Shah Abbas Mosque

In the Shah Abbas Mosque of Isfahan, the Jelokhān (forecourt), much like that of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, extends from the bazaar and, through incision and recession, gives rise to the Shekam-Darideh pattern. Unlike the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, however, the presence of the pool expands the domain of the Jelokhān toward the square. Meanwhile, the narrow side of the Shekam-Darideh, articulated through the Hashti pattern, is perceived as more elementary than its counterpart in the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. Upon entering the building, the Shekam-Darideh pattern is repeated and, within the transitional space, subtly rotates toward the qibla. In the diagrammatic reframing of the Shah Abbas Mosque, understanding the overarching Chahar-Iwan pattern as explicit and the overarching Chahar-Soffeh pattern as implicit is of fundamental importance. Their superposition establishes the center of the courtyard as the architectural telos. Yet the presence of two elongated side courtyards, aligned with the water axes, redirects movement from this geometric destination toward the spatial destination of the southern domed chamber.