In Sheikh-ol Eslam Alley, Chaharah-e Takhti, an excellent Qajarid mansion is located. The fine mirror and plaster work with beautiful pendentives (a triangular segment of a spherical surface, filling in the upper corners of a room, in order to form, at the top, a circular support for a dome) give Sheykh ol-Eslam’s Historical House an exceptional decoration. Today, textile arts are done in workshops placed in this house such as:  weaving, cloak weaving and braid making. The art of weaving is one of the ancient arts of Isfahan. The weaving on different textiles such as silk, wool and cotton is done by artists.

The Entrance of a Persian Traditional House

The entrance of the house is decorated with a circular doorknob (for ladies) and a bar-shaped one (for men) with a floral design and headed-steel nails. Each of the doorknobs would make a different sound.

Who Is Sheykh Ol-Eslam?

This beautiful historical house was once the residence of the high-ranking theologian ‘Sheykh-ol Eslam’. On special occasions this house was used as a place for holding religious ceremonies and theater called Ta’zieh. This kind of religious theater was performed in such a professional way that many believe the theater of Iran owes a great deal to this.

Handicraft Workshops

Today, workshops of some traditional handicrafts, which are headed by the masters of each craft, such as: brocade weaving, plasterwork, and lattice-window making.

Sheykh Ol-Eslam’s Historical House Mainly Consists of Two Parts:

• Andarooni (interior) in which family and the household would spend time.
• Birooni (exterior) which is beautifully designed with wood joint and Muqarnas was used by guests and visitors. This part is embellished with frescoes, mirror works and stucco work in an eye-catching way.

This valuable historic building has been registered as number 997 in national heritage list.

Overview