Isfahan

Isfahan (Persian: اصفهان, also known as Esfahan) is a city in central Iran, south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan Province. Due to its beautiful hand-painted tiling and magnificent public square, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. "Isfahan nesf-e jahan, Isfahan is half the world"

- Persian saying

An ancient town and capital of Persia from 1598 to 1722, it has long been noted for carpets and for fine metal work. Today, textile and steel mills are also important. Its architecture, tree-lined boulevards and relaxed pace make it one of the highlights of Iran.

Understand
The city is 430 km south of Tehran at the foothills of the Zagros mountain range, and enjoys a temperate climate and regular seasons. Isfahan sits on the main north–south and east–west routes crossing Iran.

Much of the splendor of the city, including most of its finest monuments, date back to the Safavid era (1501-1736), for most of which the city was the imperial capital of Iran.

The city has an Armenian quarter called New Jolfa established by Shah Abbas I in the 1600s. The district is named after the town of Julfa, still existing along the Aras river, from where Armenians were forcefully relocated during the development of Isfahan. They were allocated land south of the Zayandeh river, and built a prosperous community thanks to international trade networks. Today the quarter still has many Armenian churches and institutions.

Get in
Isfahan is well-connected by all modes of transport.

By plane


Getting there: From the airport taxi costs 350,000 rials to the city centre (as of 2016).

Besides, there are direct buses to Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport leave from Terminal-e Kaveh at 13:00, 18:00, 20:30 (and possibly other times as well). A trip costs 275,000 rials and takes under 6 hours (as of Sep 2016).

By train
There is a night-train to Tehran and a daily train to Mashhad. There are no trains to Shiraz. The night train from Tehran to Isfahan costs 240,000 rials for sleeping in a comfortable 6-bed compartment.

Getting there: take bus #37 from the train station to Soffe Bus Terminal (ترمینال صفه;), where you can change for bus #91 to old town. The best place to get off is Chaharbaq street, where there are many hostels, hotels, cafés and things to see.



By car
Isfahan is well-served by highways. There are good routes to the capital Tehran, Kashan, Shiraz, Yazd and Ahvaz.

By bus
Isfahan is well connected to most parts of Iran by bus. There are several bus terminals in Isfahan and you should note which one is more suitable for you.

From Tehran the busiest and most comfortable bus terminal to get to Isfahan is Beyhaghi terminal (known also as Argentina terminal) and Southern Terminal. Also there are a few luxury buses with a so-called "European standard" (very comfortable seats, open mini-bar, etc.)


 * Royal Safar Iranian is one a few luxury bus operators. Seats are extremely comfortable with lots of leg room. Water and snacks are provided and movies are shown. The ticket to Tehran costs 300,000 rials, and takes around 5 hours.

By metro
A metro opened in October 2015

By bus
The easiest and the cheapest way of traveling inside of Isfahan is buying Isfahan card which is a multi-journey contactless card sold at certain bus stop booths. A single journey costs 5,000 rials when using Isfahan card or 10,000 rials if paid directly to a bus driver (as of 2017). There are separate sections in a bus: front - for men and rear - for women.

By taxi
Short rides cost 50,000 rials, longer ones to Soffeh mountain and bus terminals - 100,000 rials (as of 2007). Taxi drivers will try to demand at least double of those prices at the beginning.

Squares and streets




Mosques


The stunning mosques of Isfahan are among the most beautiful and interesting in the world. see Islam for background.



Palaces




Schools

 * Madreseye Madar Shah (Imam Jafar Sadegh after revolution). The compound was built during Soltan Hossein, a Safavid king, to serve as a theological and clerical school to train those who were interested in such sciences.The dome and the greater part of the walls are covered in bright yellow bricks which give a feeling of lightness. The entrance gate decorated with gold façade and silver, and the tile-works inside the building are masterpieces of fine art and industry. The central court, with its pool and garden, are surrounded by arcades on two levels, each giving access to a student's room.
 * Madreseye Khajoo

Bridges
Walk along the Zayanderud River beside the ancient bridges. You see many locals doing this everyday. However, as a result of a drought and badly planned dam, there is usually no water in the river.



Jolfa
Jolfa - The Armenian Quarter, it includes one of the most beautiful churches in Iran.

Others

 * Buqe'h-ye Ibn-Sina (Avicenna's Dome) - 12th century.
 * The Tombs of Nizam al-Mulk & Malek Shah - 12th & 18th century.
 * Pigeon Towers - Built in the 17th century to attract pigeons, whose feces were then used as fertilizer.
 * Pigeon Towers - Built in the 17th century to attract pigeons, whose feces were then used as fertilizer.

Learn
Shahid Ashrafi Esfahani University - Foreign students can learn Persian here as part of tailor-made courses to suit their needs. Contact: Foreign Student Coordinator Ghaem Blv., Sepahan Shahr, Tel: 98-311-6502820-28

Buy
Shops in the main square must pay an additional 8% tax on sales, which is passed on to the customer. Unless the item that you are purchasing is unique or inexpensive, you may be better off shopping outside of the main square.

For a real treasure trove, visit the famous bazaar. As for many things in Iran, you usually have to haggle for a reasonable price.


 * Isfahan carpets are world-famous, being among the most finely woven of the Persian carpets; they are also often extremely expensive. Carpets from the nearby town of Na'in are similar in style, also well-known, and are expensive too. Top-grade Isfahan or Na'in carpets have over 600 knots per square inch, about one knot per square mm.
 * The carpet shops in the bazaar have a fine selection of other carpets as well, including moderately-priced lower-grade Isfahans and carpets from all over Iran. These include all the other major Persian carpet-weaving cities, plus some fine rugs from minority ethnic groups such as Turkomans in the north and Baluchis in the east. Rugs from outside Iran are less common.
 * For those who are interested, it is possible to buy the highly decorative and brightly coloured traditional dress of Isfahan, but such clothing can be expensive.
 * Miniatures These exquisite miniature paintings are painted on camel bone. Most of them are sold framed, and prices start from about 15,000 rials. It can be more costly if the artwork is done by a miniature master. Shop and look at various shops before making your decision.
 * Isfahan cloth is hand-printed with elaborate designs, usually on a beige background.
 * Isfahan cloth is hand-printed with elaborate designs, usually on a beige background.

Eat
In some parks, you can simply obtain a carpet and tea from the park warden, and have a picnic on the grass! You will find families gather in these parks, and bring barbecues and cook freshly made kebabs, which smell (and taste) delicious.

Na'an is Persian for bread and the word is used in various Indian languages for their version of Persian-style bread. That can be excellent, but some prefer the Persian original. Arguably the best of the lot is found in Isfahan's Armenian quarter, Jolfa.

Local foods

 * Chelo kebab (kebab with rice) is a must; there are regional variations in Isfahan.
 * Beryani is a popular lunch dish in Isfahan. It is made with sheep meat and lung. Although Iranians love this meal, it is very fatty. Therefore, some westerners may dislike Beryani.
 * Fereni (a concoction of rice flour, water and milk) at Fereni Hafez, which is along Hafez Street near Imam Square. It costs 3,000 rials for a small bowl or 5,000 rials for a bigger one.
 * Safran ice cream

Drink
Visit one of the tea-houses in the bazaar or under one of the bridges.



Coffee
There are lots of coffee shops in Isfahan.



Sleep




Budget




Connect
There are various Internet cafés in Isfahan. The best place which has the fastest connection and also cheapest in the city is the Central Library of Esfahan. It is accessible from Naghshe-Jahan Square by five minutes walk.

Stay safe

 * See the warnings at Iran.

Go next

 * Dasht-e-Kavir (central desert of Iran) is reached by a 6-hour bus journey from Isfahan. You'll find oases, salt lakes, etc.
 * Kashan is famous for its beautiful mansions from the 1800s and its gardens. Also carpets.
 * Na’in is the first desert town toward the east, a small and quiet town at the edge of the desert. A perfect pattern of a desert town. It is famous for carpets; the style and quality are similar to those of Isfahan.
 * Qom is a holy city on the highway north toward Tehran.
 * Shiraz is around 6 hours south of Isfahan by bus.
 * Toudeshk-Cho is 100 km from Isfahan, on the way to Yazd. It is a quaint traditional desert village and it is easy to get to from the Jey Minibus terminal. It is well known among backpackers as the location of the Tak-Taku Homestay.