Isfahan

Isfahan (Persian: اصفهان‎‎,  pronunciation ), also Romanized as Esfahān historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan, Esfahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometres (211 miles) south of Tehran. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 1,756,126 and its built-up (or metro) area was home to 2,391,738 inhabitants including Khomeynishahr, Shahinshahr, Khvorasgan, Dorcheh Piaz, Falavarjan, Kelishad Va Sudarjan, Abrisham, Kushk and Kharizsang cities. The Greater Isfahan Region had a population of 3,793,104 in the 2011 Census, the third most populous metropolitan area in Iran after Tehran and Mashhad. The counties of Isfahan, Borkhar, Najafabad, Khomeynishahr, Shahinshahr, Mobarakeh, Falavarjan, Tiran o Karvan and Lenjan all constitute the metropolitan city of Isfahan.

Isfahan is located on the main north–south and east–west routes crossing Iran, and was once one of the largest cities in the world. It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th century under the Safavid dynasty, when it became the capital of Persia for the second time in its history. Even today, the city retains much of its past glory. It is famous for its Persian–Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb "Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast" (Isfahan is half of the world).

Isfahan (disambiguation)

Isfahan is a city in Iran.

Isfahan or Esfahan may also refer to:

See also

Isfahan (song)

"Isfahan" is a jazz piece composed by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington and performed on Ellington's 1967 album The Far East Suite. The song was formerly known as Elf, and had in fact been written months prior to Ellington and his orchestra world tour undertaken on 1963 during which the group traveled to Iran.

Legacy

Isfahan is widely considered as a jazz standard. In The Penguin Guide to Jazz, Richard Cook and Brian Morton have suggested that "Isfahan is arguably the most beautiful item in Ellington's and Strayhorn's entire output." In 1988 the song was presented in Studio Sessions New York 1963 by LMR label and later on by the Saja Records.

Notable covers

Isfahan rug

The Iranian city of Isfahan (also spelt Esfahan) has long been one of the centres for production of the famous Persian carpet (or rug). Isfahani carpets are known for their high quality. The most famous workshop in Isfahan is Seirafian.

Ispahan carpets are generally old and belong to the time of Shah Abbas the Great, when Ispahan was the capital of Persia; they are known as 'the Shahs' carpets'. Very finely worked, often in silk, gold and silver, they have a background of a magnificent wine red color. Their production ended in the early 18th century, when Afghan's destroyed the city. Newer carpets have been made, but they cannot compare with the early ones.

"Oriental Carpets, by Michele Campana, 1966," from the library of Elizabeth Delson.

History

Weaving in Isfahan flourished in the Safavid era. But when the Afghans invaded Iran, ending the Safavid dynasty, the craft also became stagnant.

Some Isfahani rugs became known in Western Europe as "Polish rugs". This name refers to carpets woven with silk, golden and silver threads in Persia during the 16th-18th centuries and exported to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. They were commissioned by wealthy Polish noblemen and decorated with their coats of arms. Some of them were later resold to West European buyers who were often convinced of their Polish origin, hence their name.