Naqsh-e Jahan Square

🕰️When was it built?

The square took its present shape under Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty; the year given for its construction is 1011 AH (1602–03). Before that, the Naqsh-e Jahan garden and government buildings stood here. Master Mohammad Reza and Master Ali Akbar Isfahani were among the architects of the design.

🏛️What was it built for?

The square tied together trade, government and worship. On festival days it hosted polo matches, parades and illuminations, and on other days people came here to stroll and shop. The Shah watched the polo games from Ali Qapu.

👀What you will see

• Ali Qapu on the west side has six storeys and a terrace facing the square; its music hall is one of the best-known parts of the palace.
• The Imam Mosque on the south side stands out with its tall dome and minarets; its entrance passage corrects the angle between the square and the direction of Mecca.
• The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the east side has no minaret and no courtyard, unlike most mosques, and is known for its tiled dome.
• The Qeysarieh Gate on the north side opens into the Isfahan Bazaar, and paintings by Reza Abbasi survive above it.
• Two stone polo goalposts from the Safavid era still stand and show that the square was also a sports ground.

💡Something interesting

The Qeysarieh Gate once had three storeys, and the top one was a drum house: music played from there announced the time of day, but that storey has been lost. The square was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.