Manar Jomban

Esfahan


Visitors flock five times a day to this tiny mosque in a courtyard of pines for the sole purpose of watching as the caretaker ascends the minaret and gives it a good shake. For some reason, the movement resonates through the whole building causing the other minaret to tremble at the same time, to the surprising delight of the crowds who gather to watch.

It is hard to know how to categorise this experience as it can appear as plain silly – in addition to being detrimental to the health of the building, and not to mention exceeding the health and safety remit of the caretaker. On the other hand, it clearly has an appeal that goes beyond the tour guides' enthusiasm for taking visitors there and is a genuine local crowd-pleaser. It is generally included in tours to the Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan (Fire Temple) as it is along the same road.


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