Esfahan Sights

  1. Ali Qapu Palace

    The majestic six-storey Ali Qapu Palace, built at the very end of the 16th century as a residence for Shah Abbas I, also served as a monumental gateway (Ali Qapu means the 'Gate of Ali') to the royal palaces that lay in the parklands beyond. Named for Abbas' hero, the Imam Ali, it was built to make an impression and at six storeys and 48m tall it did. French traveller Sir John Chardin described it as 'the largest palace ever built in any capital'.

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  2. Chehel Sotun

    One of the only surviving palaces from the royal parklands between Imam Sq and Chahar Bagh Abbasi St in Estafan, Safavid-era Chehel Sotun is today most famous for its frescoes. It was built as a pleasure pavilion and reception hall, using the Achaemenid-inspired talar (columnar porch) style.

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  3. Hasht Behesht Palace

    Once the most luxuriously decorated in Esfahan, the interior of the small Hasht Behesht Palace has been extensively damaged over the years. However, it retains a seductive tranquillity, with the soaring wooden columns on its open-sided terrace seeming to mirror the trees in the surrounding park.

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