Esfahan is the capital of Esfahan province and is world-famous for its amazing cultural heritage.
This city, located 414 kilometres southeast of Tehran, covers an area of about 21,500 hectares and has a population of more than 1,986,000 based on the census conducted in 2006.
Esfahan is located in a sedimentary plain, which is one of the most fertile plains in the central plateau of Iran. This plain was created as a result of the sedimentation of ZayandehRoud. ZayandehRoud is the largest central river of Iran, which flows from west to east dividing the city into two northern and southern parts. This river starts in the Zard-Kuh and ends in the Gavkhouni swamp. Although Esfahan has a dry climate and due to its proximity to the desert, yet because of the ZayandehRoud has pleasant weather.
The exact date of the building of Esfahan is not clear. Some consider it to be one of the first cities founded by the Aryans. At the time of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon (7th century BC), the area was named Judea due to the forced migration of some Jews from Jerusalem to this place. During the Achaemenid period (330-550 BC), it was called Gabayaki where the kings’ summer palaces were built, and under the rule of the Parthian Empire (249 BC-226 CE), it became the centre of one of the provinces of Iran. Moreover, during the Sassanid period (226-651), Esfahan was the place of gathering for the army and therefore it was called Spahan or Espahan.
This city was captured by Muslims between 641 and 643 during the caliphate of Umar. At that time, Esfahan consisted of two regions, Jey and Judea. During the rule of the Abbasid caliph al-Mu’tazz (866-869), the people of Esfahan started an uprising against the ruler of the city, which was brutally suppressed.
At the beginning of the 10th century (928-935), Mardavij ended the Abbasid rule and took the power in Esfahan, but after a while, he was killed by his servants. After him, the Buyid Dynasty raised to power in Iran and its rulers choose Esfahan as the capital of their rule. At that time, Rukn al-Dawlah Daylami (933-976) became the ruler of Esfahan. He spared no effort to the development of the capital and ordered the building of a 16800-meters width wall around the city. Afterwards, his son Mua’yid al-Dawlah (976-983) took the power and with the help of his knowledgeable advisor, Abu al-Qasim Ismail ibn Ibad, known as Sahib ibn Ibad, contributed to the development and prosperity of the city. The rulers of this dynasty were of the Shi’ah religion, and one of their measures was to organize a mourning ceremony for Imam Husayn (a), which paved the way for the establishment of the custom of holding public mourning ceremonies during the months of Muharram and Safar. Tughrul Seljuk (1037-1063) conquered Esfahan in 1051 and ended the rule of Daylamites. He was very interested in Esfahan where he lived for twelve years and spent about five hundred thousand dinars to build mosques, schools and monasteries.
One of the famous people of this dynasty is Khajah Nizam al-Mulk Tusi (1018-1092), the wise political minister of the Seljuk kings. In the era of Seljuk rulers, as in the period of Daylamites, science, knowledge and prosperity flourished in Esfahan. In the early 13th century, Khwarazmshah destroyed the Seljuk dynasty and took over Iran, but the long distance of Khwarazm, the capital of the Khwarazmian dynasty, in Central Asia with Esfahan, meant that their rulers could not completely control the city. During this period, various rulers were raised to power in Esfahan and the situation became chaotic. In addition, tensions between the followers of the Shafi’i and Hanafi schools of thought- two important Sunni denominations – led to conflicts that destroyed parts of the city.
In the wake of the invasion of Mongols to Iran, cities and villages were occupied one after another, but the proper defence fortifications had made Esfahan a difficult place to be conquered. The Mongol troops under the command of Ögedei Khagan (1185-1241), Genghis’ successor, were impeded behind the city gates for six years. However, with the rise of tensions between the Shafi’is and the Hanafis, the gates of the city were opened to the Mongol troops in 1241 and hence the city witnessed massacre and destruction.
After the Mongol rulers, the descendants of Amir Chupan and then the Muzaffarid Dynasty (1313-1392) ruled Esfahan. During this period, Esfahan became prosperous again yet with the attack of Amir Timur Gourkani (1369-1404), the city again witnessed killings and looting and it is said that seventy thousand people were killed in one day and a minaret was built from the heads of the dead. The Timurids dominated Iran for 75 years, and they were followed by the Qara Qoyunlu (1374-1468) and Aq Qoyunlu rulers (1378-1501) who raised to power in some parts of Iran until Shah Ismail Safavi rose and established a unified government in the country choosing Tabriz as its capital. Being a descendant of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili (1252-1334), a well-known mystic, Shah Ismail proclaimed the Twelver Shi’ah Islam as the official religion of Iran thereby bringing about a tremendous change in the history of this land. With this action, Iran was protected against the fanatical Ottoman and Sunni Uzbek sultans and its integrity was reinforced. Shah Abbas (1587-1628), the most powerful Safavid king, changed the capital from Qazvin to Esfahan in 1591 so that his capital would be protected against possible attacks by the Ottoman Turks. During the 38 years of Shah Abbas’ reign in Esfahan, this city reached the peak of prosperity. He renovated the old part of the city to meet the political, economic and cultural needs of the government. Shah Abbas built the Jolfa neighbourhood on the south coast of ZayandehRoud for the residence of the Armenians of Aras Jolfa, who had moved to Esfahan to develop Iran’s foreign trade and also, he built magnificent churches in this neighbourhood. Furthermore, he built the Tabriziha neighbourhood for the residence of Tabrizi merchants who were with him and connected these two neighbourhoods with the construction of Chahar Bagh Abbasi (1597) and Si-o-Se-Pol (1602). Afterwards, by expanding the large garden of Naqsh-e Jahan, which belonged to the Seljuk dynasty, he built the largest square of that time in 1612. He constructed beautiful and magnificent buildings such as Aali Qapu Palace, Jame Abbasi Mosque (1635), Shaykh Lotfollah Mosque (1602) and Qeysarieh Gate. At that time, Naqsh-e Jahan Square was the place for the military parade, holding celebrations and playing polo. Shah Abbas connected the old and new parts of the city by building the Shahi Bazaar. At the time when Esfahan was a developed and prosperous city, with a population of 600,000, it became the bride of Iran’s cities and was entitled as Nesf-e Jahan (half of the world).
During the reign of Shah Abbas II (1642-1666), the Khaju Bridge (1650) and Chehel Sotoun Palace (1664) were built, and during the reign of Shah Soleyman I (1666-1693), the Hasht Behesht Complex (1669) was constructed.
Shah Soltan Hoseyn (1694-1722), the ninth and most ineffective Safavid king, could not withstand the attack of Mahmoud Afghan on Iran, and hence the 135-year-old Safavid capital collapsed after seven months of being under siege and hence the golden age of Esfahan came to an end.
Mahmoud Afghan knew that his reign is very short, so he decided to destroy the city. He killed the elites, princes and many people, destroyed the buildings and historical monuments and set fire to the fields and villages and finally killed Shah Soltan Husayn who had renounced the throne.
Mahmoud became mad at the end of his life, such that he cut and ate the flesh of his own body. Nader Shah (1735-1747) put an end to the Afghan sedition and founded the Afsharid dynasty in Iran. He chose Mashhad as his capital. Moving the capital did not result in the revival of Esfahan. This neglect continued during the time of the Zand dynasty (1749-1709) when Shiraz was the capital, and during the Qajar dynasty (1779-1925) when Tehran became the centre of government. When Zel al-Soltan, the son of Naser al-Din Shah, took the power in Esfahan, he destroyed many of the monuments left by the Safavid dynasty. It is said that he used to sell the land and building materials of the historical buildings of this city to the people to pay the expenses of his army, and even he cut the old plane trees which had given special beauty to the Chahar Bagh and belonged to the Safavid era and sold them for a small price. In this period, Esfahan had nothing but a cohesive army.
During the period of Pahlavi rule (1925-1979), Esfahan was also paid little attention. But in the last two decades, this city has grown and developed a lot.
Esfahan has been one of the scientific and cultural centres of Iran for a long time and has been a home for many scientists and scholars.
In the second half of the 11th century, Khajah Nizam al-Mulk Tusi, the knowledgeable minister of the Seljuks, established centres called Nizamiyeh in the big cities of Iran, each of which included a school, a mosque, and a hospital. The Nizamieh of Esfahan was built in Dardasht and was in operation until 1377. It was considered one of the important educational centres of Iran, and annually a budget of ten thousand dinars provided by endowments was used for teachers' and students’ education.
After the Safavids came to power, the field of science and knowledge, which had declined due to the invasion of the Mongols and Amir Timur Gourkani, was revived. During this period, Esfahan had more than forty active schools because of which this city was called Dar al-Ilm. One of the most important schools of this period is the Chaharbagh (Soltani), which was built during the reign of Soltan Hoseyn Safavi. Covering an area of 8,500 square meters, this school was the largest Islamic theological school of that time.
The other was Mulla Abdullah School. This school was built by Shah Abbas for Mullah Abdullah, a well-known Shi’ah Mujtahid. It was reconstructed and repaired during the Qajar period. Add to that the Sadr School in Bazaar, which was built by Haj Mohammad Hoseyn Khan in 1805, and is still open. The first university of this city was founded in 1916 at the foot of the mountain and started its activity with two faculties of medicine and pharmacy. Nowadays, it is one of the most prestigious universities in Iran. Furthermore, other universities were established in this city, such as the University of Medical Sciences, the University of Technology and Payam Noor University. Great scientists, authors and artists have lived in Esfahan, including Abu al-Faraj Esfahani, the 10th-century historian; Ismail ibn Ibad, the knowledgeable minister of Muayid al-Dawlah who lived in the 10th century; Mir Damad (Master of Mulla Sadra), the well-known jurist and philosopher; Mir Fendereski (1562-1640), the mystic and philosopher; Allamah Muhammad Baqir Majlesi and his father who were among well-known Shi’ah jurists; Ayatollah Sayyed Abulhasan Esfahani (1867-1945), the marja’ for so many Shi’ahs around the world; Hatef Esfahani (d. 1783), poet and doctor; Agha Mirak, illustrator and painter who lived during the time of Shah Ismail Safavi; Shaykh Hasan Ali Nakhodaki-Esfahani (1863-1942), jurist and mystic; Haj Mirza Hasan Esfahani known as Safi Ali Shah (1835-1898), the Sufi and Dervish; Mojtahed Amin, the contemporary jurist; and Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hoseyni-Beheshti, the contemporary jurist and politician.
The people of Esfahan have had an active presence in Iran’s social movements. In the Constitutional Movement and during the dictatorship of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar (1907-1909), Esfahan joined the movement and was the first city that fell into the hands of the Constitutionalists with the help of people and Zargham al-Soltaneh Bakhtiari and his men. It is said that they, along with the fighters in Tabriz and Gilan, moved toward Tehran to conquer that city as well.
In 1978 and 1979, Esfahan was one of the leading cities in the fight against the Shah regime. The event that caused Esfahan to receive worldwide media attention took place in August 1978. On August 9, 1978, regime agents arrested Ayatollah Taheri one of the revolutionary clerics of Esfahan because he had delivered a fiery and passionate speech at the Friday Prayer.
Consequently, various groups of people of Esfahan came to the streets and clashed with the regime forces, which led to the martyrdom of a nineteen-year-old youth named Ali Zakir and the injury of several others. The next day, the Esfahan Bazaar and religious schools were closed and a large demonstration was held, which turned violent with the intervention of the regime forces. As a result, several people were killed and injured while so many others went to the house of Ayatollah Sayyed Husayn Khademi to hold a sit-in strike. From this day onwards, for ten days, Esfahan was the scene of demonstrations and conflicts.
The Shah regime thought the solution lies in the imposition of martial law. Major General Reza Naji was appointed as the military governor of Esfahan and on August 11, 1978, the first martial law was imposed in Esfahan for one month. On the same day, the regime agents attacked the protestors in Ayatollah Khademi’s house, and consequently, five people were martyred and nineteen were injured.
Another incident that attracted attention in Esfahan was the explosion of a bomb on a bus carrying Americans living in Esfahan, which was carried out by the Tohidi-ye Saf Group on October 11, 1978.
When Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left Iran on January 16, 1979, the people of Esfahan came out to the streets to express their happiness the peak of which was the victory of the Islamic Revolution which took place on February 11, 1979.
When the eight-year War was imposed by Iraq against Iran, the people of Esfahan engaged in defending their country. In the eight-year War, several brigades and divisions affiliating with the Army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Basij were deployed to the battle fronts from Esfahan. Among the Army units, we can mention the Esfahan Air Force and Artillery Centre. Also, the 8th Najaf Ashraf Division and 14th Imam Hoseyn Division are divisions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deployed from Esfahan.
In addition, Esfahan played a role in the reconstruction of war-torn cities and was designated the responsibility of providing financial support for the reconstruction of Ahvaz. According to the statistics, 8687 people of Esfahan were martyred during the Revolution and Imposed War. One of them is Hoseyn Kharazi, the brave commander of the 14th Imam Hoseyn Division.
Nowadays, Esfahan is one of the important and developed cities of Iran, and in the fields of science, industry, agriculture, and tourism. The main industries of Esfahan include the steel industry, polyacrylamide industry, oil refinery, and Iran-140 manufacturing industries Corporation.
The people of Esfahan are very skilled in handicrafts and have long been known as representatives of the original Iranian-Islamic art. The most important handicrafts of Esfahan include Khatam (an ancient Persian technique of inlaying), miniature, painting, gilding, carving, carpet weaving, toreutics, tiling and plastering. What makes Esfahan different from other cities in Iran and a famous city in the world is its amazing historical works and buildings.
The oldest historical monument of Esfahan is Atashkadeh Koh-Sangi, built on a mountain of the same name at an altitude of 1,680 meters. This complex covers an area of 36,000 square meters. It goes back more than 2,500 years ago and shows the Elam civilization. Esfahan Jomeh Mosque is another historical monument of this city, which is very old. Before Islam, there had been a fire temple in this place which turned into a mosque with the advent of Islam and has been developed over time. In different parts of this mosque, one may find a collection of architecture belonging to different Islamic periods.
The oldest bridge in Esfahan is the Shahrestan Bridge, the foundation of which according to some researchers, dates back to the Sasanian era and the top was renovated by the Buyids or Seljuks. In the past, this bridge was called Jey.
Naqsh-e Jahan Square was built in 1612 in the central part of Esfahan by the order of Shah Abbas. This is one of the most beautiful squares in the world in terms of length and width and surrounding buildings, and it has been recognized as a “World Heritage Site” by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in the Convention on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the World.
Among other famous buildings is Monar Jonban, which consists of a tomb and two minarets. The tomb, to which later on minarets were added, belongs to Amu Abdullah, a mystic and ascetic. In this astonishing historical monument, the shaking of one of the minarets causes the other’s movement and interestingly, the whole building would shake as well.
Another historical building in Esfahan is Shaykh Bahai Hammam, which was built by Shaykh Bahaoddin Amoli, known as Shaykh Bahai, in 1616. Vank Cathedral is another valuable historical monument which is the largest and most beautiful historic church built in the years 1655 to 1664 by the order of Shah Abbas II in the Jolfa neighbourhood.
Takht-e Foulad also is a historical cemetery in which many scholars and great and famous people of Esfahan and Iran are buried. It is said that several divine prophets are also buried there. Next to this cemetery is the tomb of the martyrs of Esfahan called “Tekieh Shohada.”
Given the efforts made in recent years, numerous tourist attractions and museums have been built in Esfahan, and much attention has been paid to the preservation and restoration of ancient buildings and monuments. Among the beautiful places and tourist attractions in Esfahan, one may mention the Birds Garden, the Flower Garden, the beautiful beaches of the Zayandehroud, the Natural History Museum, and the Chehel Sotoun Museum. These attractive and spectacular places have made Esfahan a historical, cultural and touristic complex, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world, which receives millions of Iranians and non-Iranians each year.
In terms of the cultural relations between countries, Esfahan has been chosen as the sister city of Florence in Italy, Istanbul in Turkey, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
The time has shown its role in Esfahan,
and an original and unique pattern had been left in this city.
The city square which is full of lessons,
do not call it Naqsh-e Jahan, rather say the mirror of time.
Reference: The Encyclopedia of the Islamic Revolution
Archive of The History of the Islamic Revolution
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