Nasir al-Mulk 'Pink Mosque' Of Iran Is Like Stepping Into A Kaleidoscope

From the outside, the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, seems like a fairly traditional house of worship -- but it's hiding a gorgeously colorful secret.





The multitude of stained glass windows turn the inside of the mosque into a riotous wonderland of color that is absolutely breathtaking.





Japanese photographer Koach was blown away by the mosque's beauty which is best appreciated in the morning light, explaining:

You can only see the light through the stained glass in the early morning. It was built to catch the morning sun, so that if you visit at noon it will be too late to catch the light. The sight of the morning sunlight shining through the colorful stained glass, then falling over the tightly woven Persion carpet, is so bewitching that it seems to be from another world.

Even if you are the world’s least religious person, you might feel your hands coming together in prayer naturally when you see the brilliance of this light. Perhaps the builders of this mosque wanted to show their “faith” through the morning light shining through this stained glass.

Not to mention the gorgeously painted, intricate arches and niches.













It's also known as the "Pink Mosque" for the rose-colored tiles that cover the interior. However, picking out just one color doesn't do justice to the plethora of hues that decorate it.









Though Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem and Istanbul's Blue Mosque both feature stained glass windows, on the whole they are fairly uncommon in mosque architecture.





The rarity of architecture like this makes Nasir al-Mulk all the more precious.