This square is one of the largest and most beautiful ones in the world. The 512m-long and 163m-wide Meidan was laid out in 1602 under the reign of the Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas the Great, to emphasize the importance of Esfahan as a capital of his powerful empire.
The entire square is surrounded by arcades with shops and workshops. The ensemble of the square includes the imposing Imam Mosque at the south end, the elegant Lotfollah Mosque on the east side, the entrance to the bazaar at the north end and the Ali Qapu Palace on the west side. Since the completion of the buildings in 1616 little has changed on the square. Even the goal posts used in frequent polo games are still in place. The only modern additions are the fountains, which were added during the Pahlavi era.
A few years ago, the square has even been made free from traffic apart from the horse-drawn carriages for the visitors, thus allowing the people to walk peacefully around the square.

Built between 1602 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, this mosque was dedicated to the ruler’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah. The dome with its delicate floral patterns on an ocher background is one of the most beautiful in the country. However, this masjed is unusual because it has neither a minaret nor a courtyard. This is probably due to the fact, that the mosque was never intended for public use, but rather served as the worship place for the women of the shah’s harem. The entrance portal shows some particularly fine muquarnas (stalactite-type tiles) of an intensely shining dark blue.
Inside, an angled corridor leads to the prayer room. The tiles in the dome display some extraordinary elegant mesh patterns, the walls are covered with floral tile patterns. The light entering through the dome windows gives the room a very special atmosphere. The mihrab is one of the finest in Iran and the acoustics are outstanding.

The Kakh-e Hasht Behesht, the palace of the Eight Paradises, was built in 1669 and was part of the vast royal grounds. By the time of its completion it was probably the most luxuriously decorated palace in Isfahan with its lush mural paintings, its mirror mosaics and the stalactite vault. As in most other garden palaces the transition between splendid interiors and lofty exterior spaces is fluid: on all four sides there are iwans and high terraces that come together in the middle of the building to form a large domed hall with a central water basin. Unfortunately, many of the lavish decorations have been destroyed in the course of the following centuries but currently the palace is being restored.
The palace is located in the nightingale park, the Bagh-e Bolbol, in the middle of a pine forest. The park is also a popular meeting place for retired locals, who love to sit on the benches around the palace and chatting peacefully.

For the construction of his new magnificent capital, Shah Abbas settled 30'000 Armenians in Isfahan. They were skilled craftsmen and also controlled large parts of the silk trade. Since most of them came from the village "Djolfa" north of Tabriz, the Armenian district in Isfahan is also called "Djolfa". The Shah guaranteed them religious freedom and equal rights.
The present Christian quarter of Djolfa has a total of 13 parishes and as many churches. The most important of them is Vank Cathedral. Built between 1648 and 1655 this Armenian Church is the biggest Christian Church in Iran. The architecture of the cathedral follows in large part the Islamic style of the period with a large dome over the altar room. However, both the dome and the outer walls lack the lavish tile ornaments.
On the other hand, the interior of the cathedral is richly decorated with restored wall paintings full of life showing scenes out of the Bible and the martyrdom of St. Gregor.