Vakil Mosque


The Vakil Mosque is a Shi'ite mosque, located in Shiraz, in the province of Fars, in southern Iran. The mosque is situated to the west of Vakil Bazaar and adjacent to the entrance of the bazaar.
The mosque was added to the Iran National Heritage List in 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.

Overview

The mosque was built between and, during the Zand era; and was restored in the 19th century, during the Qajar era. Vakil means regent, which was the title used by Karim Khan, the founder of the Zand dynasty. Shiraz was the seat of Karim Khan's government and he endowed many buildings, including this mosque.
The Vakil Mosque covers an area of. It has two iwans instead of the usual four, on the northern and southern sides of a large open sahn, that is and a smaller yard that is. There are 48 great spiral pillars that are a feature of the mosque's prayer hall.