Isfahan is and has been the capital of the province of Isfahan since 900 years
ago. The elevation of the city is 1,570 meters above sea level, giving purity to the air under the brilliant blue sky and often violet-hued mountains. The present population of the province
is about 3,774,204 (1992 census). City of Isfahan itself has a population of 1,159,10' (1992 census). It is connected to Tehran by air (regular daily flights), railway and road.
The
most famous Persian description of the city of Isfahan is Isfahan
nesf-e jahan
(Isfahan is half the world), which the Isfahanis coined in the
16th century to express
the city's grandeur. You may well agree that it has a ring of
truth even today. Knight Jean Chardin, who lived in Isfahan between
1673 and 1677, more than three centuries ago, writes:
The city of Isfahan, including its outskirts, is one of the largest towns in the world.... The bazaars are always so crowded that those riding on horseback send their footmen ahead to clear the way because there are hundreds of places where people are on top of each other. What is admirable in so large a city with so many inhabitants is the abundance and opulence which reigns despite the absence of sea or of a navigable
river. Everything without exception is drawn there by animals, including incredibly
heavy loads on camels' backs. But what seems unbelievable is that the city obtains
most of its food, except livestock, from an area of not more than ten leagues
around it. The area contains no less than fifteen hundred villages; one must admit
that most of its surroundings are incomparably beautiful and fertile.
Major
attractions :
1-
Menar Jonban ( The Shaking Minaret ) , belongs to Mongol era (
1316 A.D.)
2- Vank Church & Museum : It is one of the most interesting
churches of the world
belong to Safavid era . Built by the Armenians
in 17th c.
3- Imam Square ( Naghshe Jahan ):This old & beautiful square
is surrounded by
Ali Ghapu Palace- Sheikh Lotfolah Mosque ,
Gheisarigeh Bazar & Imam Mosque
( Jame Abbasi ) ,each of them is considered
as a prominent historic and architectural
Master Piece in the Safavid era .
4- Chehel Sotoun Palace ( Forty Pillars Palace) : Belongs to early
17th century A.D.
5- Allah Verdi Khan Bridge ( Thirty-Three Bridges ) & Khajo
Bridge .
