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Monar Jonban in Isfahan

Monar Jonban is one of the most fascinating traditional sites with special characteristic. Moreover,the Monar Jonban is a monument located in Esfahan, in central Iran and  close to the Atashgah fire temple .Also, its one of the well-known historical monuments of the city.

Monar Jonban ,Isfahan

History

Monar Jonban constructed 700 years ago. Besides, the historic monument belonging to the Mongol time and then the construction began in the 14th century Safavid or Ilkhanate dynasties of Iran to cover the grave of Sufi Amu Abdollah Soqla. This building was completed by famous scientist and architect Bahāʾ al‐Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn al‐ʿĀmilī (also known as Sheikh Baha’i).

 

Iwan

Let’s be familier with majestics part of Monar Jonban. So, the first pats is Iwan. The iwan and porch erected shortly after 1316 under the Ilkhanate dynasty as a shrine for Sufi Amu Abdollah Soqla, a hermit buried here. Moreover,the brick minarets constructed later, and are probably of Safavid dynasty era origin (c. 15th–17th centuries).

In addition, the iwan is 10 metres (33 ft) high and 10 metres (33 ft) in width, the minarets are 7 metres (23 ft) taller and are 4 metres (13 ft) in circumference. Also, the roof above the shrine contains some skilled brickwork.The Iwan located in Menar jonban in Isfahan is as high as 10 meters and each of the two minarets is about 7.5 meters.

Besides, the roof and the minarets are accessible through a small gate and spiral stairs. Furthermore, the whole iwan is decorated with inlaid mosaics with wavy lines and polygonal azure tiles. Also, Dark blue tiles cover the inner side of its arch. So, over the years, this remarkable monument has aroused admiration in the heart of travelers.

 

Shaking Minerates

Monar Jonban is considered as one of the most popular monuments of Isfahan for its wonderful architecture. In addition, what make this traditional site distinguished from other is so amazing. So, the nest characteristic which is the most notable feature of this site is The High architectural knowledge reflected in the mysterious structure of the minarets.

Consequently, by shaking strongly one minaret, the other minaret starts shaking with the same frequency .Therefore, this movement also transmitted to another minaret and even to the porch itself. Besides, in theory, all minarets can sway, but this pair sways in an especially obvious manner because of the ratio between the height and width of the arch (it is 10 m high and 10 m wide), and the shortness and lightness of the minarets.

Moreover, the minarets are responsible for the fame of the otherwise architecturally undistinguished shrine. Because of the ratio between the height and width of the minarets and the width of the iwan, if one minaret is shaken, the other will shake in unison. Besides, this example of coupled oscillation can observe from ground level.

Also, according to the latest research , the reason that the other minaret vibrates automatically after the other one is the “U-shape” structure of the building. There are also other points of view to this matter but the mystery is still unsolved.

In addition, wooden crossbars on the top of the minarets further facilitate the movement. Besides, the whole thing is intending to be a mild conjuring trick to amuse simple minds. However, for a long time, until the riddle of the minarets had solved, the pious entertained a supernatural explanation.

Also, with some claiming that the movement caused by the Sufi, who was allegedly alive in his tomb. The phenomenon of shaking minarets did not confine to this site. Also, another example can findonly 50 km away at Oshtorjan.

The structure features are the most famous minarets in the city. The small brick towers rise some 6 m above the iwan. The minarets  elegantly ornamented with lovely but unpretentious brickwork. Narrow spiral staircases lead to the summits of the minarets, which epierced by open arches. The brick Il-Khanid building  decorated with dark blue tiles that cover the inner side of its arch.

Structural damage

The wooden beams on the upper part of the minarets have placed there to facilitate the shaking of the minarets, but the presence of wood in the brickwork causes other complications. Therefore, the repeated shaking has responsible for considerable structural damage.

In addition, Shaking by visitors in theory restricted to once every twenty minutes. However, particularly during holidays, there is a constant stream of people who experiment with the phenomenon. So, the damage locally believed by some to have incurred during the periods of occupation by British soldiers.

The Other Fantastic Characteristic

The unique characteristic of this building is that a person can go inside the tower and make it shake with his own bare hands. So, doing this will not only shake both minarets but also the entire building, without causing any damage to the building.

For a long time, scientists wondered why the minarets shake. The mysterious architecture of this building still remains unclear and questionable. Monar in Persian means minaret and Jonban means shaking. This remarkable structure carefully designed, the weight distribution, height to width ratio of the minarets and the dimensions of the minarets to the iwan’s ratio, all play a role in the shaking of the minarets.

There is also a beautiful garden and a small coffee shop available. There is a famous ice cream shop near Monar Jonban ” Iman” and locals consider it the best in Isfahan. So, we recommend its traditional saffron ice cream and enjoy tasting one of the most delicious types of ice cream in the world.

Time of shaking minarets

 The shaking minarets are responsible for the worldwide fame of Monar Jonban. So, Don’t Miss them

10:30 AM

12:00 PM

1:30 PM

3:00 PM

4:00 PM

 

Where to Eat near Menar Jonban

You can also enjoy the Iranian Food ner Monar Jonban. So, do not worry about being hungry. There are some restaurants nearby where you can eat some delicious Persian food. Shab Neshin Restaurant, Sadr Mottun Barbeque, and Gheitaran Restaurant are the closest options to this attraction.

 

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