Isfahan Tour | Isfahan Travel Guide | Isfahan Travel Tips
Written by Iran Travel Agency
Esfahān or Isfahan located about
340 km south of Tehran,
is the capital of Esfahan Province and Iran's third largest
city (after Tehran
and Mashhad).
Esfahan City had a population of 1,986,542 and the Esfahan metropolitan area
had a population of 3,430,353 in the 2006 Census, the second most populous
metropolitan area in Iran after Tehran.
Esfahān or Isfahan located about
340 km south of Tehran,
is the capital of Esfahan Province and Iran's third largest
city (after Tehran
and Mashhad).
Esfahan City had a population of 1,986,542 and the Esfahan metropolitan area
had a population of 3,430,353 in the 2006 Census, the second most populous
metropolitan area in Iran after Tehran.
Esfahan is located on the main
north-south and east-west routes crossing Iran, and 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, when it became the capital of Persia
for the second time in its history. Even today, the city retains much of its
past glory. It is famous for its Islamic architecture,
with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and
minarets. This led to the Persian proverb Esfahān nesf-e jahān ast:
"Esfahan is half of the world".
The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Esfahan is one of
the biggest city squares in the world and an outstanding example of Iranian and
Islamic architecture. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also has a wide
variety of historic monuments ranging from the Sassanid to the
Safavid
dynasties. Remaining Islamic architectural sites were built from
11th to the 19th century while older pre-Islamic monuments date back to 1000
B.C.
Attractions
Squares and Streets
Naqsh-e Jahan Square also known as
shah square or imam square-1602.
Meydan Kohne (Kohne Square)
Shahshahan square
Chaharbagh Boulevard - 1596.
Chaharbagh-e-khajou Boulevard
Mosques
The stunning mosques of Isfahan are
among the most beautiful and interesting in the world.
Imam Mosque (it was called
Shahcmosque before Iran's Revolution)
Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque
Jame Mosque
Palaces
Ali Qapu (The Royal
Palace) - Early 17th Century
Talar Ashraf (The Palace of
Ashraf) - 1650.
Hasht Behesht (The Palace of
Eight Paradises) - 1669.
Chehel Sotoun (The Palace of
forty columns) - 1647.
Schools
Madreseye Sadr
Madreseye Shah (Imam Jafar
Sadegh after revolution)
Madreseye Khajoo
Caravanserais
Carvanserai Shah
Bridges
Pol-e Shahrestan (The Shahrestan
Bridge) - 11th Century.
Pol-e Khaju (Khaju Bridge)
- 1650.
Si-o-Seh Pol (The Bridge of 33
Arches) - 1602.
Pol-e-Joui or choobi(Joui
bridge)
Pol-e-Maarnaan (Maarnaan
Bridge)
Churches
and Cathedrals
Vank Cathedral - 17th century.
Kelisaye maryam (maryam church)
others include :
Atashgah - a Zoroastrian
fire temple. This temple is dramatically set atop a rock on the outskirts
of Esfahan and provides a commanding view of the city (although much of it
is covered in smog). You can take one of the blue buses (ask at the
drivers), which will take you there.
The Tombs of Nizam al-Mulk & Malek Shah - 12th & 18th Century.
Jolfa (The Armenian
Quarter).
The Bathhouse of Sheikh
Bahai.
Pigeon Towers - 17th Century.
The Bathhouse of Ali Gholi
Agha
Be aware that some tourist attractions will have double
pricing standards - one for national citizens and another for tourists.
You cannot haggle this price, which is slightly more expensive than the
citizen rate.
You could spend a happy week exploring the bazaar, the
entrance is on Naghsh e jahan.
