Square’s elevation, but
is preceded by a recessed small court
which flows from the Square and is
linked, on its north and south sides, to

29. the continuous corridor that envelopes the
Square’s mercantile facilities.
The main entrance to the mosque is
located on the east side of this small
court. The structure itself is not aligned
perpendicularly to the Square’s eastern
wall, but lies at an angle (almost 45
degrees) against the Square’s wall.

30. As a result, when viewed from the Square,
the mosque’s main portal iwan and dome
do not fall on the same axis, as is always
the case in other mosques, but instead the
dome appears behind the main portal
iwan as if having slid 6.5 meters to the
right from its axis.
This asymmetrical layout was initially
introduced to reconcile the (southwest)
direction of Mecca with the placement of
the mihrab on the qibla wall, and adds
visual complexity to the structure.
Contrary to the Square’s sand-colored
brick elevation, the portal iwan is
elaborately ornamented in colorful
mosaics. It is built as a recessed area on
the eastern wall of the court, an elevated
platform raised by four steps from the
court level.

31. An inscription band in white on a dark
blue background runs horizontally on
the three sides of the portal niche, above
which begins the iwan’s vault, comprising
four clusters of muqarnases made of small
glazed-tiles units. These four clusters
ascend to inscribe a concentric floral
medallion.
The pointed-arch doorway is located
below the inscription band and is
flanked by two panels of mosaics of floral
arabesques with motifs in yellow, white,
and blue on a dark blue background.

32. These panels rest on top of a continuous
marble dado.

33. The offset entry does not allow the visitor
to enter the prayer chamber directly from
the Square by passing through the main
portal iwan, which is aligned on the
east-west axis.
Due to the mosque’s alignment on the
northeast-southwest axis, upon entering
the mosque one walks along two corridors,
oriented respectively to the northeast and
southeast, which are placed adjacent to
the northwest and northeast walls of the
prayer chamber.

34. Turning southwest to face the qibla wall,
one enters the domed chamber to see the
mihrab on the opposite wall. This journey
into gradual deepening into darkness and
reemergence into a room bathed with
light reflected on the glazed revetment is
one of the most rewarding experiences of
the building.
In contrast to the grand size of the
Square’s space, the Sheikh Lotfollah
mosque is very small and is comprised of
a single domed chamber (19 meters on a
side), surrounded by rooms (which
possibly functioned as service areas) on its
sides, and preceded by a portal iwan
overlooking the Square.

35. The two rooms accessed from the corridor
which envelopes the sanctuary dome
measure 6 by 9 meters; one is found on
the western side of the corridor, and the

36. other along the far end of the eastern
wall.
A third room (8 by 16 meters) is located
on the exterior of the southern wall of the
sanctuary, and is accessed via the
corridor running along the Square wall
and then turning right after the vestibule
area. Although the Sheikh Lotfollah is
not one rectangular structure, its masses
can be measured as one rectangular area
of 44 by 30 meters and an additional
rectangular service area comprising
approximately 152 square meters.

37. The dome is one of the few single-shell
domes of the Safavid architecture with a
structure consisting of three levels. Four
squinches of pointed-arched panels,
framed by an inscription band in white
and blue demarcated by light blue cable
moldings, ascend from the floor and
support a sixteen kite-shaped shields
that, in turn, support the drum, which
comprises sixteen arched panels.

38. The drum is ornamented with alternating
double-grilles windows with an
arabesque pattern.
The interior dome has a sunburst from
which descend medallions inscribing
floral motifs, which become larger as they
descend away from the center.
The exterior of the dome is ornamented
with an arabesque of a floral motif in
white, blue, and black against a yellow
background.
The Sheikh Lotfollah mosque is viewed
by historians and visitors as one of the
most important architectural projects
built on Isfahan’s Square, prominent for
its location, scale, design, and ornament.
It represents the best example of
architecture and tile work of Iran in the
17th century.
The beauty of its buff dome fills visitors
with enchantment.

39. This mosque differs from all others in
several respects.
http://www.iranreview.org/content/Docu
ments/Sheikh_Lotfollah_Mosque.htm
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
A masterpiece of world’s architecture was
built during the reign of Shah Abbas the
great. Sheikh Lotfollah was one of Shiite

40. prominent, preachers and clergies who
came from Jabal Amel in Lebanon to
Isfahan. The Shah Abbas supported him
and the Sheikh took up residence in
Isfahan and the sheikh Lotfollah mosque
was named after him.
The mosque was used as a Theological
school and also as a royal mosque. It was
started to be built in 1602 and it was
completed in 1619. First the portal was
built to complete the Maidan, to be a part
of great Naghshe Jahan Square and it is
said it was used as a private mosque for
the Shah and royal family. The plan and
layout of the mosque is different from
other four Eivans Iranian mosques.
It is rather a small mosque without
courtyard and minarets, but interior and
exterior ornamentations are unbelievable
for visitors.
The entrance of the mosque is located
opposite of Ali Qapu palace. As soon as we
enter the mosque, we pass through a dim-

41. lit corridor which is connected to the
sanctuary of the mosque. The mentioned
corridor was built for two purposes. First
when entering the sanctuary our face will
be in direction of Mecca (Qibleh).
Second light outside the mosque is sharp
and strong, but in the main parts
(sanctuary) light is dim. Passing through
the dim- lit corridor for few seconds, our
eyes will be adjusted to dim light and
when we enter the main part, we will be
able to see the glory and beauty of the
mosque as real as possible.
The mosque is famous for calligraphies
made of tile- mosaic, for excellent
patterns and designs of tile- mosaic
which has decorated major parts of
portal, corridor and the main sanctuary.
Splendid blue, yellow and cream colours
of tile- mosaics are unique all over the
world.
The dome of sanctuary (Prayer Hall) and
polychromes of tile and tile mosaic are

42. splendid. The back- ground of tile mosaic
designs is unglazed cream colours bricks.
The Solth calligraphy of interior and
exterior parts is the best kind in the
Islamic world of art and architecture.
Calligraphy is written in azure blue with
white back- ground.
Ali Reza Abbasi one of the most famous
calligraphers of Iran has written major
parts of mentioned calligraphy.
The prayer hall was built on a square
plan which is converted into a circular
base the dome is located on the top of it.
The area of the mosque is 1324 square
meters, and the dome is 32 meters high
and also 12 meters in diameters. There
are 16 windows around the lower part of
the dome with equal size and shape and
equal intervals. These windows reflect
day- light to upper parts of dome just like
flood- lights.
The prayer- niche of the mosque is
decorated with the most delicate tile

43. mosaic. There is a large window located
at the north of the mosque, located lower
than the drum of dome. This window
(aperture) not only circulates the fresh air
into the mosque, but also just like flood-
light brightens the Mehrab located on the
opposite side southern.
There is a winter gallery (Beit-ol-Shata)
under the ground level with 16 huge
pillars, and simply decorated with mono-
colour square tiles and plaster.
There are two small inscriptions in
Persian language on two sides of Mehrab’s
wall, showing name of the architect
saying “a poor humble man begging the
mercy of Allah. Ostad Horrian builder
from Isfahan”.
The Sheikh Lotfollah mosque is a
philosophical complex. Each part of its
decoration covers certain religious
messages, in fact book must be written
regarding facts and message of the
ornamentation.

44. http://www.isfahan.ir/ShowPage.aspx?pag
e_=form&order=show&lang=3&sub=70&Pa
geId=4546&codeV=1&tempname=iadim

51. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Isfahan, Naghsh-e-Jahan
Square
By Mohammad Yazdi Rad, Noor Art &
Architecture Atelier
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (Persian: ‫شیخ‬ ‫مسجد‬
‫هللا‬ ‫)لطف‬ is one of the architectural
masterpieces of Iranian architecture that
was built during the Safavid Empire,
standing on the eastern side of Naghsh-i
Jahan Square, Esfahan, Iran.
Construction of the mosque started in
1603 and was finished in 1619. It was
built by the chief architect Shaykh
Bahai, during the reign of Shah Abbas I
of Persia.
http://vimania.ru/w/blog/2018/01/17/s
heikh-lotfollah-mosque/

52. Επίσης:
https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/isfa
han
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Lotf
ollah_Mosque
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Мечеть_ше
йха_Лотфоллы
https://ru.unesco.org/silkroad/content/isfa
han
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