Isfahan
The third-most populous city in Iran, a historic crossroads of culture and architecture.
Isfahan serves as the capital of Isfahan Province, Isfahan County, and the Central District in Iran. Situated 440 kilometers south of Tehran, it ranks as the country’s third most populous city, with about 2,238,000 residents, trailing only Tehran and Mashhad; its metropolitan area is the second largest in Iran. The city sits at the crossroads of Iran’s two main north–south and east–west routes. Its period of greatest prosperity spanned from the 9th to the 18th centuries. Under Abbas the Great of the Safavid Empire, Isfahan became Iran’s capital for the second time in its history. The city is renowned for its Persian–Muslim architecture, featuring wide boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques adorned with tiles, and minarets. Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is among the world’s largest city squares.
Quick Facts
- Other names
- Sepahan
- Aspadana
- Espandana
- Nickname
- Half of the World (نصف جهان, Nesfe Jahân)
Facts from the source article.
Background
The name Ispahan is derived from Middle Persian, which is attested by various Middle Persian seals and inscriptions, including that of the Zoroastrian magus Kartir. The region is denoted by the abbreviation GD (Southern Media) on Sasanian coins. In Ptolemy's Geographia, it appears as a name meaning 'place of gathering for the army'. Some of the other ancient names include Gey, Jey, Park, and Judea.
Human habitation in the Isfahan region can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. Under Median rule, Isfahan became a regional centre, especially due to the benefits of the Zayandehrud River. It was a religiously and ethnically diverse city during the reign of Cyrus the Great. The Muslim Arabs captured Isfahan in 642 CE.
It was the capital of al-Jibal province. The city grew under the Buyid and Seljuk dynasties. After the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, the city temporarily declined. It regained its importance during the Safavid era, with a golden age under Abbas the Great, who moved his capital from Qazvin to Isfahan.
Turkish, Armenian, and Persian craftsmen were forcefully resettled in the city. In the 20th century, Isfahan was resettled by many people from southern Iran, especially during the population migrations at the start of the century and in the 1980s following the Iran–Iraq War.
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