New Book Shows That “Isfahan Is Half The World”

The text of the pictorial book was written by Iranian editor and researcher Ali Dehbashi and translated into English by Gholamreza Abbasian. The English text was edited by Ismail Salami.

The book is well designed, with dimensions of 35cm x 25cm, and comes in a special box decorated with a Persian painting by prominent Safavid era artist Reza Abbassi. The original painting is on display in the Chehel Sotun Palace in Isfahan.

Iranian photographers Reza Nur-Bakhtiyar, Majid Shirkhani, Afshin Bakhtiyar, Sa’id Mahmudi Aznaveh, Hamidreza Hosseinzadeh, and Sa’id Rezania took the photos for the book.

The reader’s abstract journey begins with the words of Iranian poet Nasser Khosrow (?-1072) in the introduction, who said, “Nowhere in the land of Persia did I see a city more charming, perfect, and advanced than Isfahan.”

The book continues on the right path by describing the historical Naqsh-e Jahan Square, which dates back to the Safavid era (1501-1722) and is now registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Anyone who travels to Isfahan must visit the historical square to gain a complete understanding of the city.

In fact, the golden age of the city began during the reign of the Safavids. You can find traces of the Safavid dynasty in the Hasht Behesht, Chehel Sotun, and Ali Qapu palaces as well as in religious sites like the Imam and Sheikh Lotfollah mosques. Some of the most beautiful mosques in the world are in Isfahan. “Isfahan” features photos of seven of the city’s mosques.

The Zayandeh-Rud River flows from the west into a marsh in the east. There are a number of ancient bridges across the Zayandeh-Rud connecting northern and southern Isfahan. The book includes photos and a brief history of the Si-o-Seh Pol, Khwaju, and Shahrestan bridges.

Many pages of the books are devoted to houses of prominent residents of the city over the course of history. The houses have been given their owners’ names such as Vasiq Ansari’s House, Akkafzadeh’s House, and Haj Hassan Ghafuri’s House.

The owners took pride in beautifying their houses. Photographs of the eye-catching interior decorations and beautiful façades of the houses are featured in the book.

One chapter of the book describes the traditional bazaar, which is home to traditional Isfahani artists’ and artisans’ workshops. It contains many photos of shops selling hand-printed clothes (Qalamkar), enamel works, miniatures, wrought metal dishes, and mosaic artwork.

Master miniaturist Mahmud Farshchian and master creator of wrought metal works Mahmud Dehnavi are introduced in this chapter.

The book also documents the old churches of the former capital of the Shia dynasty of the Safavids. These churches have always been regarded as symbols of freedom of religion in that era. This section features several beautiful photos of the Vank and Mary churches from different angles.

In another chapter, the book introduces readers to the everyday lives of the people of this ancient city with photos of their lifestyles, people dressed in traditional costumes, and modern buildings of the city.

And finally, the journey comes to an end with the pigeon towers in the last chapter of the book. Farmers built the towers beside their farms to collect pigeon droppings to fertilize their fields.

This book will surely persuade you to embark on a real journey to Isfahan.

MMS/HG

End

MNA