Isfahan’s enduring heart faces a new test

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Isfahan’s enduring heart faces a new test

Published: 23 Jun. 2025, 00:03

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Bong-ryeol

The author is an architect and professor emeritus at the Korea National University of Arts.

In 1598, the Safavid Empire, predecessor to modern-day Iran, moved its capital to Isfahan. Shah Abbas I tasked his chief architect, Sheikh Baha’i, with designing a grand square as the centerpiece of a new urban plan. The result was a vast plaza measuring 160 meters (524 feet) east to west and 560 meters north to south — large enough to fit 13 football fields. At the time, it was the largest city square in the world.

Two-tiered arcades lined with arches border the square on all four sides. Behind the eastern arcade stands the Ali Qapu Palace, its four-story balcony rising above the plaza. The balcony served as a platform for the shah to observe the square and engage with his subjects. The space occasionally became a polo ground — a game developed by Persian cavalrymen.

Directly opposite the palace, the golden dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque rises above the square. This mosque, used by the royal harem, was accessible via a hidden underground passage. It was a private sanctuary, not open to the public.

A panoramic view of Imam Square in Isfahan. [KIM BONG-RYEOL]

To the south, the imposing Imam Mosque — renowned for its blue mosaic tiles — dominates the view. Oriented southwest toward Mecca, the mosque’s angle contrasts with the square’s southward alignment, making its dome and minarets appear more dynamic. Inside, its prayer halls, bathed in Persian blue, are considered architectural masterpieces.

At the north end stands the entrance to the Grand Bazaar. Stepping through the gate reveals a sprawling marketplace, once the largest in the Middle East. Beneath endless domed roofs, merchants operated alongside caravanserais, madrasas, bathhouses and small mosques — a concentrated network of civic life.

The square’s official name, Naqsh-e Jahan, means “Image of the World.” It was more than a royal project — it was a global meeting point where Persians, Indians, Chinese, Europeans and Jews traded goods and ideas. Imam Square embodied Isfahan’s spirit of tolerance and cultural fusion — its very heart.

On June 21, the United States carried out an airstrike on a nuclear facility near Isfahan. As tensions rise, the world watches and hopes not only for an end to hostilities but also for the preservation of Isfahan’s enduring cultural heritage.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.