The Monar Jonban is an amazing construction in the western side of Isfahan, close to the Atashgah fire temple and its one of the well-known historical monuments of the city. Monar Jonban was constructed about 700 years ago. This building was completed by famous scientist and architect Bahāʾ al‐Dīn Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn al‐ʿĀmilī (also known as Sheikh Baha’i).

The structure features the most famous minarets in the city. Small brick towers rise some 6 meters above the Porch. The minarets are elegantly ornamented with lovely but unpretentious brickwork. Narrow spiral staircases lead to the summits of the minarets, which are pierced by open arches. The iwan and porch were built in Mongolian style, the tiling also dates back to the same time, but the shape of minarets indicates that they were added to the iwan at the end of the Safavid period.

The unique characteristic of this building is that a person can go inside the tower and make it shake with his own bare hands. Doing this will not only shake both minarets but also the entire building, without causing any damage to the building.
 According to the latest research that has been done, the reason that the other minaret vibrates automatically after the other one is shaken is the “U-shape” structure of the building. There are also other points of view to this matter but the mystery is still unsolved.
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 is 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.

Presently, no one except for the special guard is allowed to climb up the narrow spiral staircase in the minaret to open arched summit and shake the minaret. A bowl of water can be put over the tomb so that with the waves forming on the surface of the water you can actually see the vibration.
The whole iwan is decorated with Inlaid mosaics with wavy lines and polygonal azure tiles. Dark blue tiles cover the inner side of its arch. Over the years, this remarkable monument has aroused admiration in the heart of travelers.

Time of shaking minarets
The shaking minarets are responsible for the worldwide fame of Monar Jonban. Be careful!! Make sure to check the timing of it so you wouldn’t miss it.
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
1:30 PM
3:00 PM
4:00 PM