During the Timuri era this square was made smaller in size. This field was expanded by order Shah Abbas in Safavi era. Most of the buildings around this square were also built during this time.
The square and its surrounding buildings were mostly destroyed during the Qajar period, but with the coming of the Pahlavi government, all the buildings around the square were completely repaired. To date, these buildings are being constantly refurbished and repaired. The site of the Naqshe-jahan Square was the site of a large garden known as the Naqshe-jahan garden before it chanches to a square. The area is more than 500 meters long, and covers an area of about 85,000 square meters.
There are many historical houses in Isfahan at around of this square. One of which is kianpour boutique hotel that is located 2.8 km away from it. Gusts at this luxury hotel in Isfahan can walk to the square or take public transportation.
The parade, polo games, ceremonies and various performances were held during the reign of King Abbas I and his successors. It has reminiscent of the two polished stone gates that remains in the square. Surrounded by this magnificent building is Aali-Qapu, Qaisariyyah, mosque of Sheikh Lotfollah and so on, each of which are unique Safavia architecture monuments.
Architects and artists of the Naqshe-jahan square
The hands of the artist and creative thinker of our powerful architects, especially Sheikh Baha'i, Master Ali Akbar Esfahani, and Master Mohammad Reza Esfahani, were the creators of the square and its surrounding buildings, including the Aali-Qapu, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Shah Mosque and Qaisariyeh entrance.
Naqshe-jahan square in the time of first Shah Abbas
During the reign of King Abbas I, some of the official ceremonies such as the Nowruz celebration and the execution of those sentenced to death were held in the Kusk Square before the present buildings were built. The existing buildings during the reign of Shah Abbas I have been cited based on various historical sources dating to 1011 AD.
However, from the beginning of the reign of Shah Abbas, the square was expanded to a larger extent than the former Kushk Square. During the construction of the square and later during the Safavi era, the square was active and dynamic, but during the reign of King Suleiman and King Sultan Hussein, taking care of this place was gradually prohibited.
This square, like other monuments in Isfahan, was disrupted by Qajar rulers. During the turbulence of Iran from the Afghan invasion to the coming of the Qajar government, parts of the garrison mansion were demolished. By the end of the Qajar era, much of the cellar had been demolished, and the tiles of the domes were broken and fragmented, as a result the square was in urgent need of reconstruction.
Naqshe-jahsn square in the View of Historians
The French tourist known as Dave Lafua, who visited Isfahan in 1298, says: "I do not need to solve an important problem that, like the Greek Pythagoras, tries to do, it is quite clear to me. I can say with complete confidence that there is no building in today's civilized and urban world that is in any way comparable to the mansion or the beauty of the field. This is not just my personal opinion because other Europeans who specialize in Engineering and architecture are having this view.
Also, the Italian tourist, Pietro Delavale, has the opinion that: The surroundings of this magnificent square are surrounded by harmonious, beautiful buildings that are not interrupted at any point, all the shops are aligned with the streets and all the doors are large. Above the stores you can see beautiful windows and porches created with the most beautiful and varied decor of this stunning landscape.
Fitting in with the architecture and elegance of the place gives it an enormous amount of beauty, and I can say that I prefer visiting Naqshe-jahan square than Romanesque buildings.
A German Iranologist named Peru Forster Heintz wrote about this square: The Square is located right in the center of the city. Chardan, a well-known French landmark in tourism, defines Naqshe-jahan square as a major shopping center.
In the book of Iranian architecture, Professor Arthur Pope, concerning about Shah Mosque, wrote: Although Shah Abbas was impatiently waiting for the mosque to be completed, the mosque was slowly being built, with its marble facade ending in 1638 AD. This historic mosque is a mark of Iran's millennia-old history in mosque construction.
