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    Confluence not Erasure: The Church of El Salvador in Toledo, Spain

    Confluence not Erasure: The Church of El Salvador in Toledo, Spain

    Mezquita/Cathedral del Cristo de la Luz – Where Architecture Tells a Tale

    Mezquita/Cathedral del Cristo de la Luz – Where Architecture Tells a Tale

    The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca In Toledo, Spain—often called the “City of Three Cultures”

    The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca In Toledo, Spain—often called the “City of Three Cultures”

    East Side Gallery, Berlin

    Neptune Fountain in Berlin

    Neptune Fountain in Berlin

    Aligarh’s Jama Masjid

    Aligarh’s Jama Masjid

    Darbar of Guru Ram Rai in Dehradun

    Darbar of Guru Ram Rai in Dehradun

    Lord Buddha’s sermon in Kausambi, Allahabad and the Fortress

    Lord Buddha’s sermon in Kausambi, Allahabad and the Fortress

    Abu Serga Church, Cairo

    Abu Serga Church, Cairo

    The Exquisite Badal Mahal in Bundi Part 1

    The Exquisite Badal Mahal in Bundi Part 1

    Jhanjhiri Mosque in Jaunpur

    Jhanjhiri Mosque in Jaunpur

    Gurudwara Lekhensar Sahib‬ in Talwandi Sabo

    Gurudwara Lekhensar Sahib‬ in Talwandi Sabo

    Ulugh Beg’s Observatory in Samarqand, Uzbekistan

    Ulugh Beg’s Observatory in Samarqand, Uzbekistan

    Rani Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

    Rani Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

    Bundi Fort, Rajasthan

    Bundi Fort, Rajasthan

    Rock Paintings in Bundi, Rajasthan

    Rock Paintings in Bundi, Rajasthan

    A Classical Nayika in Indian Paintings

    A Classical Nayika in Indian Paintings

    Jhat pat Bibi ki kahani

    Jhat pat Bibi ki kahani

    Jahangir ‘s Jade Cup

    Jahangir ‘s Jade Cup

    The Jama Masjid in Bodh Gaya

    The Jama Masjid in Bodh Gaya

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      Confluence not Erasure: The Church of El Salvador in Toledo, Spain

      Confluence not Erasure: The Church of El Salvador in Toledo, Spain

      Mezquita/Cathedral del Cristo de la Luz – Where Architecture Tells a Tale

      Mezquita/Cathedral del Cristo de la Luz – Where Architecture Tells a Tale

      The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca In Toledo, Spain—often called the “City of Three Cultures”

      The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca In Toledo, Spain—often called the “City of Three Cultures”

      East Side Gallery, Berlin

      Neptune Fountain in Berlin

      Neptune Fountain in Berlin

      Aligarh’s Jama Masjid

      Aligarh’s Jama Masjid

      Darbar of Guru Ram Rai in Dehradun

      Darbar of Guru Ram Rai in Dehradun

      Lord Buddha’s sermon in Kausambi, Allahabad and the Fortress

      Lord Buddha’s sermon in Kausambi, Allahabad and the Fortress

      Abu Serga Church, Cairo

      Abu Serga Church, Cairo

      The Exquisite Badal Mahal in Bundi Part 1

      The Exquisite Badal Mahal in Bundi Part 1

      Jhanjhiri Mosque in Jaunpur

      Jhanjhiri Mosque in Jaunpur

      Gurudwara Lekhensar Sahib‬ in Talwandi Sabo

      Gurudwara Lekhensar Sahib‬ in Talwandi Sabo

      Ulugh Beg’s Observatory in Samarqand, Uzbekistan

      Ulugh Beg’s Observatory in Samarqand, Uzbekistan

      Rani Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

      Rani Ki Baori, Bundi, Rajasthan

      Bundi Fort, Rajasthan

      Bundi Fort, Rajasthan

      Rock Paintings in Bundi, Rajasthan

      Rock Paintings in Bundi, Rajasthan

      A Classical Nayika in Indian Paintings

      A Classical Nayika in Indian Paintings

      Jhat pat Bibi ki kahani

      Jhat pat Bibi ki kahani

      Jahangir ‘s Jade Cup

      Jahangir ‘s Jade Cup

      The Jama Masjid in Bodh Gaya

      The Jama Masjid in Bodh Gaya

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      Sheikh Lotfullah Mosque in Isfahan

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      “To many, the silent theology of Islamic art can speak more profoundly and clearly than the most dazzling treatise, and its beauty can be more evident and persuasive than the strongest argument”

      https://renovatio.zaytuna.edu/article/the-silent-theology-of-islamic-art

      The writer of this article lists Sheikh Lotfullah Mosque in Isfahan as one of those “that communicate the beauty and truth of its revelation with a profound directness simply unmatched by articles or books about Islam.”

      And indeed he’s right.

      The Naqsh e Jahan /Emam Square in Isfahan is home to some of the greatest architectural treasures of Iran.

      The Sheikh Lotfullah Mosque billed as the prettiest Mosque in the world is on the eastern side of the Naqsh e Jahan / Emam square facing the AL Qapu palace. From outside it is like any other Iranian Mosque but as you enter you realize you are in for a treat.

      It was built in the early 17thcentury (from 1603 to 1619) under the order of Shah Abbas the Great, the Safavid king by the prominent architect Sheikh Bahai. There is an inscription on its main entrance giving the starting date of construction.

      Since the Mosque is quite small and doesn’t have minarets which were used by muezzin to give azan or call for prayer or a courtyard used for congregations it is believed that it was built for the royal ladies living in the palace across.

      The interior iwans which the gateway leads to are definitely suitable for the women of the king’s harem because of the seclusion they offer

      a tunnel was built from Ali Qapu Palace to the mosque, on Shah Abbas’ command so that the ladies of the royal family did not have to walk across the square in public gaze.

      This reminds me of the various surangs or tunnels in our ancestral home in Shamsabad built for exactly the same purpose – purdah!

      The main entrance would have been protected by the guards and there’s only one entrance to it. So complete security and privacy.

      The mosque was dedicated to Shah Abbas’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lutfallah, a revered Lebanese Islam scholar who died in 1622.

      The plan as is normal in many mosques is octagonal with squinches to form the huge dome as in Sassanid architecture

      As the square was not Qibla facing and thus the entrance could not be aligned to it, an L-shaped hallway connecting the entrance and the sanctuary of the mosque. It lies at a 45 degrees to the square. This design was thought of by the architect Mohammad Reza Isfahani to overcome the problem of alignment.

      The entire mosque is decorated by seven-colored mosaics (called as haft-rang tiles in Persian). The calligraphy was supervised by Ali Reza Abbasi, the famous Iranian master of calligraphy.

      I visited during Ramzan and saw that a curtain was stretched across to divide & provide space for men and women to pray

      So we could all offer our prayers in peace.

      The difference in alignment of dome and entrance can be seen here.

      ( above Pic from net not by me)

      The tiles mesmerize you. You are in blue and gold heaven!

       

       

       

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      Rana Safvi

      Come, explore and fall in love the Beauties of Delhi (Dilli ki Ranaiya’n) and the World with me, Rana Safvi

      I have a masters in medieval history from the prestigious Centre for Advanced Studies, Dept. of History, AMU. A firm believer in our Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, I am passionate about gaining and sharing knowledge and these days I am doing it via the social media platform.

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