Being an ancient country with plenty of very old monuments to offer to its visitors, Iran stands among the top cultural tour destinations. Some of them are already enlisted at UNESCO's world human heritage and some other ones are documented and waiting for such recognition.
As the advent of Islam and Arabs' invasion is a landmark in Iranian history and as the architecture of the monuments has been largely influenced due to such a change, this article will introduce you only to the monuments remained from post-Islam period.
Nain Friday mosque
As one of the earliest mosques ever built in Iran before the concept of symmetry was entirely internalized in Islamic architecture, Nain Friday mosque has been inspired by the architecture of Sassanians. Iranian architects built structures with similar brick arrangements to decorate exterior and plaster-work embellishment to decorate inside the buildings.
Yazd Friday Mosque
With the tallest minarets in Iran, 53 meters, Yazd Friday mosque took 40 years to be constructed. The mosaic works applied to the southern ivan and portal of the mosque is one of the best examples of Ilkhanid period. The various shades of blue color applied to the facade of the portal is unique and striking.
Soltaniyeh
With a 50-meter tall domed chamber and largest Islamic dome in the world for several centuries, Soltanieh is a mausoluem built by Oljayto, the Ilkhanid king near Zanjan in Iran. Many scholars believe that he was finally buried at that structure although it was built for another purpose.
Shiekh Lotfollah Mosque
This mosque is a private one constructed by Shah Abbas the first for his family members who could walk through a corridor from under the opposite structure, Aliqapu palace, to the basement of this palace.
Imam Khomeini Mosque
Shah Abbas the first has ordered this Friday mosque to be built at Naqsh-e-Jahan square. According to many experts in Iranian studies, this mosque is one of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture in Iran, which has been built in Isfahan.
Chehel Sotun Palace
The structure in the middle of a typical Persian garden is built by Shah Abbas the second as his administration edifice. The huge pool in front of it helps the reflection of portico columns and doubles the number of them from 20 to 40. That is why it is called forty-column palace.
AliQapu Palace
The high-rise of Safavid period in Isfahan, the capital city of Shah Abbas the first, Aliqapu palace was built overlooking Naqsh-e-Jahan square. From up there, ambassadors, governors, kings and any other officials visiting Persian capital city could see the flourishing economy of the country.
Gonbad e Qabus
This tomb tower is one thousand year old and totally built by baked bricks. Under Zyarids, this tower was ordered to be built 3 km north of the ancient city of Jorgan.
Sio-Se-Pol
This is the longest bridge on Zayandeh rood, which is the river snaking through Isfahan. It was built under Shah Abbas the first to connect Chahar Bagh Street on both sides of the river. There are 33 arches along this bridge that were built so solidly that the structure could also be used for blocking the water.
Khajou Bridge
Built under Shah Abbas the second, this bridge is meant to be used both as a bridge to connect Khajou street on northern bank of the river to the other side and as a water damn to raise the water level. The accessible water could then be used to irrigate royal gardens.
Golestan Palace Complex
As the best example of Qajar period architecture, there are several structures constructed during the reign of Qajar kings. The mirror works as well as tile works applied on these palaces are very spectacular. No other such compound can be found anywhere else in Iran as Tehran was the capital city of these kings.
Conclusions
Sometimes, a tomb decoration, a hunting mansion, etc could also be very eye-catching and beautiful to a visitor, but the list here refers to some of the most famous monuments that are in good condition and usually on the routes of the main towns and cities of Iran. To be able to visit lots of Iran tourist attractions, you need to travel to Iran yourself and spend some time on a well-planned tours so that you can make the most of your stay in this country.
Destination Iran provides Iran visa services for you to travel to Iran and visit the highlights of the country. Remember that you need a well-planned itinerary for your journey. Learn more at: http://www.destinationiran.com
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