Isfahan

A Quick Guide

Isfahan or Spahan is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city. Isfahan was once one of the largest cities in the world. It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th century under the Safavid dynasty. It is famous for its Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb "'Esfahn nesf-e jahn ast" (Isfahan is half of the world). So, what can you do there? The first place to go is The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan that is one of the biggest city squares in the world . It has been specified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The square is surrounded by buildings from the Safavid art. One the best place to see is the Ali Qapu. A palace that is located on the western side of the Naghsh-i Jahan Square opposite to Sheikh lotf allah mosque .It is forty-eight meters high and there are seven floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase. In the sixth floor music room, deep circular niches are found in the walls, having not only aesthetic value, but also acoustic. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian architecture, standing on the eastern side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square. The mosque was built between 1603 and 1618.

There are a lot of bridges over the Zayande River that shows some of the nicest architecture in Isfahan. The oldest bridge is the "Pol-e Shahrestan," which was probably built in the 12th century during the Seljuk period. The most popular bridge is the "Pol-e Khaju," which was built by Shah Abbas II in 1650. It is 123 meters long with 24 arches, and it also serves as a sluice gate. The next bridge is the "Pol-e Jubi". It was originally built as an aqueduct to supply the palace gardens on the north bank of the river. Another famous bridge is the Si-o-Seh Pol or bridge of 33 arches. Built during the rule of Shah Abbas the Great, it joined Isfahan with the Armenian suburb of Jolfa. It is the longest bridge in Isfahan at 295 meter. Finally you mustnt forget to buy souvenirs from the Isfahans bazaar. Isfahan is famous for its handicrafts such as carpet weaving, tile making, inlaid work(khatam), enamel work, miniatures, brocaded silk weaving, crocheting, silver work and cloth printing and types of sweetmeats, such as 'gaz' and 'souhan'.