Esfahan is Half the World

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The city of Esfahan has been the highlight of our short time in Iran so far. Emam square is the second largest in the world after Tiananmen square in China. The architecture is incredible, it's too bad they didn't light it up very well at night.

Our favorite part of Esfahan was walking along the river by the old bridges that were built back to the 1600's. The pathways and parks were full of families setting up their picnics for breaking the fast at sunset. So many strangers approached us simply to find out where we were from and what we thought of Iran. All of them greeted us with smiles and good wishes. An older lady even offered to take us to her home for dinner. It's really too bad we had to leave the next day and were unable to accept. We're quickly realizing that our 15 day visas just don't give us enough time to fully appreciate this country.

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Photos

Masjed-e Emam
From Emam Square.

Empty Bazaar
Kind of eerie, everything is shut during the day for Ramadan.

Hanging out
In front of Masjed-e Emam.

Ceiling inside Ali Ghapu Palace
Beautifully carved for perfect acoustics.

Taking photos
At Khaju Bridge

Fast food
Burger and pizza joints are about the only places we can find open for lunch.

Ceiling of Masjed-e Sheikh Lotfollah
Formerly the women's mosque.

Masjed-e Emam Mosque
Considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Iran.

Beautiful tiles
Inside Masjed-e Emam.

Carriage rides
We didn't take one, but they looked fun.

Handicrafts
Beautiful copper pots and sculptures are made and sold here.

Kathie's chador
Required for entry into the mosque.

View of Emam Square
From Ali Ghapu Palace

Si o Se Bridge
A place where the locals come to socialize at sunset.

Comments

[Jim Szpajcher]

Poetry and Omar Khayyam
Hey there - If you haven't already, check out an online version of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam while you are in his native land. Wikipedia notes, under the heading of Persian Literature in the West: "As a demonstrative metric, the 1953 edition of The Oxford Book of Quotations, contains no less than 188 excerpts from the Rubaiyat alone, of which 59 are complete quatrains, virtually two thirds of the total work of Omar Khayyám. Not even Shakespeare or the Authorized Version of the Bible are represented by such massive percentages. " You are in a very ancient land... Enjoy, Jim

[MOHAMMAD]

THANKS
VERRY NICE PHOTO FROM MY CITY .ESFAHAN THANK ALOT