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Isfahan

Geography

The city is located in the lush Zayandeh Rud plain, at the foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The city enjoys a temperate climate and regular seasons. No geological obstacles exist within 90 km north of Isfahan, allowing cool northern winds to blow from this direction. Situated at 1590 meters above sea level, it receives an average of 355 mm of rain per year, making it similar to Denver, Colorado in terms of altitude and precipitation. The temperature ranges between 2 and 28 degrees Celsius. The record high temperature was 42 degrees Celsius and the record low was -19 degrees Celsius.

History

Culture

• Architecture View of Ali Qapu Palace. Interior view of the dome, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque. The entrance to Jamé mosque. Khaju Bridge over the Zayandeh rud.The architecture of Isfahan is made up of eight traditional forms which taken together form the foundation in the same way that music was once based on a finite number of notes. These are modulated by the use of colors and textures to leaven the surfaces and are held together in an overall construction akin to that of a sonata in which connection leads to culmination through a transition space. To appreciate the skill of the architects and designers fully, it is necessary to have an appreciation of these fundamental concepts i.e. garden, platform, porch, gateway, dome, arched chamber, and minaret, although in the geometry and architecture of the buildings they are woven together to present a seamless whole. A full discussion of the underlying principles can be found in the paper entitled "The Alchemy of the Mosque", given to a joint meeting of the School of Architecture and the Islamic Society of the University of Manchester in 1997.
  
  
• Historical sites

  
  
  
  • Naqsh-e Jahan Square also known as "Shah Square" or "Imam Square" - 1602.
    
    
  • Meydan Kohne (Old Square)
    
    
  • Shahshahan Square
    
    
  • Chaharbagh Boulevard - 1596.
    
    
  • Chaharbagh-e-khajou Boulevard
    
    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.
    
    
  • Madressa (religious schools) M
    
    
  • madreseye Sadr
    
    
  • Madreseye Shah ("Imam Jafar Sadegh" after revolution)
    
    
  • Madreseye Khajoo.
    
    Mosques
    
    
  • Shah Mosque (it is called "Imam Mosque" after Iran's Revolution)
    
    
  • Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque
    
    
  • Isfahan Jame(Congregative)
    
    
  • Friday Mosque
    
    Caravanserais
    
    
  • Shah Carvanserai
    
    Bridges
    
    
  • Pol-e Shahrestan (The Shahrestan Bridge) - 11th Century. sharestan bridge
    
    
  • Shahrestan bridge
    
    
  • Pol-e Khaju(Khaju Bridge) - 1650.khajoo bridge
    
    
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  • Si-o-Seh Pol (The Bridge of 33 Arches) - 1602.
    
    
  • Pol-e-Joui or Choobi (Joui bridge).
    
    Churches and Cathedrals
    
    
  • Vank Cathedral - 17th century.Vank Cathedral
    
    
  • Kelisaye Maryam (Maryam Church).
    
    Other sites
    
    
  • Atashgah Atashgah- a Zoroastrian fire temple.
    
    
  • Buqe'h-ye Ibn-Sina (Avicenna's Dome) - 12th Century.
    
    
  • The Tombs of Nizam al-Mulk & Malek Shah - 12th & 18th Century.
    
    
  • New Julfa (The Armenian Quarter). T
    
    
  • he Bathhouse of Sheikh Bahai.
    
    
  • Pigeon Towers - 17th Century.Pigeon_house
    
    
  • Manar jonban
    
    
  • Sites endangered Isfahan is highly under threat of losing its magnificent monuments. The major damages are imposed by the government, the municipality and individuals who seek to modernize this unique medieval city. Isfahan Metro which is under construction has already caused damage to many old landmarks in the city's old quarter. The city is also highly threatened by the profit-makers who are building modern shopping centers & bussiness facilities right in the historic center of the city, instead of helping boost tourism. Many civilians are also building modern-style residential blocks in old Isfahan and also on the river banks which were once covered by gardens. Many people believe something must be done or else, in a few years the city will have barely any attraction except a number of bridges and a few mosques surrounded tightly by ugly towers. Unfortunately most people don't care for the visual sight and the identity of their lovely hometown.
    
    
  • Rug manufacture Main article: Isfahan rug An old master of hand-printed carpets in Isfahan bazaar.Isfahan has long been one of the centers for production of the famous Persian Rug. Weaving in Isfahan flourished in the Safavid era. But when the Afghans invaded Iran, ending the Safavid dynasty, the craft also became stagnant. Not until 1920s, between two world wars, was weaving again taken seriously by the people of Isfahan. They started to weave Safavid designs and once again became one of the most important nexus of the Iranian rug weaving industry. Isfahani carpets today are among the most wanted in world markets, having many customers in western countries. Isfahani rugs and carpets usually have ivory backgrounds with blue, rose, and indigo motifs. Isfahani rugs and carpets often have very symmetrical and balanced designs. They usually have a single medallion that is surrounded with vines and palmettos and are of excellent quality.
    
    

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    Sister cities

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    • Saint Petersburg, Russia
    • Florence, Italy
    • Istanbul, Turkey
    • Freiburg, Germany
    • Havana, Cuba
    • Cairo, Egypt
    • Iasi, Romania
    • Yerevan, Armenia
    • Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    • Beirut, Lebanon
      
      

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