Where is ISFAHAN? POL KhaJoo (KhaJoo Bridge) ISFAHAN ISFAHAN township is located 424 km south of TEHRAN. It is the capital city of the province and is situated between two mountain ranges. In the west, a mountainous area runs to Chahar Mahal Province and in the east lie the Ghahrood and Karkas mountains. The plains area is formed by alluvia of mountainous streams and the Zayandeh-Rood river. ISFAHAN enjoys a mild, temperate climate with distinct seasons. Flowing through ISFAHAN city is the Zayandeh Rood. Dome ISFAHAN During the Arsacid (Parthian) Dynasty, Isfahan was the capital city of a wide province that was administered by Arsacid governors. During the Sassanid Dynasty, Isfahan was the residence of and governed by "Espoohrans" or the members of seven noble Iranian families who had major and important royal positions. Moreover, in this period, Isfahan was a military center with strong fortifications. This city was occupied by Arabs after the final defeat of the Iranians. After the Islamic period, Isfahan, like other cities of IRAN, was under the domination of Arabs till the early 4th century AH (10th century CE), and received little attention, with the exception of the interest of Caliph Mansour. Bazaar ISFAHAN In the reign of Malekshah Saljooghi, Isfahan was again selected as capital and entered another golden age. In this period, Isfahan was one of the most thriving and important cities of the world. It was conquered by Mongols in 639 AH (1241 CE), and they massacred the people. After the invasions of the Mongols under Taymour the Lame, ISFAHAN flourished again as the result of its suitable geographic situation, especially in the Safavid Dynasty. Aligapo ISFAHAN After the selection of ISFAHAN as the capital by Shah Abbas in the year 1000 AH (1591CE), the city reached its pinnacle. The decline of the SAFAVID dynasty under Mahmood Afghan and the conquest of ISFAHAN after a 6 month siege caused a period of degeneration. In the Afsharieh and Zandieh Dynasties, it flourished again, but during QAJAR(Ghajar)'s reign, due to his choosing TEHRAN as the capital, ISFAHAN began to decline once more. Because of its history and geography, ISFAHAN was paid attention during the PAHLAVI Dynasty and some endeavors were made to repair and restore historical monuments. Moreover, ISFAHAN township and the province redeveloped and industrialized rapidly. During the last two decades, the urban development of ISFAHAN increased greatly and many historical monuments were restored. Today, ISFAHAN is one of the important tourism centers of IRAN and the world. The most notable sights of Isfahan are as follows: Aligapo Palace Bazaar of Isfahan Chehel Sotoon Palace Si-o-Se Pol Bridge Naqsh-e-Jahan Vanak Church

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