About Isfahan
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“Esfahan—nesf-e jahan” – “Isfahan is half the world,” says a Persian proverb. Isfahan, around 430 kilometers south of Tehran, is regarded as the most beautiful city in Iran. It lies almost 1500 meters above sea level and is irrigated by the river Zayande-Rud. South and west of the city rise the Bakhtiari Mountains, and to the north and east stretches the Iranian Plateau that passes over vast deserts. Today, the city has more than 1.3 million inhabitants and is, despite its architectural masterworks, also a modern center of industry.
The exact time that Isfahan was founded remains unknown. Probably the earliest settlements reach back to time of the early Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century B.C.. Jews, expelled by Nebuchadnezzar II, were among the first settlers in the region, having been received by the Persian King Cyrus II and founding the place known as "Yahudiya." A settlement named "Jay" was established later, some kilometers further east. After the Muslim conquest of both locations around the year 642, the city, by then developed and known as "Isfahan," blossomed in the 12th century. Frequently changing, now and then tyrannical, rulers left Isfahan stagnant in the following centuries. First under the Safavids (1501-1722) Isfahan experienced an upswing and obtained the splendor for which it is still admired today. In 1598, Shah Abbas I, intending to create a paradise on Earth, transferred the capital of Persia from Qazwin to Isfahan. He laid down a central square of impressive scale, the "Meidan-e Naqsch-e Jahan" (today "Meidan-e Imam"). Two story arcades frame the giant rectangle. At the two narrow sides of the square rise two high and lavishly decorated entry portals: in the north the entry to the bazaar and in the south the monumental entrance gate to the royal mosque of Shah Abbas (today "Imam Mosque"), which is crowned by a splendid, sky blue dome. In the middle of the longer side of the square stands the small, beige-domed "Lotfollah Mosque," constructed in 1603. Across from the "Lotfollah Mosque" is the "Ali Qapu," or "High Gate," a palace that also served as a gateway to the former royal residences. Originally a pavilion dating to Timurid times, Shah Abbas I raised the the "Ali Qapu" from two to four stories, began construction of a gatehouse, and erected a columned hall as well as a roof terrace. Next to numerous palaces, mosques and gardens, magnificent bridges across the Zayande-rud were built during Shah Abbas I’s reign.
A masterpiece among these many bridges is the "Pol-e Khaju," erected later by Shah Abbas II around 1650 as the most important transport connection between Isfahan and Shiraz. The two story archway served as both dam and sluice. The large gates between the pillars of the bridge could dam the water, in order to withhold it to meet the needs of the city. The "Friday Mosque" ("Masjed-e jom’e") counts among the oldest of the City’s buildings. Already constructed in the year 900 AD, it was expanded and enlarged by different rulers, so that a melding of diverse Persian Islamic architecture can be found inside. Also worth seeing is the Armenian quarter, Jolfa, with its churches, its Christian cemetery and the Armenian Museum. Shah Abbas I brought approximately 50,000 Armenian Christans out of Jolfa, which lay in present-day Azerbaijan, to Isfahan, in order to cultivate his new capital with their skill in art and business. Today, between 10,000 and 15,000 Armenians still live in Isfahan.
At the beginning of the 18th Century, the Safavids were no longer in the position to withstand the strain of Afghan invasions. In the following centuries, under the reign of the Zand, Qajaren and Pahlawis, Isfahan would no longer be Persia’s centre or capital, but it belongs until today to the most beautiful cities of the entire Middle East. Many buildings stand protected as historical monuments or have even been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Translated by Bry Martin, California
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