In this tour, you will explore the Naghsh’e Jahan Square. It is an important historical site and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. The square is surrounded by buildings from the Safavid era. The entrance to the Grand Bazaar and the Imam Mosque are opposite one another on the short ends while the Ali Qapu Palace and the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque face one another on the longer sides.
This square is from the period of Shah Abbas I. The perimeter of the square forms a rectangle with two long sides and two short ends. It has a length of 500 meters from north to south with its width being approximately 165 meters. It is completely surrounded by decorated arcades and a bazaar, with the center of each side marked by a monumental building.
Starting our tour, first we will visit Chehel Sotoun Palace. Set in a landscaped and forested park in front of a tranquil reflecting pool, this graceful pavilion was built by Shah Abbas II for entertainment and court receptions. Entering through a portico with twenty slender wooden columns, you’ll discover soaring halls embellished with frescoes, paintings and mosaics; the Hall of Mirrors is especially breathtaking!
Next, we will enter the Isfahan icon which is Naqsh-e Jahan Square. This 17th-century site is one of the largest public spaces in the world. Here in the square, you’ll visit the 17th-century Shah Mosque, revered as a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and easily recognised by its magnificent tile-work and soaring cupola and minarets. In the Ali Qapu Palace, you’ll marvel at its beautiful music rooms and the balconies where Safavid kings would sit to enjoy the polo matches unfolding in the square below. You’ll continue your day exploring by the Qeisarieh Bazaar that surrounds Imam Square. With hundreds of local vendors that specialise in traditional arts and crafts, it’s a wonderful place to shop for pottery, enamel, jewellery and delicately inlaid board games.
Moreover, we will visit Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque that is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian architecture, standing on the eastern side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square, Isfahan, Iran. Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. This is one of the oldest congregational mosques in the country, and its construction and embellishment over the past twelve centuries illustrate a number of important periods in Islamic architecture.
-The gathering place will be in front of Chehelsotun entrance door. Our tour guide will have a sign for Orienttrips.
-The tour will start at 9:00 AM.