Isfahan half of the world

Isfahan is a city in the center of Iran.

Isfahan has been one of the largest and the busiest city for hundred years

Persian people call Isfahan “nesf-e-jahan” or  “half of the world “

Here are some point of interest in Isfahan and reasons why Persian people call it

“half of the world”

Naghshe jahan square

(Also known as the shah square or the Imam square )

You can see the shah mosque on the south side of square, ali qapu palace on the west side, sheikh lotf Allah mosque on the east side and the Qeysarie gate on the north which opens to grand bazaar of Isfahan.

All of these buildings are from safavid era.

The Maiden was where the Shah and the people met.

Since Isfahan was a vital stop along the Silk Road the square was a busy arena of entertainment and business, exchanged between people from all corners of the world.

Nowadays Naghshe jahan is an important historical site, and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites

The Imam mosque

It’s one of the everlasting architecture in Iran which also known as Imam Mosque

It was built during safavid era , ordered by Abbasi

The aim of the order was to build a mosque that would symbolize the contribution of clergy in the Empire’s power structure So it became the biggest dome in the town

Nowadays it’s known as a masterpiece which consist of a great entrance and two

The dome of the mosque was the tallest building in the whole town when it was done in 1629 which was 53 meters

This mosque is a really huge structure which contains 18 million bricks.

One of the main reasons of calling it a masterpiece is it tiles.

It employs the haft-rang (seven-color) style of tile mosaic

In the center of the prayer hall you can find a few black stones underneath the dome , which when you stamp on them you can hear seven echoes

The secret is that the sound is equally carried to all parts of the dome chamber and cloister as well as to the courtyard

It shows that Persian architects could build acoustic buildings  Four hundred years ago

Interior view of one of the domes of the shah mosque

Ali qapu

Is a grand palace on the west side of naghshe jahan square

This palace is forty-eight meters high which contains six floors, each accessible by a spiral staircase.

In the sixth floor there is a music hall which you can find circular niches in the walls and these niches give acoustic value to the hall

They named it Ali qapu because Ali in Persian means “great” and

Qapu means “gate “in Azerbaijan

They gave this name to this palace because it was right at the entrance of safavid palaces .

Shah Abbas, here for the first time, celebrated the Nowruz (Iranian New Year) of 1006 AH / 1597 C.E.

Ali qapu terrace is supported by 18 wooden columns and provides a spectacular view from naghshe jahan square and Imam mosque

The whole wooden roof and intricate inlay work and exposed beam make it more amazing

Ali qapu sixth floor with acoustic design

Sheikh lotf allah mosque

The purpose of this mosque was for it to be private to the royal court (unlike the Shah Mosque, which was meant for the public) And that’s why it doesn’t have any minarets and it’s smaller

To avoid having to walk across the Square to the mosque, Shah Abbas had the architect build a tunnel spanning the piazza from the Ali Qapu Palace to the mosque.

At the main entrance there were also standing guards, and the doors of the building were kept closed at all times.

Today, these doors are open to visitors, and the passage underneath the field is no longer in use.

They name it sheikh lotf allah because it was built during shah abbas time , and he dedicated it to his father-in-law,sheikh lotf allah

A prominent religious scholar and teacher who came to Isfahan at the order of shah abbas.

Si-o-se-pol

Or the bridge of thirty-tree spans

It’s one of the symbols of Isfahan and one of the largest historical bridge on Zayanderud River which is the largest river in Iran

The bridge length is 976.9 ft and 48.4ft width and is made of stone This Bridge is consist of rows of 33 arches that’s why it’s called si-o-se-pol

It was built during the early 17th century under the reign of Abbas I to serve both as a bridge and a dam.

Nowadays it’s popular as a place for gathering, some people play instrument and there are few café’s around the bridge