One of two golden knockers on the doors of the Imam Mosque in Isfahan has been stolen, Tehran Times reported.
The missing knocker was on the right side of the external door, which had been installed about 80 years ago to safeguard the main entrance door of the Safavid-era mosque, the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.
No official comment has been mentioned about the theft so far.
The artifact was likely stolen about 10 days ago, according to an old man who comes to pray at the mosque every day.
"It is amazing how the knocker can be stolen in such a mosque located in a busy place," he added
The knockers have been made in pairs in the shape of a fist bearing beautiful floral engravings. An image of Safavid king Shah Abbas I is embossed on the upper part of the knockers.
The name of the creator is also engraved on the artifacts.
The mosque is a part of Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a complex of Safavid-era monuments registered on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Due to inept restoration carried out on the dome of the Imam Mosque over the past decade, the tiles on dome have crept downward, exposing distinct curves on the underlying surface.
Photo: One of the two golden knockers of the Imam Mosque in Isfahan has recently been stolen.