Isfahan

Isfahan (Persian اصفهان [ ɛsfɑhɑn ], alternative spelling: Esfahan ) is the provincial capital of the province of Esfahan in Iran with about 1,755,000, including the surrounding region 2.071 million inhabitants ( as of 2007).

The city is located in central Iran, about 400 kilometers south of the capital Tehran, at an altitude of 1500 meters in a river oasis in the fertile valley of the river Zayandeh on the edge of the Zagros Mountains.

In the south and west of the city, the Bakhtiari mountains rise, and the North and East, the Iranian plateau, which merges into the great deserts extend.

Esfahan - nesf -e Jahan - Isfahan is half the world, says a Persian proverb.

His heyday Isfahan under the Safavid dynasty, which made ​​it their capital Isfahan in 1598 and embellished by numerous magnificent buildings and gardens.

Name

In ancient Greece, the place was called Γάβαι ( " Gabai "). Under the Arabs it was Gai, as the Mint was on the coins. In the Middle Ages the town of al - Yahūdiyya (the " Jewish Town " ) was called, so that the Jewish settlement was called. The place name comes from Isfahan Spadan the Sassanian period, which was in the territory of the Medes to Spāhān. The ending- ān is a patronymer suffix. Isfahan could therefore be derived from the name of a nobleman or monarch who owned the land.

History of Isfahan

There are indications that there was already an important town in the area of Isfahan in vorachämenidischer time. Historically tangible was Isfahan at the time of the Parthians under the name Aspadana (also: Sepahan ) as the capital of the province of Upper Persia. At the time of the Sassanian Isfahan retained this feature, but was also mint and garrison town.

In the year 640 the city was conquered by the Arabs. Thus began the history of Islam of Isfahan and a spirit that made ​​the city the seat of the major Persian dynasties later. In the period from the 7th to the 10th century, during the reign of the Umayyads and the Abbasids, Isfahan, located on the southern route of the Silk Road, was known for its silk and its cotton. During this period there was a large Jewish quarter ( Yahudiyeh ), which according to legend the late 6th century BC, said to have originated when some Jews of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II had driven from Jerusalem, settled in Isfahan.

After the conquest by the Seljuk Isfahan was in 1051 by the Great Seljuk Beg Tughrul the capital of the western Seljuk Empire ( Persia and Iraq), and remained so until the division of the Sultanate in 1118. 1388 the city fell, with its 70,000 inhabitants at the time of destruction of the Turkish- Mongol conqueror Tamerlane victim. In 1453 began the construction of the Darb -e Imam shrine a new cultural history flowering under Shah Jahan, a representative of the Turkmen tribal federation Qara Qoyunlu. By the end of the 15th century Isfahan was still as a provincial city with world history rather minor importance. With the conquest of the city by the Safavids in 1502 the greatest splendor of the city in the 17th century had about 600,000 inhabitants began. 1598 Isfahan became the capital of the Safavid Shah Abbas I, who for the expansion of city artists and craftsmen ( 30.000 ) took from across the country to Isfahan.

Many of them came from the town of Julfa and its surroundings (now in north- west Iran, on the border with Azerbaijan) and were Christian Armenians. Shah Abbas I. granted them a far-reaching guarantees and privileges for their culture and religion. The Armenian quarter of Isfahan called in memory of the hometown New Julfa. The Armenians of Isfahan form a cultural and religious community and are not merely tolerated by the Muslim population of Isfahan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, but respected and promoted.

Especially in the time of the Safavid dynasty, at 16-17. Century, until today impressively full glory mosques emerged with its typical for the Persian sacred great Ivan ( arcs) around the Imam Square in the center of the city. Many of the great Islamic monuments are under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The surrounding fields were supplied via channels from the Zayandeh with water. For the fertilization of the fields and for the leather industry of the city pigeon was needed. Travelers of the 17th century report of several 1000 pigeons towers ( Bordsch -e- Kabotar ) within the city, of which about 100 are still preserved.

1722 Isfahan fell after a long siege of insurgent Sunni Afghans. Under the following dynasties of Afshar, Zand and Qajar Isfahan lost its capital status to Mashhad, Shiraz and Tehran. The great building activity was terminated by it, but in the future the magnificent buildings of Isfahan were preserved and partially strengthened.

Since 1850, Isfahan is an eparchy of the Armenian Catholic church with a bishop's seat.

The historic city is dominated by palaces, minarets and a variety blue-domed mosques. Outstanding is the superb conditioning of Imam Square and the 33 - Arch Bridge (Persian: Si -o -seh pol ) over the Zayandeh River.

Isfahan today

The modern Isfahan is a university town (see University of Isfahan) and has its own airport. There you will find factories of food, steel, oil and textile industries. Also, the art industry is widespread. Isfahan is also a center of Iran's nuclear industry with research reactors and uranium enrichment facilities.

The bazaar, which adjoins the Imam Square in the north, is one of the largest and most impressive of Iran and is famous for its variety and quality of arts and crafts and carpets. After the city and the fine hand-knotted Persian carpet Isfahan is named.

Isfahan has since 2000 been twinned with the German city of Freiburg im Breisgau ( more below).

Isfahan is the main venue of the famous novel The Physician by Noah Gordon (see references therein). Also for the same novel adaptation The Physician of the year 2013, the place plays a central role, however, was for the Oriental scenes of Morocco location.

Climate

Attractions

The Meidan -e Emām ( Imam Square, formerly Royal Square ) is over 500 meters long and is surrounded by two-storey arcades. At every turn he is adorned with a building with the splendor mosques ( Masǧed -e Emām, lotfollah ), the palace of ʿ Alī qapu ( " Sublime Porte " ) and at the northern end adjoining bazaar he is one of the biggest attractions of the Middle East. He is the world's largest square of its kind and counts - as well as (since 2012) the Friday Mosque of Isfahan much older - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

West of the Imam square is the magnificent avenue Chahar Bāgh ( Four Gardens ), whose name is derived from the tree - rows of four and also designed with vivid channels. It connects the Old Town with its southern districts across the Zayandeh River.

Center of the Armenian Quarter ( New ) Julfa is the Vank Cathedral, built from 1606 to 1655. Cathedral combines Christian architecture with Persian- Islamic ornamentation and design forms and is still the religious and spiritual center of the Christian Armenians of Isfahan. The Armenians maintain their culture and history. In April 2005, the Armenians of Isfahan held a large rally from commemorating the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.

A former caravanserai from the time of the Safavids was the time of the last Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to Hotel Shah Abbas (now Abbasi ) rebuilt, which with its sumptuous interior and architectural design, the most impressive buildings in the city.

Other attractions are the elaborate bridges of the city. The most popular are the 33 - Arch Bridge and the Khaju bridge. Furthermore, a popular attraction is the former Mosque and Mausoleum Monar Dschonban ( Monar -e ǧonbān ), the " swaying minarets " of Amu Abdollah Soqla.

As a tourist center the restaurants act directly on the river. Opportunity to take a trip on the river there offer numerous pedal boats in swan shape.

List of the main tourist attractions

Bridges

  • Khaju Bridge - 1650
  • Marnan Bridge
  • Pol-e Shah Restan
  • Si -o- se Pol - 1602
  • Choubi Bridge - 1665

Cemetery

  • Takht -e- Fulad
  • Toqtschi Cemetery

Houses

  • Alam's house
  • House amine
  • House of Qazviner - 19th century
  • Malek -Weingarten

Imamzaden

  • Imamzade Ahmad
  • Imamzade Jafar
  • Imamzade Esmail
  • Imamzade Harun -e- Welayat - 16th century
  • Imamzade Shah Seyd

Churches

  • Bedchem Church - 1627
  • St. George's Church - 17th century
  • St. Mary's Church - 17th century
  • Vank Cathedral - 1664

Mausoleums and Tombs

  • Ali -Ebn -e- Sahl Mausoleum
  • Ar - Rashid 's Mausoleum - 12th century
  • Baba Ghassem Mausoleum - 14th century
  • Tomb of Nizam al -Mulk - 11th century
  • Mausoleum of the Safavid princes
  • Saeb Mausoleum
  • Schahschahan Mausoleum - 15th century
  • Soltan - Bacht - Agha Mausoleum - 14th century

Minarets

  • Ali Minaret - 11th century
  • Bagh -e- Ghuschchane - minarets - 14th century
  • Dardascht - minarets - 14th century
  • Darosiafe - minarets - 14th century
  • Monar Dschonban - 14th century
  • Sarban Minaret - 12th century
  • Chehel Dochtaran Minaret - 12th century

Mosques

  • Agha- Nur Mosque - 16th century
  • Dschartschi Mosque - 1610
  • Friday Mosque of Isfahan
  • Hakim Mosque
  • Iltschi Mosque
  • Lonban Mosque
  • Maqsudbeyk Mosque - 1601
  • Mohammad Jafar Abadei Mosque - 1878
  • Rahim Khan Mosque - 19th century
  • Roknolmolk Mosque
  • Seyyed Mosque - 19th century
  • King Mosque - 1629
  • Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque - 1618

Museums

  • Museum of Decorative Arts Isfahan
  • Museum of Contemporary Art Isfahan
  • Natural History Museum of the city of Isfahan - 15th century

Palaces

  • Sublime Porte
  • Hascht - Behesht Palace - 1669
  • Chehel Sotun - 1647

Squares and streets

  • Meidan -e Emām - 1602
  • Chahar Bagh Boulevard - 1596

Train

  • Kassegaran School - 1694
  • Nimawar School - 1691
  • Sadr - school - 19th century
  • Chahar- Baq - school - early 17th century

Other places of interest

Twinning

  • Armenia Yerevan, Armenia
  • Italy Florence, Italy
  • Germany Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
  • Romania Iasi, Romania
  • Turkey Istanbul, Turkey
  • Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Egypt Cairo, Egypt
  • Russia Saint Petersburg, Russia
  • Spain Barcelona, ​​Spain

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Ahmad Amir - Ahmadi, Iranian general
  • Nairy Baghramian, artist
  • Shapur Bakhtiar, former prime minister of Iran
  • Homayoun Ershadi, Iranian actor
  • Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiari, the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
  • Darioush Forouhar, a leading Iranian opposition
  • Huschang Golschiri, Iranian writer
  • Moorchegani Iman Jamali, handball player
  • Moharram Navidkia, Iranian football player
  • Rahman Rezaei, Iranian football player

Gallery

Chādschū Bridge in Winter

Shah Mosque

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Muqarnas decoration on the portal of the old Friday Mosque

Meidan -e Emām before lotfollah Mosque

Vank Cathedral of Armenian Christians

Fabric printer with print Stock

Music room, Ali qapu

Hamam

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