Isfahan: The Persian Mosque

Jamshid Arjmand, Ph.D.
From the article “An Image of Paradise,”
Shahrvand newspaper, Oct 12, 2006, Isfahan, Iran.

“The temple of the mind must exist in the sky, where one can spread wings and fly. Our mosques were created to serve as such a spiritual sanctuary.

“The pool is the heart of the mosque. It’s where the sky and the earth meet. It’s really a bright mirror.

“The iwan is a sort of reflection of the purgatory, where it is neither in the mosque or outside the mosque; neither hell or heaven.

“The kashi of the mosque is like skin to the body and each one is a beautiful work of art.

“The 40 pillars of shabestan—this many pillars are not required to hold up the ceiling. They are there to represent the inescapable fact that we’re all adrift in this world, in search of answers.

“The courtyards are so large to point to the immensity of the creation. Nothing in the mosque is without allusion to the creation and the things of erfan.

“In fact, nothing in the mosques of Isfahan is by accident. Isfahan is the reflection of all the elements of erfan.

“In fact, when you pass through Isfahan, you realize it is an image of paradise.”