TEHRAN – Surrounded by Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, the vast Imam Khomeini Mosque is well worth a visit when you’re heading to downtown of the metropolis.

The early-18th-century monument is one of the city’s largest and busiest mosques. Following some rounds of restoration, it is now looking all the better for interior design.

There are various entrances to the mosque but the main one is off Panzdah-e Khordad St, which takes you directly into a large courtyard.

There is a large central pool in the courtyard for the faithful to make their before-prayer ablutions. The yard faces to some enormous ivans (porticos) and also leads to a passageway that goes to the Grand Bazaar were hundreds of people pass through each day.

Still popularly known as the Shah Mosque (its former name), the mosque proves to be a great piece of architecture and beauty due its courtyard, beautiful Shabestans (nocturnal areas), a giant tile-worked dome and interesting arches and entrances.

The Mosque was built upon the order of Fath-Ali Shah (r. 1797 -1834). At the time of completion, it was considered to be the most significant architectural monument in Tehran. During the reign of Naser al-Din Shah (r. 1848 – 1896), the two current minarets were added to the structure.

Its proximity to the bazaar makes it one of the liveliest places in Tehran. It is also adjacent to the UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace that embodies a successful integration of earlier Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences.

The grand bazaar comprises various mazes, corridors, lanes, intersections, entrances and passageways with hundreds of shops offering different types of goods and services. While most of its covered structures and marketplaces are associated with the 19th century onwards, the history of trade in the bazaar is rooted much deeper in time.

AFM/MQ/MG