Glass-mirrors and Shia Shrines in Iran

*WS47 – Glass-mirrors and Shia Shrines in Iran*

The last posting on the Pink Mosque aroused some interest on the Persian architecture. Today I will highlight two other unique features of the Persian architecture: glass-mirrors and Shia shrines.

The Venetian glass-makers started producing small glass-mirrors in the 15th century. By the early 16th century they have perfected the coating technique with a mixture of tin and mercury. The Persian ruler Shah Abbas I (1571-1629) introduced the use of these glass-mirrors in his palaces, particularly on the ceiling to reflect light. Since then it has been widely used in many buildings in Iran, in particular the great Shia shrines. The 1st 3 photos show the use of such glass-mirrors in the Golestan Palace in Teheran. 

The Shia Muslims honour their imams and other martyrs by building special shrines to house their tombs. And decorate the inside with glass-mirrors. This Emir Ali Shrine in Isfahan is dedicated to Emir Ali, a follower and nephew of the 8th Shia Imam. It has a majestic blue dome. The interior consists of high ceilings and exquisite glass-mirror tiles, said to number over 2 million pieces. Green is the colour of the glass. 4th to 6th photos. 

Next is the Fazel Musa Karem Shrine in Yazd, dedicated to a local prince martyred in the 16th century. This time the glass-mirrors are colourless and not tinted. The tomb itself is protected with latticed railing, shown in the last photo. 

The Sunnis do not have this tradition of having shrines to honour the dead.