Isfahan is a metropolitan area in central Iran, south of Tehran and is the capital of Esfahan Province. Given its beautiful hand-painted tiling and wonderful public squares, the city is deemed among the most beautiful in the world. An ancient town and capital of Persia from 1598 to 1722, it was renowned for its fine carpets and silver filigree.
Sights
- Naqsh-e Jahan Square contains two mosques, a palace, and the bazaar. It is the second largest historical public square in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing and it is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. An array building from the Safavid era surround the square.
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Imam Mosque is one of two mosques located in Naghsh-i Jahan Square. It was constructed during the Safavid period as a highly regarded example of Iranian Islamic architecture. The mosque is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions give the
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Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is an architectural masterpiece of the Safavid Dynasty. Some consider it to be the most beautiful in Iran. Built in 1602 by Shah Abbas the First, the mosque was designed by his chief architect, Sheikh Bahai. It served as a private mosque for the royal family and therefore it does not have any minarets.
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Ali Qapu Palace is forty-eight meters high with seven floors, each of which can be accessed by a difficult spiral staircase. On the sixth floor, there exists a mysterious music room with deep circular niches in the walls, which have both aesthetic and acoustic value.
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Chehel Sotoun also known as the Palace of forty columns is famous for the many columns it contains. In Iranian culture, “Chehel” means 40 and it is used to indicate large numbers, hence the name. Incidentally, there are twenty columns, and these are reflected in the pool in front, which might also account for its name. Historically, the palace was used to hold religious-national ceremonies and royal festivals as well as for receiving royal ambassadors and guests.
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Pol-e Khaju (Khaju Bridge) is one of the finest bridges in the province of Esfahan which was built by the Persian Safavid king, Shah Abbas II around 1650 C.E.
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Si-o-Seh Pol (The Bridge of 33 Arches) is highly ranked as being one of the most famous examples of Safavid bridge design.
Shopping and Dining
The largest shopping attraction in the city is Isfahan City Center which is recently completed and now serving the visitors with its variety of products and services, such as a museum, a food court with traditional and international meals, and an art gallery. It is the largest shopping mall in Iran with local and international brands. It also has the largest indoor amusement park in Iran. You can spend a whole week exploring its facilities.
Visitors to the city can enjoy a variety of meals of different styles including traditional Iranian foods, fast-food, and European style foods. Modern restaurants in the city include Shab Neshin, Kentucky House, and Hermes.
We also recommend visiting modern amusement parks such as Isfahan City Center, Simorgh Amusement Park and Dreamland Amusement Park east of Isfahan.
You can learn more about the city on its official website www.isfahan.ir.