In today’s global community, the Iranian carpet has a worthy position to declare Iran to others. Iranian carpet is a fluffy mat which is woven using silk, cotton, wool and coat according to the traditions and rituals of each region of Iran.

Many of the archeologists believe that the oldest carpet of the world which is called Pazyryk and now is kept in The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg with the antiquity of about 400 years B.C. is an Iranian carpet woven in Achaemenid Empire (330-550 B.C.). Although there is not any salient sample from Sasanian Empire (224-650 A. D.), based on the proofs it can be said that Iranian carpet was globally valid and famous in this era. In this regard, the most obvious sample is the famous carpet of Baharestan which has been mentioned in different historical sources. Many of the travelers who visited Iran in Islamic period have pointed out to the carpets of different regions of Iran and finally, in Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722 A. D.) the Iranian carpet was promoted from a rural art/ industry to a national activity and turned into a prominent part of Iran economy.

From the Safavid Dynasty onwards, the valuable samples of the Iranian carpet can be observed in different museums of the world, for example the Ardabil carpet which was woven for the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, the great ancestor of the Safavid, it is kept in Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  In this period, Kashan dealt with many orders due to goodness and elegance of the carpets which were produced there and manufacture of brocaded carpets woven with gold and silver threads was flourished upon the orders of other countries specially Poland.

In Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925 A. D.) and by the boom of European markets, a lot of carpet-weaving workshops were established in different cities of Iran like Tabriz, Kerman, Mashhad, Kashan and other cities and the Iranian carpets were exported to the Europe. On the whole it must be said that the most prominent centers of carpet weaving in Iran were Isfahan, Tabriz, Ardebil, Qom, Kashan, Nain, Kerman, Yazd, Mashhad and Hamedan from the past. It is worth mentioning that in 2010 the skill of carpet weaving of Fars and Kashan were globally registered as the spiritual heritage by UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Besides, in 2015 Tabriz was known as global city of handmade carpet.

Designs in Iranian Carpets

In addition to its decorative aspect, designs of the Iranian carpets attempt to reflect Iranian identity, beliefs and goals. These designs were divided into 3 general patterns: plant designs, animal designs and human designs from among them, plant designs are the most frequent ones used in Iranian carpets. The most important plant designs in Iranian traditional arts including carpet design are Eslimi (Arabesque) and Khatai (Floral).

Eslimi: Eslimi is derived from the word “Islamic” and points out to the interwoven lines of plants with spiral foliage. Although there are proofs which show the use of eslimi designs before the history, using it developed in Islamic period, especially in Safavid Dynasty. The base of eslimi design is nature, stems and leaves. Eslimi is a design consisting of rotational arcs, stems, ties and branches and has different types.

Khatai: it is basically a design with main and perpetuated form of flower bush, leaf or blossom. In khatai design, fewer broken lines can be observed and are mostly curved, they connect flowers to each other through proportionate tortuosity. As these lines picture the branches of tree, the more they get far from the main body, the narrower they will be. The most important khatai flowers are Shah Abbasi and Botteh.

• Shah Abbasi: a design in carpet which was soared in Safavid Dynasty. The main feature of Shah Abbasi flower is the stem drawn at the end of flower and is used as 5, 7 and sometimes 12-petal flower. It is the most perfect type of khatai and its design is retrieved from lily and pomegranate flowers which was common in Iranian arts from the past, a typical example of using this design can be seen in Persepolis which was converted into Shah Abbasi flower through a lot of manipulations.
• Botteh: it is an abstract design and the Iranian believe it is retrieved from cypress tree  as it was a sacred tree in ancient Iran, its natural samples and not decorative ones can be observed in relief designs of Persepolis. Besides, cypress tree is a symbol of endurance and freedom among the Iranian and in this period Botteh design was used decoratively which was similar to the bent cypress and in its evolutionary stages, with respect to the artist’s taste and creativity of each region and cultural history of Iran, it is currently known as paisley.  Some individuals believe that Botteh is created from birds’ feather which was used by the Iranian kings on their hats.

Different Parts of Iranian Carpet Infographic
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Different Parts of Carpet

Selvedge of Carpet: it is the surrounding part of carpet which is usually designed and woven in a wide or narrow way. The selvedges lead to a special organization and beauty which are like a frame. An ordinary selvedge consists of three parts: one main selvedge and two subsidiary selvedges.

• Main Selvedge: the wide selvedge is located between narrow selvedges and forms the collection of carpet selvedges with them. Usually in wide selvedge, the motifs used in carpets are also applied. The pattern and design of this selvedge is commensurate with background of the carpet. In wide selvedge, different designs and inscriptions are used and characteristics of the carpet including name of carpet weaver, name of client, date and place of weaving are registered as well.
• Subsidiary Selvedge: it is located in two sides of main selvedge and is usually decorated with tiny geometric and floral designs.

Lachak: the four corners of the carpet are called lachak and if there is harmony between lachak and toranj with similar designs, the design of carpet is called lachak – toranj.

Toranj: the shape located in the center of carpet is called toranj. They are usually in the form of circle, diamond and oval. They are usually accompanied with sar-toranj which make the carpet more attractive. The dimensions of toranj are different in various carpets and their bigness or smallness depends on type and design of the carpet.

Sar-toranj: it is connected to the central toranj from top and bottom of the carpet. Many of the carpet designers call it “Shamseh” as well.

Katibeh (Inscription): in some carpets, there is a part between toranj and sar-toranj which is called katibeh, name of some individuals who are related to the design of carpet will be designed and registered in katibeh.

Zamineh (Background): different parts of the carpet such as flowers, branches, animals and geometric shapes are woven and registered on a background which specify the main color of the carpet.

Gelim Baaf: in order to preserve the durability of the carpet, its upper and lower parts are woven with chains which are called gelim baaf.

Risheh (Fringe): white threads woven to the width of both sides of the carpet.

Shirazeh (Binder): the longitudinal sides of the carpet which are sewed for more protection of the main part of the carpet.

What was explained above is related to the commonest design of the carpet in Iran i.e. lachak toranj (corner-medallion) but based on the classification of Iran carpet company, the main designs of the Iranian carpets are: designs of ancient works and Islamic buildings, Shah Abbasi, Eslimi, Afshan (overall flower), Eghtebaasy, Bandi, Bottheh, Derakhti (Tree), Turkmen (Bokhara), Shekargah (Hunting), Ghabi, Golfarang, Goldani (Vase), Mahi Dar Ham, Mehrabi (Prayer), Moharamat (Striped), Hendesi (geometric), ili and Talfighi (mingle).

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Located in the heart of Iran plateau, the city of Yazd was close to the traditional Silk and Spice Roads. Residents of Yazd have been adapting themselves to live in this arid land for thousands of years. By employing indigenous techniques, qanat to draw underground water, Badgir or wind-catcher to cool their houses, people of Yazd have sustainably used their limited available natural resources to survive in the desert.

Yazd is also known as the city of wind-catchers. In the past, every house had wind-catcher and so, a forest of win-catchers could be seen above the roofs. Wind-catchers cooled the inside the houses via even small breezes. People of low income had small two-sided wind-catchers while affluents used to construct bigger four-to-eight-sided ones.

Dowlat Abad garden of Yazd has the world’s tallest wind-catcher reaching to some 40 meters with eight sides.

Yazd has also been hosting plenty of Ab Anbars. Ab Anbar is the oldest desert construction for reserving water. Some Ab Anbars were public and made in neighborhoods but some rich people had private Ab Anbars in their houses. Wind-catchers were constructed above some Ab Anbars to circulate air into the water reservoir and keep the water cool and fresh.

The old city of Yazd having kept its authenticity embraces many elements of Iranian urban design such as old houses, bazaar, water reservoir, and mosque. Each district is shaped in different eras in history. The district of Kushk-e Now is famous for its water reservoirs, hosayniya, and bazaar. The fame of Fahadan district is for its narrow and twisting alleys and authentic old houses. Lab-e Khandaq district is also known for its historical constructions such as bazaar Khan, hosayniya, caravanserai, Sa’at or Markar square in the vicinity of Jameh Mosque of Yazd, and its historic houses.  Ghale Kohneh, Sar-e Dorah, Chahar Menar, Mosallah, and Yaghoubi are among other historic districts of Yazd.

The historic districts of Yazd are fraught with religious elements. The city has long been one of the most religious towns in the country and a center for Zoroastrianism after the arrival of Islam. However, Islam became the dominant religion gradually, and the Islamic rituals in Yazd gained both national and international reputation. Amir Chakhmaq square and Shah Tahmasb hosayniya played central roles in Safavid and Zand dynasties. Nowadays, several sacred places of Muslims, Zoroastrians, and Jews have turned Yazd into a city of various regions, living in symbiotic peace for centuries.

Historic City of Yazd was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.

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Takht- e Soleyman was a principal sacred place of Zoroastrianism, the Sassanid (224 – 650 CE) State faith that influenced monotheism. The general layout of the site became an architectural reference for East and West architecture, especially Islamic architecture. Takht-e Soleyman also has strong symbolic significance about the continuation of a cult related to fire and water over the last 2,500 years.

The site consists of an artesian spring-lake, Azar Goshnasp Zoroastrian fire temple, a temple dedicated to Anahita (the divinity of the waters), a Sasanian royal sanctuary, an ancient volcano, Zendan-e Soleyman (Prison of Solomon), and remains of temples older than burgeon of Zoroastrianism.

Located in ancient Ganzak or Shiz, Azar Goshnasp fire temple housed one of the three revered Great Fires dedicated to the warrior class of the Sasanid. In 624 AC the Roman Heraclius attacked Ganzak and destroyed Azar Goshnasp. The chahartaq (an architectural unit consisted of four barrel vaults and a dome used for keeping the sacred fire in Zoroastrianism) with surrounding corridors is located on the north side of the spring-lake.

The biggest construction on the site was Sassanid royal court with rooms of different size surrounding an iwan. The three rooms at its western front have wide openings to the outside perhaps for ceremonial purposes, and the iwan opens to the north side of the lake. Because of destructions and reconstructions in the Sassanid era, different materials including mud bricks, baked bricks, and stone are used in the buildings.

The site obtained its name after the Arab conquests. According to folkloric legend, King Solomon (whose name is come in Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, and Quran) incarcerated monsters inside a nearby 100 meters-deep crater known as Zendan-e Soleyman or prison of Solomon.

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Historic bazaar of Tabriz is one of the most massive covered interconnected brick structures in the world. Tabriz, the biggest city in North West Iran (East Azerbaijan Province), used to be Iran’s capital in various historic eras.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010. This vast traditional complex involves two dozen caravanserais, 22 Timches, and more than 5500 different storefronts.

Timche is a domed hall and caravanserai consisting of a courtyard surrounded by a set of rooms. Most Timches and caravanserais include three floors; the middle floor is to trade and sell goods, the lower floor is the warehouse, and the upper floor is for rest and sleep. Both modern and traditional merchandizes are available in the bazaar some of which occupied a section of it.

Plan of Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex – Persia Advisor Travels
by Negar Ganji

Jewelry, herbal remedies and species, copper products, shoes and leather, hats, fruits and vegetables, kitchen utilities, and cloth shops are among the most popular parts of the bazaar. Nonetheless, Mozaffarieh Timche, dedicated for colorful carpet trades, is the most photographable part of the bazaar.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Rei nikoo via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

The function of Tabriz historic bazaar is not only confined to shop and trade but over centuries it has been developed into a key social, political and religious center. Movements in the bazaar of Tabriz highly influenced both Constitutional and Islamic Revolutions of Iran. It also has a clear religious function concerning all around noticeable Shia banners and shutting down the bazaar for ten days in the Month of Muharram. Furthermore, there are several mosques inside or in the vicinity of Bazaar among which the Blue Mosque is the most prominent.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Kianooshmohebian via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

According to some historical paintings, the Bazaar existed during Seljuk era. However, it had its zenith during Ilkhanid and Safavid eras between 13th to 16th centuries CE when Tabriz was the capital and a key stop in the northern route of Silk Road. Although the Safavid king changed the capital of Iran from Tabriz to Qazvin in the 16th century, due to the empowerment of Ottoman Empire, the bazaar of Tabriz retained its standing as a commercial center until the 18th century.

The Tabriz historic Bazaar delineates the traditional, cultural, and commercial systems of Iran. Despite experiencing severe incidents such as fire and earthquake, the bazaar of Tabriz has still gloriously beaten heart of the city and is even more popular than recently established malls.

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Located in the north of Khuzestan province, Shushtar has hosted the River of Karun for millennia and historical hydraulic system on it for centuries. The hydraulic system has included a series of bridges, canals and tunnels, weirs, water cascades and watermills tracking back to 5th centuries before the Christ and the era of Darius I of Persia. This engineering masterpiece has been considered as a world wonder by many travelers.

When the Romance Valerian I was defeated by Sassanid king, Roman soldiers were captured and delegated to constructing a bridge that is known as Shadorvan Bridge or Caesar Weir. This construction is the first combination of bridge and weir in Iran that diverted the water into different canals. Mizan is another weir credited to the Sassanid Shapur I (215 – 270 CE) involves two main diversion canals on the river of Karun namely Shotayt and Gargar which the latter is still used for irrigation.

Water cascades and watermills originate in the Sassanid era. These water cascades push and spin the water mill wheels through numerous canals that eventually fall into basins. The Salasel Castle was the operating center of the hydraulic system along which it served as a defensive structure comprising numerous yards and rooms. However, from this Achaemenid structure, some underground rooms and Daryun canal, an artificial canal to control and share the water, are only extant today.

Mahi Bazan Weir, Khak Weir, Lashkar Bridge-weir, Sharabdar Weir, and an ancient handmade stairway are among other constructions of the complex. Followers of Mandaeism, a Gnostic religion with an emphasis on John the Baptist, has their own constructions in this complex as they practice some of their rituals with running water.

Shushtar historical hydraulic system affirms human ingenuity in the 3rd century CE and is evidence to the diversity of engineering technics from Elamite, Mesopotamian, and Roman civilizations. It also presents technical development in controlling water in human societies in harmony with their semi-desert nature.

This work was globally registered in 2009.

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Sheikh Safi al-din Ardebili (1252 – 1334 CE) was a mystic, a poet, and the ancestor of Shah Ismail I the founder of Safavid dynasty. Sheikh Safi is also the father of Safaviyya Sufism. After his death, his descendants built a shrine on his gravestone beside his house and his Khanegah (a Sufi religious building) in Ardebil. This shrine is the most prominent Sufi Shrine and complete Khanegah. To honor Sheikh Safi al-din, his descendants, mostly Safavid kings, gradually added items to this widely revered religious ensemble of Safavid dynasty. The combination of Ilkhanid and Timurid architecture with fundamental principles of Sufism and spirituality led to the creation of a new spatial layout and decorative art that later influenced Safavid art and architecture.

The Sheikh Safi al-din ensemble resembles a tiny city with a variety of sections such as mosque, library, school, hospital, bazaar, mausoleum, bath, cistern, kitchen, bakery, offices, and houses. This is the most efficient utilization of accessible space to accommodate a variety of functions.

Three tomb towers exist in the complex. The oldest one, hidden behind two other towers was built to venerate Sheikh Safi al-din, and the biggest one known as Allah Allah is decorated with the countless repeated names of God in Arabic scripts with blue-glazed bricks. Although the complex is ascribed to Sheikh Safi al-din, other prominent individuals such as Shah Ismail I and his mother plus martyrs of Battle of Chaldiran (the first battle between Ottomans and Safavids) are buried at the site. To highlight the seven steps of Sufi mysticism, the route to Sheikh Safi al­-din Shrine passes through seven segments, and eight gates separate various parts of the mausoleum representing the eight attitudes of Sufism.

Chilla Khana derived from Persian word Chehel (meaning forty), was a place for the Sufi ritual of Chilla. In Chilla, to withdraw from the world and pray in solitude, people went to Khalwa for forty days and nights.

Since several lanterns had lightened the hall for praying and memorizing Quran, this dazzling rectangular hall with its gold-painted ceilings is known as Ghandil Khaneh or lantern house. In 1539 CE Shah Tahmasp I ordered to knit a treasurable carpet for the hall, with its geometry reflected symmetrically on the ceiling. Currently, this most precious remnant carpet of Safavid era, known as Ardebil carpet is housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum of London. Unfortunately, the gold painted ceiling was collapsed after an earthquake.

Chini Khaneh with its honeycombed ceiling and suspended golden vaulted niches is a place to keep Shah Abbas I porcelain collection. A two-year war between Iran and Russian empire had led to the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828, Russians moved many of original books and precious porcelains from Sheikh Safi al-Din complex to Russia, among which many are in Hermitage museum.

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Pasargadae was the earliest capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (600 – 530 BCE) who had ordered its construction. Pasargadae was the capital of the Achaemenid dynasty until Cambyses II (559 – 522 BCE) moved it to Susa. The site covers 1.6 square kilometers and includes the Mausoleum of Cyrus II, two royal palaces with gardens, and forts of Tall-e Takht.

The most prominent monument in Pasargadae complex is the tomb of Cyrus. The tomb’s height reaches almost eleven meters consisting of two main parts; a high plinth composed of six receding steps similar to Mesopotamian or Elamite ziggurats, and a tomb chamber with a steep-pitched gable roof resembling Urartu tombs of an earlier period. The main decoration on the tomb is a rosette design over the main entrance door.

Two royal palaces of Cyrus; residential Palace P and audience Palace S put revolutionary impacts on the architectural history of the ancient Near East. While a single-focal axis was dominated in the region for millennia, a symmetric four-sided structure with no principal axis and no fixed focal point was introduced in Pasargadae’s palaces. This structure is considered as the prototype of Persian Gardens. The superb technical application of elements of Lydo-Ionian stone-working including anathyrosis joints was also another architectural revolution in the area. Before then, columned halls were built with mud-brick walls and wood columns.

Audience Palace S consists of a central rectangular columned hall with two rows of four columns, each wall opening to a portico. The plan of Palace P resembles Palace S, the latter has more but smaller columns supported by exceptionally finely-made, horizontally- fluted tori on black and white plinths.

Discovered Inscriptions in Pasargadae are written in Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian cuneiform. Cyrus had introduced himself in one of the inscriptions, but since the Old Persian cuneiform was invented in the reign of Darius, researchers suggest that Darius completed several elements of Cyrus’ unfinished constructions purportedly to tie himself to the heritage of Cyrus. Located at the eastern edge of the Palace, Gate R is visible with a three-meter carved human figure with wings inspired by Assyrian sculpture.

The fortified and solid stone-made platform of Tall-e Takht (or Takht-e Madar-e Soleyman, the Throne of the Mother of Solomon) was built on a massive hill. A fourteen-meter high tower built almost exclusively of finely cut blocks of white limestone known as Zendan-e Soleyman (Solomon’s Prison) was also located in the north of the palaces. Sacred area, Tangeh Bolaghi, and Mozaffari caravanserai (Islamic era) are among other key constituents of the Pasargadae.

This work was globally registered in 2004.

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Naqsh-e Jahan Square was laid out in 1602 CE under the reign of Shah Abbas I (1588 – 1699 CE), the fifth ruler of the Safavid in a vast garden with the same name.

At 160 meters wide and 560 meters long, Naqsh-e Jahan is one of the largest historic squares in the world surrounded by several prominent buildings. Ali Qapu Palace on the west side, The Shah Mosque on the south, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the eastern side, and Qeysarieh Grand Bazaar Gate at the north augments the glory of the square.

Plan of Naqsh e Jahan Square – Persia Advisor Travels
by Negar Ganji

Two hundred identical shops are open to the square on one side and to a bazaar behind that has surrounded the square. These shops generally sell local handicrafts and artworks. As Isfahan was a key spot along the Silk Road, goods from all the civilized nations of the world found their ways to the hands of expert merchants who knew how to make the best profits out of them.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square was the Safavid’s capital of culture, economy, religion, social power, government, and politics.

The Square was an arena for public ceremonies, festivities like Nowruz and military maneuvers besides sports like polo, the favorite sport of Safavid kings.

Gates of polo still remain in the two sides of the square. In the mid-seventeenth century, famous French travel writer Jean Chardin cherished Isfahan as, “the grandest and the most beautiful town in the whole of the east.”

To nicely sense the magnificence of Square, you should visit it in the late afternoon when the blue-tiled minarets and domes are lit up by the sunset rays, and local families have populated the square.

Ali Qapu

This grand palace is located on the western side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, opposite to Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. The name Ali Qapu is derived from Persian Ali (meaning great) and Azerbaijani Qapu (meaning gate). At the time of Shah Abbas I, this palace was built mainly to entertain noble visitors and foreign ambassadors.

The forty-eight meters building consists of six floors is rich in naturalistic wall paintings by Reza Abbasi, famous Safavid painter, and his pupils. The ground floor consists of two halls for administrative affairs. The two spiral staircases in the corners of building continue to the sixth floor.

Its impressive elevated terrace featuring 18 slender wood pillars was built at the time of Shah Abbas II that provides a dominating and breathtaking perspective over the Square. A marble pool located in the middle of the terrace has its symmetry on the ceiling. The sixth floor is the most majestic place of Ali Qapu. The music hall is the largest room of the palace and its stunning stucco decoration having not only aesthetic value but also acoustic. The terrace was a great place for giving banquets to special guests while impressing them with live music performances.

Shah Mosque

The construction of this masterpiece of Persian architecture began in 1611 by order of Shah Abbas I and completed in 1629, at the last year of his reign. Although the portal was built to face the square, the mosque is oriented towards Mecca. This rotation took place through an angled corridor through which visitors encounter the main portal without realizing the change in the orientation.

The Mosque is surrounded with four iwans that is a rectangular hall surrounded by walls on three sides with one end entirely open. The main idea of iwan dates back to ancient Iran and hence the Shah Mosque holds a combination of the Persian and Islamic identity. The Mosque consists of the main yard, four iwans, a dome, a shabestan, two portal, two 48 meters minarets, and two religious schools.

The double-shelled 53 meters high dome with 14 meters spanning between the two layers is the most beautiful part of the mosque. The in-between span causes a loud echo when one makes a sound standing at the center of the dome. This habit has become an enjoyable activity for some of visitors. Seven-color tiles ornament the tomb with an inscription in Thuluth calligraphy. Inscriptions of Shah Mosque were mostly taken place by Alireza Abbasi, Mohammad Reza Emami, and Abdol-Baghi Tabrizi the best calligraphers of the country.

Suggested by Sheikh Bahayi two Madrasas (religious school) were erected in two sides of the Mosque in the time of Shah Suleiman I the eighth Safavid king.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Standing on the eastern side of Naghshe Jahan, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is the gem of the square with its mesmerizing cream color dome changed to pink in the sunset. The mosque was completed in 1619 and Shah Abbas I dedicated it to his father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah who was a Lebanese Shia scholar.

The function of minarets in Islam is to invite people to Namaz (prayer). However, as Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque was a private royal mosque, devised for the ladies of Safavid harem, it had neither a minaret nor a courtyard. Consequently, its size was smaller than Shah Mosque that was built for the public.

Similar to Shah Mosque, the main entrance of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is not in the direction of Qibla. Therefore, a twisting hallway (Pashneh) connects it to another entrance opens to the prayers’ chamber in Qibla direction.

Although this Mosque is much smaller than the Shah Mosque and has no iwans and yards, its intricate arabesque-patterned exterior and interior decorations and the finest construction materials are superior to the Shah Mosque. The portal contains detailed muqarnas that is stalactite-type stone carving used to decorate doorways.

The golden mosaics inside the dome mirror an extraordinary beauty. The peacock at the center of the tomb is a feature of this mosque and sunrays create a golden tail changed in the size and direction based on the sun position for the peacock.

Names of the twelve Shia Imams are stated around the Mihrab, and the surrounding inscription contains the names of Sheikh Lotfollah, Mohammad Reza Isfahani the architect, and Baqer Bana the calligrapher.

Qeysarieh Gate

Qeysarieh Bazaar was the most notable market in the Safavid era connected to the Atiq or Old Square that was the center of Isfahan during the reign of Seljuk dynasty. Built in 1620 CE, Qeysariyeh Gate is the entrance of Bazar located in the north of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The tiled symbol of Isfahan is seen above the portal that is similar to Sagittarius with human head, a body of tiger and dragon tail. Paintings on the portal drawn by Reza Abbasi show the hunting scene of Shah Abbas I on the left, his war with Uzbeks in the middle, and figures of European guests on the right.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square was globally registered in 1979.

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Close to Kermanshah, the mount Bisotun houses a series of the most prominent bas-reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions in the world. Rose to the throne of the Persian Empire in 521 BCE, Darius I ordered these monuments to document the re-establishment of the Empire. These monuments denote the influence of a specific event in the development of monumental art in the realm of the Achaemenids. The existence of three similar inscriptions but with different languages (Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian) enabled researchers to decode a cuneiform for the first time in the 19th century.

The sacred mount Bisotun also called Bagastana (the place of Gods) was located along one of the main routes linking Persia with Mesopotamia. This logistical situatedness had made the mount Bisotun a place for Darius I to proclaim his military victories. The monument illustrates a life-sized bas-relief of Darius I holding a bow as a sign of sovereignty, with his left foot on the Gaumata’s chest who was the Median Magus and claimant of the throne. Furthermore, on the carved stone mountain monument of Bisotun there are two servants of Darius in his left, and on his right, there are nine one-meter figures of defeated armies, with tied hands and rope around their necks. A Faravahar floats above was curved to attribute his success to the grace of Ahura Mazda, the creator and sole God of Zoroastrianism.

Around the bas-reliefs, there about 1200 lines carved in three inscriptions provided a brief autobiography of Darius, including his lineage and ancestry, and the story of the victories over numerous pretenders to the Persian Empire’s throne after the deaths of Cyrus and his son Cambyses II. The translation of Old Persian transcript paved the way to the subsequent decoding of the Babylonian and Elamite cuneiform scripts. This fact, not only significantly promoted the development of modern Assyriology, but also opened the door to previously unknown aspects of ancient civilizations.

Mount Bisotun is also well-known among Iranians for the legends and poems around the Farhad Tarash, a long smoothed rock surface on the Mount. Farhad is a famous character in Persian literature and the story of his love with Shirin is among the most famous love stories in Persian culture. As narrated by Ferdowsi (925 – 1020 CE) in his Shahnameh (Book of Kings), Farhad was a sculptor who fell in love with Shirin, the princess of Armenia. But Shirin was already beloved by Khosrow, the king of Persia. Khosrow deceits Farhad to carve the Mount to find water so then Khosrow withdraws from Shirin. After some years and digging about half of the Mount, Farhad finally reaches the water but Khosrow fabricates about Shirin’s death. Nizami Ganjavi (1141 – 1209 CE) narrates that Farhad trusted the false news, became frenzied and mentally sick, threw his ax and died. Ultimately, his ax turned to a pomegranate tree which its fruit purportedly cures the ill. Recently, the sheer wall of Farhad Tarash has turned to a popular rock-climbing site giving you an excellent view to the surrounding villages.

Hunters’ caves, Median fortress, Median temple, Parthian bas-relief of Mithrades II (124 – 29 BC), the Seleucid figure of Heracles from 148 B.C., remains of Parthian town, Ḵhosrow bridge, Safavid bridge, carved Sassanian stones, the Gamasab retaining wall, Sheikh Ali khan Zangeneh inscription, Safavid caravanserai, Ilkhanid caravanserai, bas-relief of Gotarzes II, bas-relief of Vologases, and Royal Road are among other monuments of Bisotun.

Behistun inscription was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2006.

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Arg-e Bam can be considered as a rich sample of the cities which were built in the Middle Ages, it is made of clay layers with domestic techniques. This work was globally registered in 2004.

Cultural Landscape is representative of humans’ effects on their natural environment through their adopted life style. Sometimes these effects are such old and rich that can be considered as a world heritage. Given its historical background, as well as rich and inimitable civilization and culture, Bam is recognized among the world’s well-respected cultural landscapes.

About two hundred kilometers far from Kerman city, Bam is the tourism capital of southeast Iran. The origin of life in the region dates back to the realm of Achaemenid Empire and even beyond. Nonetheless, the zenith of Bam ranged from the 7th to 11th centuries CE, being at the crossroads of key trade routes, recognized for the production of cotton and silk garments.

Hence, Bam and its cultural landscapes are exceptional testimony to the development of a trading settlement in the harsh desert environment of the Central Asia region. In addition, Bam, the-used-to-be the most massive adobe citadel of the world, well represent fortified medieval constructions using mud layer technique combined with mud bricks. Since the past two millennia, the existence of life in the region has been dependent on the utilization of qanats. Qanats are the gently sloping underground channels to transport water from water wells or aquifers to surface for drinking and irrigation.

Bam citadel or Arg-e Bam entails an area of 180,000 square meters surrounded by gigantic walls is one of the excellent symbols of civilization in the central Iran. The citadel was surrounded by a residential area of around four hundred houses, schools, and bazaars. Residents had been continuing their life regardless of the associated hardships until a destructive earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.6 at 05:26 utterly destroyed the citadel and its surrounded town, with 26,271 death tolls.

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East Azerbaijan’s area is 45,491 square meters, introducing it as the 11th largest province of the country. It has 21 counties such as Marand, Maragheh, and Mianeh as its most populated cities. It contains about five percent of the country’s population with Tabriz as its center city. The people living in this region speak Turkish with Azari Dialect.

The history of East Azerbaijan province dates back to the pre-Islamic period and the time of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.) during which it was known as Little Medes. During the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.) and later after the invasion of Alexander, Azerbaijan became independent under the command of Atropatene. After the advent of Islam in 651 A.D. and when Omar became the Caliph, Muslims took control of Azerbaijan and then with the uprising of Babak Khorramdin, the influence of the Abbasid Caliphs was declined in the region.

Following the Mongol invasion and the arrival of Hulagu Khan during the 13th century, Azerbaijan was chosen as the center of the vast Mongol Empire. During the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), Shah Ismail I chose Tabriz as the capital of Iran and later in the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925), Tabriz became a center of hosting Qajar princes.

This province has various types of climate due to its large area and high altitude. For example, on one hand, Mianeh and Jolfa have the highest temperature and on the other hand, Bostanabad has the lowest temperature. The cold and semi-arid climate of the province is attributed to its proximity to the Caspian Sea, Lake Urmia, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The highlands of this region are snowy and suitable for winter sports. Due to its natural and historical attractions, East Azerbaijan has become one of the favorite destinations in the country, attracting foreign and domestic tourists every year.

Some of the historical sites of the province include Tabriz traditional bazaar, the church of St. Stepanos in Jolfa (registered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list), Tabriz Blue Mosque, the remnants of the Maragheh Observatory, and Kandovan Village.

The province is also rich in handicrafts and souvenirs, one of which includes Tabriz Carpet as a famous carpet of the province and Iran as well. Among its other souvenirs, a variety of nuts as well as various types of pastries such as Nougat, Rees, Baslogh, and Qurabiya are notable. Besides, Kebab and Kufteh are the most famous dishes of the region. Bonab Kebab which is a kebab made in the city of Bonab is such popular that it has turned into a national food, being served in most Iranian restaurants across the country.

In contrast, Kufteh is usually homemade food and one cannot find it in restaurants. When it comes to prominent figures, Sattar Khan and Baqir Khan as two leaders of Iran’s Constitutional Revolution were from East Azerbaijan. The province is also known for its literary and poet figures such as Gholam Hossein Sa’edi, Shahriar, Khaghani, Saeb Tabrizi, Parvin Etesami, Aref Murav, and Shams Tabrizi.

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