Persian Isfahan
Persian Isfahan Persians, How Can me and my family travel straight to Kish? Salam [ Or saam Aliek for the "Mashtee`s?" haha ] Me and my family wanted to go to Kish island in Iran direct with an a...
Persian Isfahan
Art and culture of Isfahan, the city of Dome and Bridges
Art and culture of Isfahan
Ancient Isfahan was part of the Elamite Empire. Under the name of Aspandana, it became one of the principal towns of the Median dynasty. Subsequently the province became part of the Achaemenid Empire. After the liberation of Iran from Macedonian occupation by the Arsacids, it became part of Parthian Empire. Isfahan was the centre and capital city of a large province, which was administered by Arsacid governors. In the Sassanid era, Isfahan was governed by "Espoohrans" or the members of seven noble Iranian families who had important royal positions, and served as the residence of these noble families as well. Moreover, in this period Isfahan was a military centre with strong fortifications.
Islamic Era
Isfahan fell temporarily under the rule of Arabs until the Abbasid era, only being attended to by Al-Mansur. In the 10th century, under the Buwayhid Dynasty, Isfahan regained its importance. In the reign of Malik Shah I of the Seljuk dynasty, Isfahan was again selected as capital and commenced another golden age. In this period, Isfahan was one of the most thriving and important cities of the world. The famous Persian philosopher Avicenna lived and taught there in the 11th century.
In 1387, Isfahan surrendered to the Turko-Mongol warlord Timur. Initially treated with relative mercy, the city revolted against Timur's punitive taxes by killing the tax collectors and some of Timur's soldiers. In retribution, Timur ordered the massacre of the city residents and his soldiers killed a reported 70,000 citizens. An eye-witness counted more than 28 towers, each constructed of about 1,500 heads.[4]
As the result of its suitable geographic situation, Isfahan flourished again especially during the Safavid dynasty.
The Golden Age of Isfahan arrived in the 16th century under Shah Abbas the Great (1587-1629), who conquered it and made it the new capital of the Safavid dynasty. During the reign of Shah Abbas I, who unified Persia, Isfahan reached its pinnacle. Isfahan had parks, libraries and mosques that amazed Europeans, who had not seen their like on their continent.
The Persians called Isfahan, Nesf-e-Jahan (half the world), meaning that to see it was to see half the world, and also referring to it as a point where many cultures and nationalities meet and mingled. In its heyday, Isfahan was one of the largest cities, with a population of over half a million;[3] 163 mosques, 48 religious schools, 1801 shops and 263 public baths.
In 1722, following the defeat of the Safavids in the Battle of Gulnabad, Afghans raided Isfahan after a long siege, which left much of the city in ruins. Although the Afghans were a primary cause of Isfahan's decline, it can also be attributed to competition from maritime commerce developed by European merchants from such countries as the Netherlands. Isfahan's wealth originated in its role as a chief waystation along the trans-Asia trade route (such as the Silk Road). Such land trade dwindled as the cheaper sea routes increased in popularity for transporting commodities between Asia and Europe.
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