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A photo of Shah Square at night by Gire 3pich2005 –

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Naqsh-e Jahan Square (Shah Square) 

Naqsh-e Jahan Square is translated as “Image of the World Square”. It is also known as Shah Square before 1979. Naqsh-e Jahan Square is situated at the center of Isfahan, Iran. It was Constructed between 1598 and 1629.

The square is open to visitors every day for 24 hours. You can take the most beautiful pictures of the domes of the mosques in the warm evening sunlight. In the article are the top ten fascinating facts about Naqsh-e Jahan Square (Shah Square)

1. Shah Mosque is in the South of Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Shah Mosque photo by Mhsheikholeslami –

TOP 10 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT GOLESTAN PALACE

The Shah Mosque is a mosque located in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan Square. It was built during the Safavid dynasty under the order of Shah Abbas I of Persia. It is regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian architecture in the Islamic era.

Its construction began in 1611, and its splendor is mainly due to the beauty of its seven-color mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions. The mosque is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20,000 rials banknote. However, It was found damaged in 2022.

2. Ali Qapu Palace is in the West Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Ali Qapu photo by Pahlevan2 –

Ali Qapu Palace or the Grand Ali Qapu is an imperial palace in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the western side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, opposite Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and had been originally designed as a vast portal entrance to the grand palace which stretched from the Naqsh-e Jahan Square to the Chahar Baq Boulevard.

The palace served as the official residence of the Persian Emperors of the Safavid dynasty. The palace is forty-eight meters high and there are six floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase. On the sixth floor, Music Hall, deep circular niches are found in the walls, having not only aesthetic value but also acoustic.

3. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is in the East of Shah Square

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque by Pawel Kyszawa –

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture that was built during the Safavid Empire. It stands on the eastern side of Naqsh-i Jahan Square, Esfahan, Iran.

Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. It was built by the chief architect Mohammadreza Isfahani, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of Persia. On the advice of Arthur Upham Pope, Reza Shah Pahlavi had the mosque rebuilt and repaired in the 1920s.

4. Isfahan Grand Bazaar is immediately north of Shah Square

Isfahan Grand Bazaar photo by Morteza Salehi –

The Qeysarie gate is a historical gate built in the 17th century at the main entrance of the Bazaar of Isfahan and Qeysarie Bazaar in Isfahan, Iran. The gate had had originally 3 floors, but the third floor was destroyed later. The destroyed third floor had been a Naqqarekhane. 

The Qeysarie gate opens into the Isfahan Grand Bazaar from Shah Square. The Grand Bazaar is a historical market located in Isfahan, Iran, also known as the Qeysarriyeh Bazaar. The main commercial activities in the Qeysarie bazaar are carpet and kilim selling.

The bazaar was one of the greatest and most luxurious trading centers in the Safavid era. It was built in 1620 on the northern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The Saafid era ran from 1501 to 1736. The market is among the ancient markets in Iran.

5. Naqsh-e Jahan Square has a World Heritage status!

Not only did Shah Mosque and Ali Qapu Palace attain World Heritage statuses but also Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The three ancient structures were declared by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO declared them as World Heritage sites because World Heritage Sites of their cultural and historical importance.

6. Which banknote is Naqsh-e Jahan Square depicted?

The square is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 20, 000 rials banknote. Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics.

The rial is the official currency of Iran. Take note that, there is no official symbol for the currency but the Iranian standard ISIRI 820 is defined as a symbol for use on typewriters and the two Iranian standards ISIRI 2900 and ISIRI 3342 define a character code to be used for it.

So, Naqsh-e Jahan Square is depicted on the back side of the 20, 000 rials banknote.

7. Shah Abbas is credited for the foundation of Shah Square

A portrait painting photo of Shah Abbas by Bishn Das –

Shah Square was named after its parent founder, Shah Abbas, the 5th Safavid Shah King of Iran. It was in 1598 when Shah Abbas decided to move the capital of his empire from the north-western city of Qazvin to the central city of Isfahan.

He initiated what would become one of the greatest programs in Persian history “the complete remaking of the city”. By choosing the central city of Isfahan, with the Z膩yande roud “The life-giving river”, lying as an oasis amidivation amid a vast area of the arid landscape.

He distanced his capital, Shah Square, from any future assaults by the Ottomans, the arch-rival of the Safavids, and the Uzbeks, and at the same time gained more control over the Persian Gulf, which had recently become an important trading route for the Dutch and British East India Companies.

8. The Maidan was the place set aside for socializing activities

Maidan Square photo by Francisco Anzola –

The Maidan was where the Shah and the people met. Built as a two-story row of shops, flanked by impressive architecture, and eventually leading up to the northern end, where the Imperial Bazaar was situated.

The square was a busy arena of entertainment and business, exchanged between people from all corners of the world.

As Isfahan was a vital stop along the Silk Road, goods from many countries of the world, spanning from Portugal in the West, to the Middle Kingdom in the East, found its ways to the hands of gifted merchants, who knew how to make the best profits out of them.

9. The Lotfollah Mosque is the oldest structure in hah Square

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque photo by Pawel Ryszawa –

Of the four monuments that dominated the perimeter of the Naqsh-e Jahan square, the Lotfollah Mosque, opposite the palace, was the first to be built. The purpose of this mosque was for it to be a private mosque of the royal court, unlike the Masjed-e Shah, which was meant for the public.

10. Isfahan became a very cosmopolitan city under the rule of Abbas

Under Abbas, Isfahan became a very cosmopolitan city, with a resident population of Turks, Georgians, Armenians, Indians, Chinese, and a growing number of Europeans. Shah Abbas brought in some 300 Chinese artisans to work in the royal workshops and to teach the art of porcelain-making.

The Indians were present in very large numbers, housed in the many caravanserais that were dedicated to them, and they mainly worked as merchants and money-changers. The Europeans were there as merchants, Roman Catholic missionaries, artists, and craftsmen.