An artisan atop a scaffold restores portions of the floral tilework that embellishes the facade of the Vakil Mosque in Shiraz, southern Iran on January 16, 2017.

Wide range of restoration projects are underway in vast premises of the historical mosque, which is a major tourist attraction.

The Vakil Mosque is adjacent to a bathhouse and a bazaar of the same name, all completed in the second half of the 18th century. The whole complex bears exceptional testimony to the rich architecture practiced in the Zand era (1750–1794).

The monument was heavily restored in the 19th century upon the order of Qajar authorities. It was the time when much of the tiling, predominantly floral motifs and arabesques, was added.

The mosque embraces a magnificent inward courtyard that is encircled by adjoining tiled chambers and porches. It also has a magnificent hypostyle prayer hall supported by abundant carved columns.

AFM/MG