Evening prayer at the Jameh Mosque |
Isfahan, also spelt Esfahan, is one of the great cities of the world. Once the capital of Persia, it was compared to Rome and Athens by the writer Robert Byron in the classic Silk Road travelogue 'The Road to Oxiana'. Today it is in the news for having the site of Iran's nuclear research facility nearby, and causing the resulting global sanctions against the country (which are now being lifted), but is really should be known for its stunning treasures.
The Meidan Imam square is the centre of Isfahan. An old polo venue from 400 hundred years ago, you can still see the goalposts at either end, it was designed as a place of entertainment and business and was constantly full of traders from around the world who travelled here along the Silk road. Despite the hordes, it is still a great place to sit, people watch, and admire the dome and minarets of the Masjed-e Shah Mosque rising over the southern end of the square.
Dusk at the Meidan Imam square |
Visit the Imam square in the day and see the frenetic activity all around you, waving away the postcard and t-shirt sellers, and then come again at dusk, when the locals reclaim it. The horse drawn buggies that race round the square have stopped, the tour leaders and their groups are back in their hotels, and all you can hear is talk and laughter.
You can spend a day wandering through the square, visiting the Ali Qapu palace, and the gazing upwards at the exquisite designs of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, which took Byron's breath away as he commented "I have never encountered splendour of this kind before". Before diving into the Bazaar which surrounds the square and then leads off to the north of Isfahan. Not surprisingly the shops near the square are more expensive, and full of tourist products, from the multitude of carpet sellers to the shops whose windows are packed full of painted miniatures on camel bone.
The Ceiling of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque |
Under the Bridge |
I did drive past the Nuclear facilities, about an hour outside of the city, and the squat ugly white buildings were pretty unmemorable, except for the impressive array of military hardware surrounding them, particularly the many sets of camouflaged and manned anti aircraft emplacements. In a hundred years though, these will be forgotten, while the beauty of the Jameh Mosque and Median Imam square will be still pulling in tourists from around the world.
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