EṣfahānArticle Free Pass Eṣfahān, also spelled Isfahan, major
city of western Iran. Eṣfahān is situated on the north bank of
the Zāyandeh River at an elevation of about 5,200 feet (1,600
metres), roughly 210 miles (340 km) south of the capital city of
Tehrān. Eṣfahān first thrived under the Seljūq Turks (11th–12th
century) and then under the Persian Ṣafavid dynasty (16th–18th
century). In addition to being an important regional and
provincial capital (of Eṣfahān province), the city is one of the
most important architectural centres in the Islamic world. In
1979 Eṣfahān’s Maydān-e Emām (Persian: “Imam’s Square”; formerly
Maydān-e Shāh, “Royal Square”) was designated a UNESCO World
Heritage site. Pop. (2006) 1,602,110. What made you want to look
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