Naqsh Jahan square | A square full of historical places in Isfahan
Have you ever traveled to Isfahan? Have you walked in Naqsh Jahan Square with your friends or family? When you walk in Naqsh Jahan Square, you feel like you are turning the pages of a pleasant historical book. So, when you travel to Isfahan, it is better to allocate a lot of time to visit this beautiful square, which is full of historical and scenic places. In this way, you will enjoy watching the historical works and monuments around it and getting information about them.
Examining the historical sights of Naqsh Jahan Square is historically very important, and getting to know its unique features will be interesting for every domestic and foreign tourist. Be with the SightsIran because in this article we intend to provide you with useful and historical information about Naqsh Jahan square.
Introduction of Naqsh Jahan Square of Isfahan
Naqsh Jahan Square, another name of which is Imam Square; It is considered one of the most beautiful places to visit in Isfahan, which is located in the north of this city, and you should not miss visiting it under any circumstances when traveling to Isfahan. This square has an area of 85 square meters and is 165 meters wide and 500 meters long.
The older ones used arches to protect the square and the historical monuments that were inside this square. The construction of the arches was aimed at protecting those historical monuments, and today they have turned into business rooms. This square is filled with 200 two-story cells.
The historical course of naming Naqsh Jahan square
Before the Safavid era, there was a beautiful garden called Naqsh Jahan in the current location of Naqsh Jahan square. In fact, the name of Naqsh Jahan Square was chosen based on the name of a city in Azerbaijan called Nakhchivan.
Before 1357, this square was known as Shah Square, but after the Islamic Revolution, the name of this square was changed to Naqsh Jahan and officially to Imam Square. Of course, it is interesting to know that this square was known by various names throughout history, such as New Square or Main Square, Qasr Square, Big Square, Royal Square.
Naqsh Jahan Square; In the UNESCO World Heritage List
Many ancient buildings of Isfahan city are located in Naqsh Jahan square. The history of this square is beautiful to read, because it has faced various events during its lifetime in different governments; In such a way that even sometimes he is offended by the unkindness of the rulers, but still he has preserved his greatness and glory.
All over the world, foreign tourists talk about the beauty of Naqsh Jahan square, that’s why it is quite obvious that this historical and valuable square is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The registration of this square in 1358 in the UNESCO organization shows its international fame and glory.
Naqsh Jahan field in different periods of government
Isfahan is one of the famous ancient and historical cities of Iran. In this city, there are many historical monuments that are relics of different eras. Most of the historical works go back to the Safavid period.
Naqsh Jahan Square in the Safavid period
In general, Isfahan had a special place in the Safavid era, and Naqsh Jahan Square has a long history and is one of the most important national monuments. Today, this city is considered one of the most important cities for domestic and foreign tourists.
In the past, the shape of this square and its dimensions were very different from the current square. At that time, Naqsh Jahan Square was considered one of the smallest squares in Isfahan. But Shah Abbas I ordered the development of this square and great and artistic architects decorated it in its current form. The period of Shah Abbas I led to the prosperity of Naqsh Jahan square. Because at that time Ali Qapu Mansion, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Sir Dar Qaysarieh and Jame Mosque were built in this square.
In the past, many ancient festivals were held in this square, during the reign of Shah Abbas, it was customary to hold traditional rituals such as polo and Qashon parade in Naqsh Jahan square.
Naqsh Jahan Square in the Qajar period
When the Qajar government came to power, the city of Isfahan was no longer the capital of the country; At that time, Shiraz was considered as the capital of the country. For this reason, Isfahan was less considered by sages. It is interesting to know that during the Qajar period, a large part of this square and the surrounding buildings were damaged. After the attack of Ashraf Afghan and the Qajar government, Naqsh Jahan Square was destroyed.
Naqsh Jahan square in the Pahlavi period
When the government of Reza Shah came to power, he prioritized the restoration and reconstruction of this square. So, we can confidently say that with the beginning of the Pahlavi reign, Isfahan prospered again and the buildings around this square were restored and regained their former glory. Some of the developments that Naqsh Jahan Square has seen were the renovation of the squares of the square and the prosperity of all kinds of businesses and urban activities at that time.
Naqsh Jahan architecture and high-ranking architects
High-ranking architects and artists such as Sheikh Bahai, Ustad Mohammad Reza Esfahani and Ustad Ali Akbar Esfahani designed many buildings around Naqsh Jahan square and planned to build it in a magnificent manner.
Architects who in the construction of Naqsh Jahan; This spectacular square in Isfahan has played a role and was inspired by some of the old maps that were used in the construction of Atiq Square in Isfahan, Hasan Pashahe Square in Tabriz, and Ali Qapu Square in Qazvin. They were able to build this beautiful square in Isfahan with their creativity, which has remained unique despite the passage of several years.
The existence of various booths, chambers and beautiful windows in this historical square attracts the attention of tourists. The types of carvings on the walls of this square have multiplied the attractiveness of Naqsh Jahan square.
Experienced architects have used traditional Iranian Islamic architecture to build Naqsh Jahan square. They were able to create a unique work in the world by using all kinds of arches and other delicate works. Behind Naqsh Jahan square complex in the past, there were many buildings with charming gardens. However, with the formation of the new urban context, some of these old buildings and beautiful gardens have been destroyed, and we only see the existence of eight heavens and forty-one places.
When we say Naqsh Jahan Square, you probably think that its geometric shape is circular like other urban squares. But you should know that what makes this square unique from other squares is its rectangular shape.
This square is wider than Red Square in Moscow, which is one of the best and most famous squares in the world. One of the squares that has a large width is Brussels Square in Belgium, which is interesting to know that the width of this square is less than Naqsh Jahan Square.
The largest square in the world is called Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and Naqsh Jahan Square is considered the largest square in the world after this square.
Opinions of famous foreign tourists about Naqsh Jahan Square
A French traveler named Dave Lafu traveled to Isfahan in 1298 AH. When he saw Naqsh Jahan Square up close, he was very surprised and said that there is no square like Naqsh Jahan Square in terms of beauty and architecture as well as symmetry in any of the modern urban civilizations. According to him, Naqsh Jahan Square was one of the unique masterpieces of architecture in the whole world. He also said about this square: This square is a big shopping and sales center in this city and you can’t find a square like this anywhere in the world.
The unique beauty of this square attracted the attention of many Italian tourists. According to Italian tourists, this magnificent square has beautiful and stunning and orderly buildings that show the power of the architects and their skills.
Naqsh Jahan Square; The golden treasure of the city of Isfahan
Some tourists consider Naqsh Jahan square as the golden treasure of Isfahan city. Because Naqsh Jahan field is not only one field; It also houses various religious, governmental, social and economic centers. Its religious center is Sheikh Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and its administrative center is Ali Qapu Palace.
Also, its economic center is the market and its social center is the city mosque. Every year, this city hosts a large number of foreign tourists who travel from all over the world to this historical destination in Iran. The presence of commercial stalls around Naqsh Jahan Square has boosted the business of Isfahani.
Since Naqsh Jahan Square embraces culture and history, nature and art together, it has many fans and enthusiasts who enjoy listening to the birds and watching the beautiful fountains next to the original historical buildings with special carvings.
Sometimes the sound of the water fountains in the beautiful ponds in the market space and the carriages that move around it, leave a very beautiful and dreamlike image of the world in the minds of the tourists.
Green nature and historical monuments add to the beauty of Naqsh Jahan square. In this square, we see magnificent palaces, old mosques and other religious buildings next to the market. You can buy souvenirs for your loved ones in Naqsh Jahan market and learn about Isfahan handicrafts. So if you are interested in culture, art, history and nature, when you travel to Isfahan, make it a priority to visit this square and other historical places to enjoy their unique beauty.
Landmarks of Naqsh Jahan Square
In the following, we will introduce you to two places of interest in Naqsh Jahan Square and give details about them.
Aali Qapu Palace
On the west side of Naqsh Jahan Square, Ali Qapu Palace is located. Of course, another name of this palace is Dolatkhana Palace. The history of this palace dates back to the Safavid period and Shah Abbas I ordered the construction of this palace with 5 floors.
It is interesting to know that this palace has a height of 48 meters and when you visit Ali Qapu Palace, you will notice that the decorations used on each floor and the carvings on its walls are similar to the carvings used in Other classes are distinct. There you can enjoy watching the beautiful miniatures and unique paintings on the wall and take photos of its special stucco and share the pictures you have recorded with your friends so that they can also see the attractions and Get to know the artworks of Isfahan more.
If you are interested in music, you will probably enjoy being in the sound room of Aali Qapu Hasabi Palace. In the sound room of Aali Qapu Palace, the stucco walls are in such a way that their acoustic properties will fascinate you. In this way, the sound of the music is played in a beautiful way without any echo in the room.
During the reign of Shah Abbas II, Aali Qapu Palace was rebuilt and a new hall was added to it. In this way, special guests and important governmental and political officials were received in this hall and it was a favorable place for holding business meetings. The landscape of Ali Qapo Palace is very beautiful, you can visit the unique architecture of Naqsh Jahan Square and Ali Qapo Palace on all days of the year except Tasua and Ashura days and enjoy watching its beauty.
You can see this palace in the morning from 9 am to 6 pm in the first half of the year, and if you travel to Isfahan in the second half of the year, this palace hosts domestic and foreign tourists from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
Kayseri market
Among the most famous and beautiful historical markets of Iran, we can mention the Qaisarieh Grand Bazaar. This magnificent and artistic market is located in Naqsh Jahan Square of Isfahan and is considered one of the most important tourist destinations in Isfahan. Kayserieh Bazaar was considered the most luxurious shopping and selling center during the Safavid era. Today, in this market, we see numerous carpet and fabric shops.
The construction of Kayseri Bazaar started in the 10th century and lasted until the 13th solar century. When you go to the covered bazaar of Qaysariyeh, you will see many secondary and main lines that have many commercial cells, and each of the cells is engaged in doing private commercial activities and earning money.
- The most important lines of this market that you must see; They are:
- Sincere orders
- Maqsood Beyk
- Samovar makers
- Aaron
- Nim brought Golshan
- Inside this ancient market, there are many mosques and religious schools that are worth visiting.
final word
If you want to name one of the most beautiful places to visit in Isfahan, which place would you recommend? Iran annually hosts foreign tourists to visit this beautiful city. Our goal in writing this article is to familiarize you as much as possible with Naqsh Jahan Square and the historical monuments around it. We hope you enjoyed reading this article and share your experiences of traveling to Isfahan and visiting its historical places with us.
