Esfahan
0311 / POP 1,602,110 / ELEV 1574M This is Iran’s number-one tourist destination for good reason. Its profusion of tree-lined boulevards, Persian gardens and important Islamic buildings gives it a visual appeal unmatched by any other Iranian city, and the many artisans working here underpin its reputation as a living museum of traditional culture. Walking through the historic bazaar, over the picturesque bridges and across the Unesco-listed central square are sure to be highlights of your holiday. Such is Esfahan’s grandeur that it is easy to agree with the famous 16th-century halfrhyme ‘Esfahan nesf-e jahan’ (Esfahan is half the world). Robert Byron, author of the 1937 travelogue The Road to Oxiana, was slightly more geographically specifi c when he ranked ‘Isfahan among those rarer places, like Athens or Rome, which are the common refreshment of humanity’. There are, however, some less-thanrefreshing elements to Esfahan. This is the country’s third-largest city, and the outskirts are home to plenty of heavy industry, includ
ing steel factories and a much-discussed nuclear facility. Traffi c jams are also a regular occurrence. History Little is known of Esfahan’s ancient history, but the Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan (Esfahan Fire Temple; p 164 ) and pillars of the Shahrestan Bridge, both dating from the Sassanid period (224–636), attest to its longevity. The Buyid period saw an explosion of construction and by the late 10th century the walled city of Esfahan was home to dozens of mosques and hundreds of wealthy homes. In 1047 the Seljuks made Esfahan their capital and during the next 180 years it was adorned with their magnifi cently geometric style of architecture, several prominent examples of which remain. The Mongols put an end to that, and it wasn’t until the glorious reign of the Safavid Shah Abbas I (also known as Shah Abbas the Great), which began in 1587, that Esfahan once again became Iran’s premier city. After moving the capital from Qazvin to Esfahan, Abbas set about transforming it into a city worthy of an empire at its peak. His legacies include the incomparable Naqsh-e Jahan Sq (Imam Sq; p 157 ) and artistic advances – particularly in carpet weaving – that were celebrated and envied as far away as Europe. Subsequent Safavid rulers also contributed to Esfahan’s skyline, but little more than a century after Abbas’ death the dynasty was fi nished and the capital transferred fi rst to Shiraz and later to Tehran.
ing steel factories and a much-discussed nuclear facility. Traffi c jams are also a regular occurrence. History Little is known of Esfahan’s ancient history, but the Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan (Esfahan Fire Temple; p 164 ) and pillars of the Shahrestan Bridge, both dating from the Sassanid period (224–636), attest to its longevity. The Buyid period saw an explosion of construction and by the late 10th century the walled city of Esfahan was home to dozens of mosques and hundreds of wealthy homes. In 1047 the Seljuks made Esfahan their capital and during the next 180 years it was adorned with their magnifi cently geometric style of architecture, several prominent examples of which remain. The Mongols put an end to that, and it wasn’t until the glorious reign of the Safavid Shah Abbas I (also known as Shah Abbas the Great), which began in 1587, that Esfahan once again became Iran’s premier city. After moving the capital from Qazvin to Esfahan, Abbas set about transforming it into a city worthy of an empire at its peak. His legacies include the incomparable Naqsh-e Jahan Sq (Imam Sq; p 157 ) and artistic advances – particularly in carpet weaving – that were celebrated and envied as far away as Europe. Subsequent Safavid rulers also contributed to Esfahan’s skyline, but little more than a century after Abbas’ death the dynasty was fi nished and the capital transferred fi rst to Shiraz and later to Tehran.
1 Sights Most sites are within easy walking distance of the main street, tree-lined Chahar Bagh (Four Gardens), which was built in 1597 and was once lined with many palaces and the four gardens after which it is named. Although it’s over 5km long, most travellers base themselves along the middle section of the street, called Chahar Bagh Abbasi St, between Pol-e Si-o-Seh (Si-o-Seh Bridge) and Takhti Junction, close to the bazaar. Esfahan’s ambitious metro-building project has been underway for many years now and unfortunately shows no sign of being completed in the near future. This means that many parts of the central city, including Takhti Junction, are huge, muddy and chaotic construction sites. Masjed-e Jameh ﻣﺴﺠﺪ ﺟﺎﻣﻊ MOSQUE (J ameh Mosque; Map p 156 ; Allameh Majlesi St; admission US$0.50; h9-11am & 1-4pm) The Jameh complex is a veritable museum of Islamic architecture but still functions as a busy place of worship. In a couple of hours you can see and compare 800 years of Islamic design, with each example near to the pinnacle of its age. The range is quite stunning – everything from the geometric elegance of the Seljuks through to the Mongol period and on to the refi nements of the more baroque Safavid style. At more than 20,000 sq metres, it is also the biggest mosque in Iran. Religious activity on this site is believed to date back to the Sassanid Zoroastrians, and the fi rst sizeable mosque was built by the Seljuks in the 11th century. Of this, the two large domes above the north and south have survived intact, with most of the remainder destroyed by fi re in the 12th century. The mosque was rebuilt in 1121, with later rulers making their own enhancements. In the centre of the main courtyard, which is surrounded by four contrasting iwans, is an ablutions fountain designed to imitate
Esfahan Map (p156) See Central
(Shahrestan Bridge) Pol-e Shahrestan
Bridge) (Marnan Pol-e Marnan
Sq Laleh
Sq Basij
Sq Azadi
Sq Qods
Ahmad
Eslami Sq
Sq Abad
Jomhuri-ye
Pigeon Towers (2km) Esfahan (2km); To Ateshkadeh-ye
Station (4.5km) To Train
River
Zayandeh
Terminal Kave
Terminal Rud Zayandeh
Terminal Jey Minibus
of Isfahan University
Aliens Affairs Department of
Al-Zahra Hospital
Rudaki St
Dashtestan Parvin St
Chahar Bagh St
Soffeh St
Saremiyeh St
Zeynabiyeh Chamran Hwy
Sajjad Bozorgmehr
Sorush
Daneshgah
Keshavars
Vahìd Khaayam
Esfahan 05 k m 0 3 miles
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155
CENTRAL IRAN CENTRAL IRAN SIGHTS CENTRAL IRAN ESFAHAN
the Kaaba at Mecca; would-be hajji pilgrims once used it to practise the appropriate rituals. The two-storey porches around the courtyard’s perimeter were constructed in the late 15th century. The south iwan is very elaborate, with Mongol-era stalactite mouldings, some splendid 15th-century mosaics on the side walls, and two minarets. Behind it is the grand Nezam al-Molk Dome, which is fl anked by Seljuk-era prayer halls. The north iwan has a wonderful monumental porch with the Seljuks’ customary Kufi c inscriptions and austere brick pillars in the sanctuary. Behind it (entered through a door next to the iwan) is a prayer hall featuring a forest of pillars. Walk to the rear and you will fi nd the exquisite Taj al-Molk Dome, widely considered to be the fi nest brick dome ever built in Persia. While relatively small, it is said to be mathematically perfect, and has survived dozens of earthquakes with nary a blemish for more than 900 years.
The west iwan was originally built by the Seljuks but later decorated by the Safavids. It has mosaics that are more geometric than those of the southern hall. The courtyard is topped by a maazeneh, a small raised platform with a conical roof from where the faithful used to be called to prayer. The Room of Sultan Uljeitu (a 14thcentury Shiite convert) next to the west iwan is home to one of the mosque’s greatest treasures – an exquisite stucco mihrab awash with dense Quranic inscriptions and fl oral designs. Next to this is the Timuridera Winter Hall (Beit al-Shata), built in 1448 and lit by alabaster skylights. This was closed for restoration at the time of writing. Bazar-e Bozorg ﺑﺎﺯﺍﺭ ﺑﺰﺭگ BAZAAR (Great B azaar; Map p 156 ; happroximately 9am8pm Sat-Thu) One of Iran’s most historic and fascinating bazaars (other notable examples are in Tehran and Tabriz), this sprawling marketplace links Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq
***** ESFAHAN IN…
Two Days
S tart by taking our walking tour of the Bazar-e Bozorg and its surrounds. After a lunch break, head to the Masjed-e Jameh (Jameh Mosque), one of Iran’s most beautiful buildings. For dinner, join upmarket E sfahanis at Restaurant Shahrzad and, if you still have an appetite left after sampling its famous lamb cutlets, make your way through Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq to Fereni Hafez for a sweet fi nale. On your second day, visit the Masjed-e Shah (Masjed-e Imam), Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah and Kakh-e Ali Qapu. After lunch at one of the nearby traditional restaurants, make your way to the Kakh-e Chehel Sotun with its Unesco-listed garden. In the late afternoon enjoy a tea and snack at the Abbasi Teahouse.
Four Days
O n your third day, walk across the picturesque Pol-e Si-o-Seh (Si-o Seh Bridge) to the Armenian Quarter and admire the striking frescoes inside Kelisa-ye Vank (Vank Cathedral). Have lunch at Khan Gostar Restaurant and then take a taxi to the Ateshkadehye Esfahan (Esfahan Fire Temple). O n day four, take it easy. Read a book in the garden of the Kakh-e Hasht Behesht (Hasht Behesht Palace), revisit the Bazar-e Bozorg, explore the artisan-fi lled laneways off the southeastern corner of Naqsh-e Jahan Sq or make a leisurely progression crisscrossing the bridges over the Zayandeh River.*******
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