Isfahan

Isfahan

Half the world

31°C · ClearBest season: Apr-May and Sep-Oct; avoid Jul-Aug heat
Isfahan
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Iran's showpiece and Safavid capital of Shah Abbas I, built around one of the world's largest squares, threaded by the Zayandeh River and its arched bridges, ringed by turquoise domes, covered bazaars and the Armenian quarter of New Jolfa.

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Top places to see

  1. 1

    Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square

    UNESCO 1979

    One of the world's largest squares; the Safavid 'pattern of the world'. UNESCO 1979; frames four Safavid masterpieces.

  2. 2

    Imam (Shah) Mosque

    17th-c. royal mosque with iconic tiled dome and acoustic vault.

  3. 3

    Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

    Jewel-box royal oratory (1603-1619), no minaret/courtyard; color-shifting dome.

  4. 4

    Ali Qapu Palace

    Six-storey Safavid pavilion with cut-plaster music hall and terrace over the square.

  5. 5

    Masjed-e Jameh (Friday Mosque)

    UNESCO 2012

    Living catalogue of Iranian mosque architecture from the Seljuks on.

  6. 6

    Si-o-se-pol (Bridge of 33 Arches)

    Longest bridge on the Zayandeh River; evening social promenade.

  7. 7

    Khaju Bridge

    Safavid bridge-dam-pavilion where locals sing under the arches at dusk.

  8. 8

    Chehel Sotoun Palace & Garden

    UNESCO 2011

    'Forty Columns' pavilion with Safavid fresco halls; UNESCO Persian Garden component.

  9. 9

    Vank Cathedral, New Jolfa

    17th-c. Armenian cathedral fusing Islamic tilework with Christian frescoes.

  10. 10

    Grand Bazaar (Qeysarieh)

    Vaulted Safavid bazaar off the square; qalamkar, miniature, enamel, metalwork.

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