Introducing the collection of Ganj Ali Khan buildings in Kerman
Ganj Ali Khan Complex of Kerman is located next to the bazaar-e bozorg of this city. For more information about this collection, stay tuned with this article of Chiyakotravel. Next to bazaar-e bozorg of Kerman, there is a complex called Ganj Ali Khan Complex which consists of many historical buildings such as a square, caravansary, bath, school, mosque, bath and water storage. This historical collection is one of those heritages that you can not miss it while visiting Kerman. So it is definitely interesting for you to get acquainted with buildings of this collection.
Ganj Ali Khan complex is located in the old center of Kerman. Ganj Ali Khan, who was one of the famous rulers of Shah Abbas time, ruled over Kerman from 1005 to 1034 AH and built many monuments and buildings and tried to develop this region.
Ganj Ali Khan buildings
The architect of the collection is “Master Sultan Mohammad Memar Yazdi” and its founder is Ganj Ali Khan. The architectural style of this building is Isfahani style. The area of Ganj Ali Khan complex is 11,000 square meters. This complex consists of several buildings.
Ganj Ali Khan square
One of the remnants of Ganjali Khan collection is a square in the center of the city which is located on the outskirts of the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar is located on 3 sides of the square and Ganjali Khan House is located on the other side. Brick arches, tiling, green space, water pond and other monuments have doubled the beauty of this square. It is located in a certain section and the axis is pedestrian and there is no traffic at all.
Ganj Ali Khan bazaar
To see Ganj Ali Khan bazaar, you have to go to the southern part of Ganj Ali Khan Square. If you turn your head and look to the right of the bazaar, Ganjali Khan Bath and eighteen shops are in front of you. On the left side of the bazaar, you can see vendors who have spread out under the arches. If you want to visit the goldsmith’s bazaar now, you have come to the old bazaar of Kerman. It is interesting to know that everyone knows the goldsmith’s bazaar as Qaisaria and to visit it you have to go to the end of the bazaar.
mosque
In the northeastern part of Ganj Ali Khan Square, a historical and beautiful mosque attracts your attention, as it seems that this mosque was a place of prayer for people inside the school and the caravansary. Although this mosque is a little small, but Shabestan and porch have an attractive entrance. The porch has a simple facade and is decorated with geometric plastering. The floor of the porch is covered with stone and a stone inscription above the wooden door stands out. As soon as you pass the entrance of the porch, you will see a narrow corridor, and after passing through this part, you will reach a Shabestan with a beautiful dome. The altar of the mosque is designed as beautifully as possible with a marble tablet and the design of its vase. Usually to see design and beauty of the mosque, you have to go to its Shabestan. In Shabestan of this mosque, the elements of stucco, Muqarnas, painting and framing have been used to find an interesting charm. Today, this mosque has a tourism aspect and prayers are not performed in it.
Bathroom
The bath is another building of Ganj Ali Khan complex that you should not miss by any means. In the entrance of the bath, you will find beautiful plastering and paintings, some of which were designed during the Safavid period and some during the Qajar period. In designing the paintings, subjects such as hunting kings, camels, Khosrow and Shirin have been used. At the bottom of the paintings, there is an inscription made of green marble, on which a selection of poems with beautiful calligraphy is engraved. One of the most beautiful parts of this dressing room is that although it is an integrated space at first glance, you can see the secluded nests in the corners, which have been used for rest and worship. The locker room with the mats and body dryers has a special charm that takes hours to watch. Today, this mosque has become an anthropological museum, and despite the sculptures of human beings in its place, it has taken on a real appearance and has the atmosphere of old and traditional baths.
Plaster decorations and paintings on the entrance of the bath are divided into two parts: the upper part of Muqarnas belongs to the Safavid period and has flower and plant decorations and plaster that was restored by Kerman Cultural Heritage Office in 1374 and the lower part belongs to the Qajar period. The decorations of the Safavid period are stretched. As mentioned, these paintings have subjects such as Bahram-e Goor, Khosrow and Shirin, hunting kings, camel caravans and predators. Below the paintings, there is an inscription of green marble on which poems are engraved in Nasta’liq script and its date is 1020 AH.
The long, angled bathroom hallway is decorated with utensils such as sinks, dice, lanyards, cedars, henna, old trays, traditional combs, various mirrors, old pedestals, and other laundry items. To the right side of “greenhouse” are statues of sackcloth and hairdressers.
The light in the bathroom spaces is provided by the ceiling so that the skylights are usually located in the center or around the ceilings, making the ceiling appear brighter and creating a beautiful light shade on it. The pool under these skylights has also added to the beauty of the lighting in this bathroom. In skylights, “cup flower” or “suspension” is used to prevent sunlight and visibility, as well as to regulate the temperature of the greenhouse, to direct sunlight into the spaces. The heat of this bath, like many traditional baths in Iran, is provided by “Golkhan”.
School and Caravansary
Ganjali Khan School and Caravansary is one of the famous seminaries in Kerman. This building is located on the eastern side of Ganj Ali Khan Square and in the past, it was a thriving school that was later turned into an inn. On the tiles of the inscription on its entrance, the date of 1007 AH was designed and its architect was Mohammad Soltani Yazdi. This school is currently a faculty of art affiliated to Bahonar University of Kerman. This heritage was registered as one of the national monuments of Iran on 29 Azar 1316 with the registration number 297. In the eastern part of the square, you can see a large school, which although it had a special tumultuous period, later changed its use and became a caravansary. It is interesting that this place has become an educational place again today and is the Faculty of Arts of Bahonar University of Kerman.
ZarabKhane
To see ZarabKhane, you have to go to the north side of the square. In the interior architecture of the building, forms of bricks are plastered on the walls. There is a tall dome on the building and a pergola can be seen on top of it. Just below the skylight, you can see a square pond that creates attractive lighting for the interior. Today, this place has become a coin museum and many people visit it.
Ab anbar
On the opposite side of the Caravansary, the historic Ganj Ali Khan Reservoir, which was a place to store water, attracts your attention.
