Horse-drawn carriages driving around with tourists on the Naqsh-e Jahan Square. Shah Mosque in the background. Isfahan, Iran.
Image details
Contributor:
Bert de Ruiter / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2FNG1XMFile size:
103.4 MB (3.2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
7360 x 4912 px | 62.3 x 41.6 cm | 24.5 x 16.4 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
8 November 2019Location:
Isfahan, IranMore information:
Wikipedia: Naqsh-e Jahan Square (Persian: میدان نقش جهان Maidān-e Naghsh-e Jahān; trans: "Image of the World Square"), also known as the Imam Square (میدان امام), and Shah Square (میدان شاه) prior to 1979, is a square situated at the center of Isfahan, Iran. Constructed between 1598 and 1629, it is now an important historical site, and one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It is 160 metres (520 ft) wide by 560 metres (1, 840 ft) long (an area of 89, 600 square metres (964, 000 sq ft)). It is also referred to as Shah Square or Imam Square. The square is surrounded by buildings from the Safavid era. The Shah Mosque is situated on the south side of this square. On the west side is the Ali Qapu Palace. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is situated on the eastern side of this square and at the northern side Qeysarie Gate opens into the Isfahan Grand Bazaar. Today, Namaaz-e Jom'eh (the Muslim Friday prayer) is held in the Shah Mosque. The square is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20, 000 rials banknote.In 1598, when Shah Abbas decided to move the capital of his empire from the north-western city of Qazvin to the central city of Isfahan, he initiated what would become one of the greatest programmes in Persian history; the complete remaking of the city. By choosing the central city of Isfahan, with the Zāyande roud ("The life-giving river"), lying as an oasis of intense cultivation in the midst of a vast area of arid landscape, he distanced his capital from any future assaults by the Ottomans, the arch rival of the Safavids, and the Uzbeks, and at the same time gained more control over the Persian Gulf, which had recently become an important trading route for the Dutch and British East India Companies. The chief architect of this colossal task of urban planning was Shaykh Bahai (Baha' ad-Din al-`Amili), who focused the programme on two key features of Shah Abbas's master plan: the Chahar Bagh avenue, flanked at either side by all the prominent institutions of the city