Esfahan · Naqsh-e Jahan Square · Iran

Shah Abbas Mosque

mosqueUNESCOSafavidgoogle verified

easy

10/10

best: morning, late afternoon

awe-inspiring, spiritual, grand

A local would say...

Shah Abbas spent 27 years perfecting this mosque — and tilted the entire building so it faces Mecca, not the square.

Built over 27 years (1611–1638) under Shah Abbas I, the Imam Mosque is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful mosques on earth. Its vast blue-tiled mosaics, perfectly proportioned iwans, and 52m-high dome angled toward Mecca all combine into a breathtaking act of architectural piety at the south end of Esfahan's enormous Naqsh-e Jahan Square.