Panels from Pir Pina Duz Mosque and Khwaja Alam Mosque (Chihil Sutun Gardens)

Isfahan, Iran

In ca. 1942, fragile decorative panels from several local mosques were transferred to the gardens of Isfahan's Chihil Sutun palace for preservation. They were mounted on replica walls built to house them. The plaques adjoining the panels give the hijri solar year of 1320 (1941-1942 C.E.) as the date of installation. A replica of the portal known as Darb-i Kushk was also built in the gardens.

Pir-i Pina Duz Panels: Two sets of inscriptions from the portal of a mosque known as Darb-i Jawbara or Pir-i Pina-Duz (Pir-e Pineh-Duz) were remounted. The original structure was a small mosque in the Jewish quarter of Isfahan (Jawbara or Jubareh or Joubareh). First, an Arabic inscription band in tile mosaic (thuluth script) that once ran along the upper part of the facade, and 2) two decorative niches with tile mosaic spandrels and Persian inscription plaques in nasta'liq. Andre Godard, who published the inscriptions in a 1937 article, read the tile mosaic band as stating that the original mosque was constructed by a certain Muhammad Ali, who served as the rukab-dar (groom or stirrup holder) of Prince Abu al-Fath Bahram Mirza al-Husayni (brother of Shah Tahmasp, d. 957 A.H.), during the reign of Safavid Shah Tahmasp in 955 A.H. (1548-1549 C.E.). The inscription, as transcribed by Godard, also tells us that the calligrapher was named Shaykh Muhammad ibn Khalid (katabahu Shaykh Muhammad ibn Khalid). This reading must be taken with caution, as Godard suggests that he had trouble discerning it. Below the inscription band, a row of pointed niches with tile mosaic decoration in their spandrels also contain inscription plaques in tile mosaic, written in nasta'liq script, which contain a chronogram confirming the mosque's construction in 955 A.H.

Khwaja Alam Mosque Medallions: Several tile-mosaic medallions from the Khwaja Alam Mosque, dated to the 17th century, were also remounted in the gardens. One takes the form of an octagonal medallion and features vegetal motifs. Others are pentagonal, and one is a 9 point star that features an image of a lion(?) attacking a gazelle.

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