Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan

We’ve heard many times that “Naqsh-e Jahan square in Isfahan (literally meaning Image of the world) is half of the world” but we never get to know what they mean unless we travel to Isfahan and walk inside this square. When you make the first step into this central square of Isfahan and you watch its expanse and greatness, you’ll discover why it is compared with the half of the world. A rectangular square with 507 meters length and 158 meters width situated at the center of the city of Isfahan which is connected to Sepah Street from one side and to Hafez Street from the other.

The square, now referred to as “Imam square” is surrounded by more than 200 double-decked shops, mostly offering handicrafts of Isfahan and welcomes everyday locals as well as international tourists. From each corner you can hear the sound of life: from the rhythm of the coppersmiths’ Bazaar and the songs they sing to the sound of the carriages that following the tradition of the past, carry around the square those who are interested, so that the ringing bell of the horses and their trotting could caress their souls.

 

Since 28th January 1935, Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan has been included on the list of Iran’s national heritages and in April 1979, it was among the first Iranian monuments chosen by UNESCO to be added on the list of world heritage sites.

 

On each four corners of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, there are popular historical monuments such as Ālī Qāpū, Shah Mosque (Imam Mosque), Sheykh Lotfollah Mosque and Qeysarieh Gate, each having long but “nice-to-hear” stories. It is said that during the reign of the Safavids (one of the royal dynasties in Iran ruling from 1501 to 1722 B.C) there had been a garden named Naqsh-e Jahan that had been ruined at the same time with the construction of this square and the materials of the garden’s mansion were employed in the construction of the square, and it is for this reason they named the square Naqsh-e Jahan.

 

Naqsh-e Jahan square also had other functions: for example, in Nowruz (Iranian 1st day of the year), it was used as a center for playing polo games. Polo is an ancient team game/sport played on horseback with sticks like those in golf and a specific ball in a dirt field. Again, after many years, this tradition has been revitalized and we witness polo games and other matches being played on some occasions in the square.

 

One of the other attractions of Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan (Imam Square) is its large pools of water with their beautiful fountains situated in the middle of the square. At a glance, you can see the sky and the clouds through the water of the pools and capture half of the world from earth to sky in this frame. That’s why most of the foreign tourists who visit Iran travel to Isfahan with this wish of taking a self-portrait in the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and truly the beautiful Isfahan and its Naqsh-e Jahan(Image of the world) is half of the world.

 

9/1/2023 12:02:08 AM