| Esfahan اصفهان | ||
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| State | Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Esfahan province | |
| Altitude | 1590 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 7654 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 1.908.968 (2012 estimate) | |
| Time zone | UTC 3:30 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Esfahan or Isfahan is a city ofIran, capital of the province of the same name.
To know
Among the Iranian cities, Esfahan is certainly the most visited after Tehran.Esfahan is also known by the nickname "half of the world". The name derives from a Persian proverb (Esfahān nesf-e jahān, Esfahan is half of the world) that plays with the sounds of the Persian line to celebrate the artistic beauties of the city.The wealth of the city, in fact, is due to its ancient monuments and its magnificent central square that have repeatedly allowed it to win the title of "most beautiful city in the world".
Geographical notes
Esfahan is located in central Iran, 400 kilometers from the Persian Gulf at a height of 1590 meters above sea level, in the Zagros Mountains.
The Zayande river, which has its sources in the Zagros mountains, bathes the city and after a journey of 400 km it dissolves in the desert forming the Gavkhouni swamps.
Background
Esfahān is a very ancient city, also important in the Sassanid Empire, it was conquered by the Arabs in 642. It was part of the Abbasid Caliphate until Toghrul Beg, ruler of the Great Seljuks, conquered it in 1055 and chose it as the capital of his Sultanate. It lost its importance with the end of Seljuk rule in Persia. It was then occupied by the Mongols, who after a revolt of the inhabitants sacked the city and exterminated the population, and by the Afghans. Later Esfahan was the capital of Persia (1598 - 1722), a period in which it was famous for the production and export of beautiful Persian carpets. Even today, the region's economy is closely linked to the textile industries and the production and refining of cotton and silk, since tourism is experiencing a period of crisis due to the politically unstable situation. Currently the city is devastated by the recent - and not yet completed - war against theIraq and numerous international projects for the conservation and recovery of artistic works are active, including some financed by Italian institutes.
How to orient yourself
Esfahan: full screen map.The center of Esfahan is made up of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, also known as Imam Square. This imposing public square was created in the 17th century on commission from Shah Abbas the Great and overlooked by the Ali Qapu palace, the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque and the Imam mosque. On the northern side of the square stands the Qeysarie Gate which flows into the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar.
- 1 Boulevard Chahar Bagh (چهارباغ, the four gardens). The avenue, historically, is the most famous in all of Persia. It connects the northern parts of the city to the southern ones and is about 6 kilometers long. Its eastern side is surrounded by the Hasht Behesht and Chehel Sotoun gardens
How to get
By plane
- 2 Esfahan International Airport (Isfahan Shahid Beheshti (IATA: IFN)). The airport, originally military only, was opened for civilian flights after the Iranian revolution. Today there are daily connections with Tehran is Mashhad as for the internal ones and with Damascus, Dubai, Kuwait is Istanbul when considering flights to foreign countries. From the airport with around 150,000 riyals you can buy a ticket to the city center.
By car
The city is very well connected with all major cities of Iran thanks to a complex system of highways and state roads.
On the train
- 3 Train station. Esfahan is well connected to Tehran. There are, however, no trains to Shiraz. The Tehran-Esfahan night train costs around € 8 (January 2015) and you can travel in a comfortable sleeping car.
- From the central station you can take bus 37 to Safah central bus station and from there bus 91 to the old town.
- We advise you to get off at the Via Chaharbag stop where there are many hotels, hostels and places to rest and buy something to eat if you are tired from the journey.
By bus
As mentioned above, Esfahan is very well connected with other cities. It will not be difficult to find a bus to go to nearby cities or the capital. Every 15 minutes a bus leaves for Tehran and another arrives back from the capital. The price of tickets is around € 7. One of the best four-wheeled transport companies is there Royal which offers the "European Standard" or luxury buses with a minibar and comfortable seats.
How to get around
By public transport
Traveling by bus is definitely the best choice: tickets cost around 5000 riyals (10 euro cents) and the public transport network works well enough to allow you to visit Esfahan in comfort.Please just be careful that men and women travel separated, the men at the head of the bus and the women behind. It is highly recommended to respect local customs to avoid unpleasant situations.
By taxi
Snapp! and Tapsi are two of the city's car pooling apps. There are 42 bike sharing stations and 6 bike paths. Women are not admitted according to the decree of the Representative of the Supreme Guide in Isfahan Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabai Nejad and the Attorney General Ali Esfahani.
What see
Squares and avenues
- 1 Naqsh-e jahàn (میدان نقش جهاﻥ). It is the main square, also known as Piazza dello Scià. This incredibly beautiful square contains two mosques, a royal palace and a bazaar. It is the largest historical square in the world after Tiananmen in China and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Almost all the surrounding palaces belong to the Safavid era. The people of Esfahan love to gather here on Friday nights and spend some quiet time or celebrate some anniversary in one of the surrounding expensive clubs.
Mosques
The mosques of Esfahan boast of being the most beautiful in Iran and among the most interesting in the world. Among these do not miss:
- 2 Shah's Mosque. Today it is called the "Imam Mosque", after the revolution that brought Imam Khomeini to power; however for tourists this will always remain the famous "Shah's Mosque". It constitutes a perfect example of classical Iranian architecture as well as being a masterpiece. For many years it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and its splendor - not in a metaphorical sense - is due to the 7 colors of the enamel of its mosaics. No less beautiful are the inscriptions in the elaborate shekaste calligraphy, one of the variants in which the Farsi language can be written.
- 3 Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (مسجد شیخ لطف الله). Construction work on this other Safavid masterpiece began in 1602 thanks to funding from Shah Abbas I and the tireless work of his architect Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī, more simply known as Sheikh Bahai. The original intention was to build a private temple for the celebrations of the ruling family and therefore the minarets were not designed, whose function is to invite the people to go to the mosque for the celebrations. Testimony of this use for which it was conceived are the secret passages - which can now be visited - that connect the mosque to the royal palace.
- 4 Hakim Mosque. Perhaps less beautiful than the other two, this mosque is characterized by its antiquity. It is one of the oldest mosques in Esfahan. The current appearance dates back to 1656 but the temple stands on an older mosque, dating back to the 10th century (at the time the Muslim religion was barely three centuries old). The magnificent portal, covered by mud, was rediscovered in the 1950s.
- 5 Masjed-e Jāmé (Friday Mosque of Esfahan). The Friday Mosque is probably the most important architectural expression of the Seljuk domination in Persia (1038-1118).
Palaces
- 6 Ālī Qāpū (Royal palace, عالی قاپو). It was built around the 17th century and consists of a huge building 48 meters high and with seven floors, each of which is accessible by a different steep spiral staircase. It is definitely the first place a tourist would want to see once they arrive in Iran. The palace owes its charm and charm to the so-called "musical" construction. Each niche and fissure in the finely decorated walls has an acoustic importance and allowed a choir of relatively few people to happily cheer the sovereign's free time by producing singing effects that otherwise only a huge choir would have produced.
Particularly noteworthy are the naturalistic paintings, the work of Reza Abbassi, the court painter of Abbas I. There are naturalistic, faunal and ornithological elements.
- Talar Ashraf (Ashraf Palace). Built in 1650 by Abbas II, it is now used as a military office and cannot be visited. Distinctive of this palace and its period is the Afghan influence on Persian art. Not far away is the building housing the natural museum which is - in style and form - very close to the Ashraf palace. In short, if you cannot visit one, you will make up for it with the other!
- 7 Hasht Behesht (Palace of the eight paradises). Built in 1669, it is now protected by the Iranian Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and can therefore be visited. It was originally the palace hosting the king's harem.
- 8 Chehel Sotoun (Palace of the 40 columns). To tell the truth, they are not exactly forty, but this number in the modern Farsi language also has the meaning of "a lot". The name therefore refers to the architectural detail of the columns, which here, ironically, are half, namely 20. The function to which in ancient times - 1647 is the date of construction - this building was intended was religious: it was to host the official celebrations of the royal house, such as weddings, receptions and visiting ambassadors. Today it is one of nine Persian gardens inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Schools
The Arabic-Persian term for school is madrasa or madreseye. Therefore, if browsing a guide or reading a city map you find this term, know that you are in the presence of a school or a university. There are three main institutions of this type of Esfahana:
- 9 Madreseye Sadr.
- Madar Shah Madrasa. Today "School of Imam Jafar Sadegh" is a building built during the Sultanate of Hossein, an Iranian Safavid king, and today it functions as an institute of theological sciences to train new imams. The dome and the large yellow wall make this building instantly recognizable and resplendent. The entrance decorated in gold and silver and the artistic tiles also make this building an architectural masterpiece. The arches in the central internal atrium each give access to a student room.
- Madreseye Khaju.
Armenian churches
- 10 Armenian Cathedral (Սուրբ Ամենափրկիչ Վանք) (One block east of Nezami Street).
Free. 17th century cathedral. Inside are wonderful Persian paintings and capes covering a finely decorated ceramic tile floor. The paintings with a typical dominant blue color narrate the creation of man and his expulsion from the earthly paradise. - 11 Armenian Church in Bethlehem. Free. Just a five-minute walk from the Armenian cathedral, here's this other enchanting example of an Armenian-Persian mix. The church, built in the 17th century, still has some beautiful frescoes.
Free. 17th century cathedral. Inside are wonderful Persian paintings and capes covering a finely decorated ceramic tile floor. The paintings with a typical dominant blue color narrate the creation of man and his expulsion from the earthly paradise.Bridges
The Zayandeh River is a wealth of this region. Not only because it has made the soil fertile since ancient times, guaranteeing human settlement and agricultural and industrial activities, but also because numerous bridges have sprung up along its course. And while they were there, the Iranians thought it best not to create simple bridges but to decorate them until they become works of art in an enchanting play of light between water and sun / moon. Today many of these are UNESCO heritage sites.
- 12 Pol-e Shahrestan (Shahrestan Bridge). Work of the 11th century artisans, it is one of the oldest bridges in the whole of Iran.
- 13 Pol-e Khaju (Kahju Bridge, پل خواجو). Its beauty - it is said - is indescribable but if we wanted to spend a couple of words it will suffice to say that it was built in 1650 and is the symbol of every tourist agency in the area. Its construction is due to Abbas II. The entire building is supported by 24 arches that stretch over 130 meters in length and 12 in thickness. Each stone block is at least 2 meters long. Each arch measures 21 meters in height. The bridge represents an example of the few bridges able to regulate the flow of the river thanks to the closing and opening of doors positioned in correspondence with the arches. This sophisticated system of bridges served as a means of irrigation of the surrounding fields, when periods of drought occurred and the city was not yet large enough to arrive here. Today, once the aid function for the farmers has ceased, the bridge remains to the advantage of tourists to give them moments of breathtaking views of the city or to rest sitting somewhere to admire the river.
- 14 Si-o-Seh Pol (Bridge of 33 arches, سی و سه پل). Erected in 1602, it is one of the best preserved examples of the Safavid era. Commissioned in 1602 by Shah 'Abbas I the Great to his chancellor Allahverdi Khan Undiladze, it consists of two rows of 33 arches. There is a larger walkway at the beginning of the bridge where the Zayandeh River flows, which supports a tea room.
- Pol-e-Joui (پل جویی). Also a testimony of the Safavid era, the bridge was built in 1665.
Gardens
Don't forget to pass by two important public gardens in Esfahan:
- 15 Botanical Garden. Built in the 1990s and used for recreational and cultural purposes, it is a huge area with multiple sections, a waterfall and an exhibition pavilion.
- 16 Bird park (باغ پرندگان اصفهان). Despite the name it also contains animal species other than birds. It is an area of almost two hectares, used for recreational purposes.
Other monuments
- 17 Atashgah (Fire Temple, آتشگاه اصفهان). The name derives from the Persian "atas", fire. In fact it is a Zoroastrian time dedicated to fire and even if you are not followers of Zarathustra, you should visit this temple for the breathtaking view over the city; it is in fact located on a mountain, directly overlooking the city. The buses that drive here are usually the blue ones, but just ask the driver for safety.
- Buqe'h-ye Ibn-Sina (Avicenna school). Avicenna, the famous Arab doctor and philosopher, who indirectly allowed Dante to learn about Aristotelian philosophy and therefore to give us the Divine Comedy, had his school here. The 12th century building is another of Esfahan's treasures.
- 18 Tomb of Nizam al-Mulk (آرامگاه نظامالملک). Perhaps it is little known to us, but here Nizam al-Mulk he is one of the most emblematic historical figures of the Seljuk period. And it is precisely here, in Esfahan, that he rests.
- 19 Pigeon house of Esfahan. Carrier pigeons are not just a European invention; Esfahan and its inhabitants also knew them and in the 17th century this tower was built for them. We do not know if the pigeons actually carried the messages entrusted to them to the recipient, but it is certain that their excrements have fertilized the land of the local farmers for a long time.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
There is no better place to shop in Esfahan than the bazaar, but be careful to avoid the one (and the nearby shops) of the central square. Here for tourists there is 8% more tax. It should be added that the merchants of Esfahan are regarded by the Iranians themselves as the most cunning in the country. Marco Polo tells how bad and unreliable the sellers of the time were.
The typical product of Iran, as perhaps the ancient name (Persia) will remind you, are carpets. In the bazaars and small shops you will find them of every invoice, size and ... cost. Here comes the sore point, because if it is true that generally the euro-riyal exchange is to your advantage, it is also true that the carpets will still remain very expensive and difficult to transport even if in larger shops you can ask for a shipment abroad.
Another typical product is camel bone artifacts. Most often these are small icons or miniatures of unique beauty.
If you want advice, avoid buying an item at the first store you visit; you will often find it a few meters further on at significantly reduced costs.
How to have fun
Where to eat
In many public parks you can rent a carpet and buy tea from the park keeper and enjoy a snack on the grass. You will not be alone; many locals do it routinely and will bring home-made food with an unmistakable scent that will force you, if you are not initially hungry, to rush to buy something typical.
Among the local gastronomic products do not forget to taste:
- the Kebab Chelo or Kebab with rice, a must of the whole Iran sold here in particular regional variants.
- the Beryani, the Esfahan type meal made from sheep's lung. To be avoided only if you are on a diet or if you don't like exotic cuisine. It is a dish with an unusual flavor for us, very high in fat.
- the Fereni, a mixture of milk and rice flour. You will find it mainly in a place called 1 Fereni Hafez (فرنی حافظ) (near the main square). 3000-5000 riyals (0.10 €). This dish is typical only of Esfahan, so don't miss it if you pass this way, unless you want to return to this beautiful city.
As for drinks, don't forget that it is against Islamic customs to drink alcohol, so avoid being seen as much as possible. The traditional drink is tea, available in a huge variety of blends and flavors.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 Amir Kabir hostel, via Charbagh (The bus stop is right outside the entrance), ☎ 98 311 222 72 73, fax: 98 311 221 02 55, @[email protected]. Dorms: IRR 250,000; single: IRR 400,000 double: IRR 600,000; triple: IRR 900,000. Popular hostel with backpackers with few pretensions due to low prices; however many reviews point out the poor cleanliness.
Average prices
- 2 Dibai House, 1 Masjed Ali Alley, ☎ 98 311 220 97 87, fax: 98 311 220 97 86, @[email protected]. € 40/60/80 per room per night; discounts for stays longer than one week. It is a hotel that conveys the atmosphere of Esfahan well and tells the history of the city starting with the building in which it is located: a 17th century Safavid palace with all modern conveniences. Ideal location, close to the historic center and very welcoming staff.
- 3 Hasht Behesht Hotel, Ostandari st, ☎ 98 311 221 486869, @[email protected]. 60 € double / night. Comfortable, beautiful building, central location. In short, an accommodation that should not be underestimated.
High prices
- 4 Bekhradi Historial Residence (وب سایت خانه تاریخی بخردی ،), No. 56 Sonbolestan Alley, Ebn-e-Sina, Shohada square, ☎ 98 311 4482072-3, fax: 98 311 4882073, @[email protected]. from 50 to 100 € per person. This is the typical khan-e-sonnati (traditional Iranian house), located in a quiet neighborhood with a restaurant attached, the hotel offers 5 beautiful rooms (internet included in the price). It is located just north of the central square.
- 5 [link not working]Abbasi Hotel, via Amadegah, ☎ 98 31 3222 60 10 19, @[email protected]. Hotel located in a beautiful building with more than three hundred years behind it. It was built by Shah Abbass for his mother. The hotel has a nice restaurant attached.
- 6 Kowsar International Hotel. Luxury hotel on the Zayandeh River.
- 7 Ali Ghapou hotel, Chahar Bagh Ave, ☎ 98 311 2227922, fax: 98 311 2216049. 97 rooms and 4 luxury suites at your disposal.
- 8 Aseman Hotel, ☎ 98 311 235 41 41, @[email protected]. Hotel overlooking the Zayandeh River.
Safety
What has been said for thewhole state. Iran is a fairly safe place to go. If you observe the main Islamic precepts and avoid creating confusion, rest assured that your stay will be peaceful and pleasant.Among the main rules in force there is the abstention from alcoholic beverages and drugs and the ban on women bareheaded (however, there is no burqa). In any case, you will find police officers everywhere intent on monitoring public safety.
In addition to the visa, please notify your presence in Iran at the Italian embassy of TehranFor any other information visit and / or contact the agency in charge of Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
How to keep in touch
Internet
If your hotel doesn't have internet, don't worry; most of the cafés in the center offer an Internet point service. The best place to connect, however, remains the National Library of Esfahan just a few hundred meters from the central square.
Around
Itineraries
Among the nearby cities not to be missed:
