|
|
|
|
September Issue |
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
 |
DECEMBER 2000
Isfahan's artisan tradition spans the greatness of ancient Persia and the golden age of the seventeenth century Safavid dynasty. |
 |
 sfahan embodies the greatness of ancient Persia. Located in virtually the middle of Iran, the
city was once the capital of the Persian kingdom, a lush green oasis surrounded by vast deserts
of sand and salt. It was said that Isfahan nesf-e jehan (Isfahan is half the world).
Isfahan's golden age began in the late seventeenth century under the Safavid dynasty. The city
had been an important trading center, but establishing it as the national capital was no easy
task. The first monarchs had to drive out the Mongols, and Shah Abbas the Great (r.
1588-1629) was Isfahan's champion. He expelled the Ottomans and constructed the awe-inspiring Imam (Prophet) Mosque, completed in 1638. His successors continued to build
magnificent palaces, mosques, and schools. They established a flourishing tradition of support
for the decorative arts, notably calligraphy and miniature painting, and Isfahan's era of glory
lasted into the nineteenth century.
 Bisected by the Zayandeh River, Isfahan is today the showpiece of a nation slowly beginning
to welcome Western visitors. A casual stroll can lead the stranger to diverse and unexpected
discoveries. There are parks, historical bridges crossing the river, tearooms where patrons
smoke traditional water pipes, monuments and landmarks adorned by ubiquitous pale blue
tiles, a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence, and a dozen active churches that have served the city's
large Armenian community since the seventeenth century.  The heart of the modern city is
Imam Khomeini Square. Formerly a royal polo ground, it encompasses twenty acres and is
second in size only to Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Two magnificent mosques and
madrassas (religious schools), a pavilioned seven-story palace, and the Grand Bazaar
border the square, eloquent testimony to the former capital's eminence in religion, culture,
government, and trade.
Dave Bartruff is a freelance photojournalist based in California.
|
