It is not surprising that Isfahan is the most popular tourist destination in Iran! Among the cities of Iran, Isfahan is like a piece of jewelry that has still retained its gloss and glory throughout the centuries. The city is so vibrant that it seems as if it has been born today and yet it is so original that it looks as though it has always existed. The city’s rich culture and beautiful nature are in such perfect harmony that one seems to be a reflection of the other. As far as is known, Isfahan is an ultimate expression of the Iranian-Islamic Culture.
For years, Isfahan has been a very exciting destination for tourists from all around the world. The city was flourished during the Safavid dynasty and became the capital of the Persian Empire. Many of the famous historical monuments of the city date back to the Safavid era. Isfahan was then one of the largest and most populous cities of the world. However, Isfahan is not all about the Safavid period, as Nasir Khusraw, the famous globetrotter who visited Isfahan about a millennium ago, described the city in his epic Safarnāmé (literally the Book of Travels) as follows: “In all Persian speakers’ lands, I have not seen a more beautiful, comprehensive and developed city than Isfahan”. The immense and glorious beauty of Isfahan made the French symbolist poet, Henri de Régnier, to simply echo the famous Persian proverb “Isfahan is half of the world”.
The city has so far signed sisterhood agreements with 17 big cities from all around the globe; among the most famous are Freiburg, Barcelona, Florence, St. Petersburg, Baalbek, Shiyan, and Kyoto. In 2006, Isfahan was elected as the capital of the Islamic Culture by the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers. However, Isfahan has always practiced cultural and religious diversity. For nearly four centuries, the Jolfa neighborhood in Isfahan hosts originally Armenian compatriots who follow the Christian faith. Zoroastrians and Jews have also lived in the city since ancient times.
“Isfahan [is] among those rarer places, like Athens or Rome, which are the common refreshment of humanity.”
Robert Byron in his famous travelogue ‘The Road to Oxiana’