Isfahan

One of the most important historical cities in Iran, Isfahan was known in the Sassanian period as Spadan or Spahan. For over three hundred years Isfahan has been the main attraction for travelers in Iran. Located on the banks of Zayandeh-rud River, Isfahan is Iran's third largest city.The city's history dates back to 2,700 years ago when a Jewish colony first settled in the area still known as Yahuddiyeh.

Isfahan's moment of glory came in the 17th century when the town was reconstructed by the Safavid King Shah Abbas the Great, who moved the Safavid Capital from Qazvin to Isfahan,to unsurpassed beauty. Today people still marvel at its magnificence. A tour of Isfahan should start with maidan-e-Naghshe-Jahan which Shah Abbas planned to be the center of the city. The square is framed by a wall of blind arches and surrounded by the Masjide-Imam (Shah Mosque),noted as the supreme perfection of Islamic architecture, and the Sheich Lotfollah (the ladies Mosque) with its colorful detailed work ranking among the world's best tileworks.