Khaju Bridge, Isfahan, Iran
1. Firuzabad: An arched hall leading to an inner domed chamber in the palace of Ardashir I, built after A.D. 224.
2. Naqsh-e Rostam: Cross-shaped tombs cut into cliffs a few miles from Persepolis hold the bodies of Darius and his immediate successors.
By one of my favorite photographers, Simon Norfolk.
Sadegh Miri, Music Hall, Ali Qapu Palace, 17th century, Isfahan
A prayer hall, the only remaining example of Timurid architecture in Esfahan’s Friday Mosque, by horses and tigers
The main dome of the Masjed-e Imam, built during the Safavids period in 1611, when Isfahan became the new capital of Iran (larger via tilo driessen)
MetMuseum: Jean Chardin, a French jeweler who traveled throughout Iran in 1664–70 and again in 1671–77, exclaimed that Isfahan was “the greatest and most beautiful town in the whole Orient.” He described the city’s population as a mix of Christians, Jews, fire-worshippers (Zoroastrians), Muslims, and merchants from all over the world. He counted 162 mosques, 48 colleges, 1,802 caravanserais, 273 baths, and 12 cemeteries, indicating Shah Abbas’ extensive architectural work in the city. + +
