Panorama of the Week: Disco Ball Mosque – Shiraz, Iran
Filed Under: I’m going to show you something like you’ve never seen before.
– Our guide, just before entering the Shāh Chérāgh Mosque.
The Shāh-é-Chérāgh Mosque. It’s a mausoleum, a funerary, one of the many places of worship and pilgrimage in Iran. But this one looks like a giant disco ball turned inside out.
It’s fitting that this site is one grand play on light. After all, it was originally discovered by an ayatollah after investigating a light he’d seen from a distance — a light that turned out to be emanating from a graveyard which upon excavation contained an armor-wrapped body wearing a ring that read “The Pride belongs to God, Ahmad son of Musa.”
Thus, the site has been known as Tomb of Ahmad and Muhammad, sons of Mūsā al-Kādhim. The tomb chamber, dome and colonnades date back to the 1130s, after which the complex had been continually expanded upon and repaired after various earthquakes. So you could say there are layers of history to the site, which today remains one of the most important places of pilgrimage within Shiraz, one of Iran’s most famous tourist draw towns.
But we just happen to like it because it looks truly amazing. Open up the panorama below to see why. Remember to look up!
Panorama: Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh (Mausoleum) – Shiraz, Iran
For best panorama viewing results, press fullscreen (four arrows) and navigate around with your mouse.
Articles About Iran
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Disclosure: Our trip to Iran is in cooperation with G Adventures as Wanderers in Residence. We paid our own transport to and from Iran, some expenses on the ground and for an additional one week private tour. As always, the opinions expressed here are entirely our own.
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December 2nd, 2011 at 5:38 pm
OK, this just became my favorite panorama…not sure that you can beat it.
December 2nd, 2011 at 10:13 pm
Wow, this is amazing! I really want to go to Iran now – it’s quickly moving to the top of the list.
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:54 pm
One word: WOW.
December 3rd, 2011 at 3:23 am
I second the WOW! What an amazing place. I’m in awe of you creating the panorama too.
December 3rd, 2011 at 3:35 am
Wow that place is mesmerizing. I don’t think I would be able to get my wife to leave that mosque, she’s too attracted to sparkly things! Really beautiful panorama guys.
December 3rd, 2011 at 11:43 am
Absolutely gorgeous. Love these panoramas, they take you to a place.
December 3rd, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Very cool effect!
December 3rd, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Those panorama pictures are incredible!
December 4th, 2011 at 2:19 am
Yep, everyone else summed it up nicely: WOW!
December 4th, 2011 at 2:48 am
Wow, the inside is stunning. Great panorama.
December 5th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
This is beautiful! I would love to learn how to make panoramas.
December 5th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Love reading about your Iran adventures right now especially because I am reading the book, The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. Have you read it? If not, you should. It’s amazing — all about his adventures in persia in 1937.
December 6th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Wow, love the panorama. A great look at an amazing place. Unreal!
December 9th, 2011 at 3:26 am
I’m enchanted and dizzy at the same time…very cool!
December 10th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Hi everyone, glad you are enjoying the panoramas, especially this one. Mirrored glass interiors do seems to suit the medium quite well.
@Adam: I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Guess you’ll just have to stay tuned!
@Erica: One of these days, we are planning a panorama tutorial.
@Mariellen: We haven’t read it, but we’ll add it to the list. Excellent reading material about Persia seems to be in great abundance. Having been to Iran myself, I can understand why. Thanks for the tip!
December 12th, 2011 at 10:30 am
Wow!! That is truly amazing. So that’s what you were doing glued to your computers while you were here!!
Now I know where I want my ashes to go (;-)
Love.
December 12th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
@Dee: You want your ashes to go to Iran? Or inside a disco ball?
February 3rd, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I totally agree with your writings of Iran and its people. I am proud of my courage and decision to visit it two years ago. It has been the most wonderful trip. I was greeted by smiling faces,waving hands,and eagerness to take pictures with me. So many of the youngsters were eager to befriend me. The older generation who could speak fluent English were chatting with me with joy. I have never been so happy and seeing so many wonderful sites! It was actually one of the most clean and safe places in the world.
I love the beauty of Iran…it’s sceneries and it’s people!!!!
February 5th, 2012 at 1:41 am
This must be how it feels like to be inside an emerald. Must have taken a really long time to build this mosque.
February 5th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@Angela: Am glad you visited Iran, you had such a great time and your experience matched our recent visit. Beautiful interesting country with engaging people. It’s so true that Iranian people young and old will approach visitors for reasons that have to do with their interest in the future, and in the past. Thank you for your comment.
@James: I cannot imagine the work that went into installing each and every one of those mirrors you seen in our panoramic image. Sites like these (burial sites, tombs, memorials, etc.) are definitely a result of evolution (building and rebuilding layer upon layer). In that sense, you could say they are forever a work in progress.
April 22nd, 2012 at 7:36 am
[...] My favorite is still the Disco Ball Mosque in Shiraz, Iran. [...]