Vakil Mosque

(Vakil Mosque) or (Soltani Mosque) is a religious building from the Zand period in Shiraz, and its importance is due to the presence of artistic expressions, including tilework and enamelwork, in the architecture of the mosque.
Inscriptions in different parts of the mosque indicate that it was built by Shiites. Inscriptions in different parts of the mosque indicate that it was built by Shiites. Vakil Mosque or Sultan Mosque is a religious and historical site from the Zandi period. According to the report of the Fars Provincial Cultural Heritage Department, this mosque was built in 1187 AH by Karim Khan Zand and is located near Vakil Bazaar, Vakil Bath, and Agha Baba Khan School, which together have left behind the religious, cultural, and historical complex of Zandiyeh. According to historical researchers, the importance of the mosque is reflected in its artistic expressions. The arts of tile work and enamel work have been used in the architecture of Vakil Mosque.
Vakil Mosque, with an area of 9,578 square meters and a floor area of 5,787 square meters, has a two-porch design and has entrance sections, a corridor, a courtyard, a large (southern) nave, a winter (eastern) nave, and two arched porches.
The entrance to the mosque is on the north side and opens into an octagonal corridor that is connected to two corridors at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, and by passing through it one enters the courtyard of the mosque.
In order for the mosque's qibla to match the religious qibla and for the mosque's facade to match the side doors of the bazaar and the bazaar itself, the mosque's architects connected the corridors to the mosque courtyard in a way that, while not distorting the courtyard's angle, did not make the change obvious.
On the northern side of the courtyard, a tall arch has been built, known as the Pearl Arch, and has two tiled spires 20 meters high. There are three small arches in the four parts of the Pearl Arch, one of which is the entrance to the mosque courtyard.
In the southern part of the mosque courtyard, there is an arch directly opposite the Pearl Arch and has four arches. At the bottom of this arch is the entrance to the large Shabestan. The Shabestan of the Vakil Mosque has 48 stone columns carved in a spiral design.
In this nave, there is an altar with seven-colored tiles, and to the left of the altar is a pulpit made of one piece of marble with 14 steps.
This stone was brought from Maragheh to Shiraz by order of Karim Khan. Some historians quoted Karim Khan as saying that if goldwork in the mosque were not forbidden, he would have used gold in the mosque equal to the weight of this stone.
According to another narration, Karim Khan said that if I had made this pulpit out of gold, it would have been cheaper.
On the western and eastern sides of the courtyard, there are 11 symmetrical arches, and behind both the arches on the eastern and western sides, there is a small portico. Behind the portico on the eastern side, there is a nave with a brick roof and 12 monolithic stone columns, which is called the winter nave.
According to the Entebka news website, in June 1401, a hole was created behind the walls of the mosque and part of the Vakil Mosque in Shiraz collapsed. The high walls that separate the mosque from the passage adjacent to the South Vakil Bazaar have changed color in some parts due to moisture.
This mosque is now in the possession of the Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization, and its restoration has begun in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Organization.

translator: fatemeh abbaszadeh.