Masjid-i Hakim

Isfahan, Iran

Mosque Al-Hakim, located near the bazaar, was built in 1654 during the reign of Shah Abbas II (1648-66) by Doctor (Hakim) Daud, who fled from Isfahan to India. After making his fortune there under the grand Moghuls. Hakim Daud financed this mosque in Isfahan in his name.

A mosque is not only a house of worship, but also a public building serving a multiplicity of uses. It is a gathering place for prayers five times a day, an Islamic college, a community center for functions with present day Western associations, and an emergency shelter for travelers. A mosque contains amenities, such as wash rooms and toilets, for public use. It is the first civic symbol one encounters after coming out of a secluded house at the end of an obscure valley. As much as it is a container of space, it is also contained within the city fabric. The Mosque Al-Hakim has no monumental entry, but five different minor entries. Frequently, a mosque is also used as a short-cut for another destination beyond the mosque. Although the penetration of the mosque walls may take many forms, the primary destination is always the same. It is a courtyard which can be called a monumental space.