The Holy Savior Cathedral , also known the Church of the Saintly Sisters, is a cathedral located in the New Julfa district of Isfahan, Iran. It is commonly referred to as the Vank , which means “monastery” or “convent” in the Armenian language.

The cathedral was established in 1606, built by the hundreds of thousands of Armenian that were forcibly resettled by Shah Abbas I in his new capital as part of his scorched-earth policy in Armenia during the Ottoman War of 1603-1618.

The varying fortunes and independence of this suburb across the Zayande River and its eclectic mix of European missionaries, mercenaries and travelers can be traced almost chronologically in the cathedral’s combination of building styles and contrasts in its external and internal architectural treatment.

The construction is believed to have begun in 1606 by the first arrivals, and completed with major alterations to design between 1655 and 1664 under the supervision of Archbishop David. The cathedral consists of a domed sanctuary, much like an Iranianmosque, but with the significant addition of a semi-octagonal apse and raised chancel usually seen in western churches. The cathedral’s exteriors are in relatively modern brickwork and are exceptionally plain compared to its elaborately decorated interior.

The interior is covered with fine frescos and gilded carvings and includes a wainscot of rich tile work. The delicately blue and gold painted central dome depicts the Biblical story of the creation of the world and man’s expulsion from Eden. Pendentivesthroughout the church are painted with a distinctly Armenian motif of a cherub’s head surrounded by folded wings. The ceiling above the entrance is painted with delicate floral motifs in the style of Persian miniature. Two sections, or bands, of murals run around the interior walls: the top section depicts events from the life of Jesus, while the bottom section depicts tortures inflicted upon Armenian martyrs by the Ottoman Empire.

The courtyard contains a large freestanding belfrytowering over the graves of both Orthodox and Protestant Christians. A tile work plaque inscribed in Armenian can be seen by the entrance to the cathedral. Graves are also placed along the exterior wall before the entrance, with inscriptions in Armenian. In one corner of the courtyard, there is a raised area with a memorial to the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Turkey. Across the courtyard and facing the cathedral, there is a building housing a library and museum. Outside of this building are several carved stones showing scenes from the Bible.

The library contains over 700 handwritten books and many valuable and unique resources for research in Armenian and medieval European languages and arts.

the 1606 edict of Shah Abbas I establishing New Julfa;several edicts by Abbas I and his successors condemning and prohibiting interference with, or persecution of, Armenians and their property and affairs;a historic printing press and the first book printed in Iran;vestments, monstrances, chalices, and other sacramental artifacts;Safavid costumes, tapestries, European paintings brought back by Armenian merchants, embroidery, and other treasures from the community’s trading heritage;ethnological displays portraying aspects of Armenian culture and religion;an extensive display of photographs, maps, and Turkish documents (with translation) related to the 1915 Armenian Genocide in Turkey.

The cathedral has greatly influenced the architecture and decorative treatment of many subsequent Orthodox churches in the region.

Naghsh-e Jahan Square is a square situated at the center of Isfahan, Iran. Constructed between 1598 and 1629, it is now an important historical site, and one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. It is 160 metres (520 ft) wide by 560 metres (1,840 ft) long (an area of 89,600 square metres (964,000 sq ft)). It is also referred to as Shah Square or Imam Square. The square is surrounded by buildings from the Safavid era. The Shah Mosqueis situated on the south side of this square. On the west side is the Ali Qapu Palace. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is situated on the eastern side of this square and at the northern side Qeysarie Gate opens into the Isfahan Grand Bazaar. Today, Namaaz-e Jom’eh (the Muslim Friday prayer) is held in the Shah Mosque.

In 1598, when Shah Abbas decided to move the capital of his empire from the north-western city of Qazvin to the central city of Isfahan, he initiated what would become one of the greatest programmes in Persian history; the complete remaking of the city. By choosing the central city of Isfahan, fertilized by the Zāyande roud (“The life-giving river”), lying as an oasis of intense cultivation in the midst of a vast area of arid landscape, he distanced his capital from any future assaults by the Ottomans, the arch rival of the Safavids, and the Uzbeks, and at the same time gained more control over the Persian Gulf, which had recently become an important trading route for the Dutch and British East India Companies.

The chief architect of this colossal task of urban planning was Shaykh Bahai (Baha’ ad-Din al-`Amili),[6]who focused the programme on two key features of Shah Abbas’s master plan: the Chahar Bagh avenue, flanked at either side by all the prominent institutions of the city, such as the residences of all foreign dignitaries, and the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (“Exemplar of the World”). Prior to the Shah’s ascent to power, Persia had a decentralized power-structure, in which different institutions battled for power, including both the military (the Qizilbash) and governors of the different provinces making up the empire. Shah Abbas wanted to undermine this political structure, and the recreation of Isfahan, as a Grand capital of Persia, was an important step in centralizing the power. The ingenuity of the square, or Maidān, was that, by building it, Shah Abbas would gather the three main components of power in Persia in his own backyard; the power of the clergy, represented by the Masjed-e Shah, the power of the merchants, represented by the Imperial Bazaar, and of course, the power of the Shah himself, residing in the Ali Qapu Palace.

The Maidan was where the Shah and the people met. Built as a two story row of shops, flanked by impressive architecture, and eventually leading up to the northern end, where the Imperial Bazaar was situated, the square was a busy arena of entertainment and business, exchanged between people from all corners of the world. As Isfahan was a vital stop along the Silk Road, goods from all the civilized countries of the world, spanning from Portugal in the West, to the Middle Kingdom in the East, found its ways to the hands of gifted merchants, who knew how to make the best profits out of them.

The Royal Square was also admired by Europeans who visited Isfahan during Shah Abbas’ reign. Pietro Della Valle conceded that it outshone the Piazza Navona in his native Rome.

During the day, much of the square was occupied by the tents and stalls of tradesmen, who paid a weekly rental to the government. There were also entertainers and actors. For the hungry, there were readily available cooked foods or slices of melon, while cups of water were handed out for free by water-carriers paid for by the shop-keepers. At the entrance to the Imperial Bazaar, there were coffee-houses, where people could relax over a cup of fresh coffee and a water-pipe. These shops can still be found today, although the drink in fashion for the past century has been tea, rather than coffee. At dusk, the shop-keepers packed up, and the huzz and buzz of tradesmen and eager shoppers bargaining over the prices of goods would be given over to dervishes, mummers, jugglers, puppet-players, acrobats and prostitutes.

Every now and then the square would be cleared off for public ceremonies and festivities. One such occasion would be the annual event of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Also, the national Persian sport of polo could be played in the maidan, providing the Shah, residing in the Ali Qapu palace, and the busy shoppers with some entertainment. The marble goal-posts, erected by Shah Abbas, still stand at either end of the Maydan.

Under Abbas, Isfahan became a very cosmopolitan city, with a resident population of Turks, Georgians, Armenians, Indians, Chinese and a growing number of Europeans. Shah Abbas brought in some 300 Chinese artisans to work in the royal workshops and to teach the art of porcelain-making. The Indians were present in very large numbers, housed in the many caravanserais that were dedicated to them,and they mainly worked as merchants and money-changers. The Europeans were there as merchants, Roman Catholic missionaries, artists and craftsmen. Even soldiers, usually with expertise in artillery, would make the journey from Europe to Persia to make a living. The Portuguese ambassador, De Gouvea, once stated that:

The people of Isfahan are very open in their dealings with foreigners, having to deal every day with people of several other nations.

Also, many historians have wondered about the peculiar orientation of the maidān. Unlike most buildings of importance, this square did not lie in alignment with Mecca, so that when entering the entrance-portal of the Shah Mosque, one makes, almost without realising it, the half-right turn which enables the main court within to face Mecca. Donald Wilber gives the most plausible explanation to this; the vision of Shaykh Bahai was for the mosque to be visible wherever in the maydān a person was situated. Had the axis of the maydān coincided with the axis of Mecca, the dome of the mosque would have been concealed from view by the towering entrance-portal leading to it. By creating an angle between them, the two parts of the building, the entrance-portal and the dome, are in perfect view for everyone within the square to admire.

Joui Bridge also called the Choobi Bridge, is a bridge in Isfahan, Iran. It was built in 1665, during the Safavid era.

The Joui Bridge is located between Khaju and Ferdowsi bridges. It is 147 meters long and 4 meters wide, with 21 arches. It was built during the reign of Shah Abbas II to irrigate and connect the king’s gardens on both sides of the river. The bridge and the two parlours within were for the exclusive use of the shah and his courtiers. Nowadays the parlours are being used as tea houses.

The Khaju Bridge is one of the historical bridges on the Zayanderud, the largest river of the Iranian Plateau, in Isfahan, Iran. Serving as both a bridge and a weir, it links the Khaju quarter on the north bank with the Zoroastrianquarter across the Zayanderud. It also served a primary function as a building and a place for public meetings. It has been described as the city’s finest bridge.

The Khaju Bridge was built around 1650, under the reign of Abbas II, the seventh Safavid king (shah) of Iran, on the foundations of an older bridge. The existing inscriptions suggest that the bridge was repaired in 1873. There is a pavilion located in the center of the structure, inside which Abbas II would have once sat, admiring the view. Today, remnants of a stone seat is all that is left of the king’s chair.

In words of Arthur Pope and Jean Chardin, Khaju is “the culminating monument of Persian bridge architecture and one of the most interesting bridges extant … where the whole has rhythm and dignity and combines in the happiest consistency, utility, beauty, and recreation.

The bridge has 23 arches, and is 133 meters long and 12 meters wide. It was originally decorated with tilework and paintings, and served as a teahouse. The pass way of the bridge is made of bricks and stones with 21 larger and 26 smaller inlet and outlet channels, and is 7.5 meters wide. The pieces of stone used in the bridge are over 2 meters long, and the distance between every channel and the ceiling base is 21 meters.

There are several sluice gates under the archways, through which the water flow of the Zayanderud is regulated. When the sluice gates are closed, the water level behind the bridge is raised to facilitate the irrigation of the many gardens along the river upstream of the bridge. On the upper level of the bridge, the main central aisle was utilized by horses and carts, and the vaulted paths on either side by pedestrians. Octagonal pavilions in the center of the bridge on both the down and the upstream sides provide vantage points for the remarkable views. The lower level of the bridge may be accessed by pedestrians and remains a popular shady place for relaxing.

Iranian architects have raised concerns about damage inflicted on the bridge during recent “improvement program” renovations, citing, among other problems, the destruction of the original stepped base of the bridge, the alterations made to the riverbed, and the removal of the Safavid inscribed stone blocks from the bridge.

Constitution House of Isfahan, also known as Khaneh Mashrouteh or Khaneh Haj Aqa Nourrollah, is a historical edifice located next to the Great Naqsh-e Jahan Square, on Neshat Ave in Isfahan, Iran. During the years that led to the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Afterwards the house was used as a gathering place of the leaders, activists and sympathizers of the movement. The address of constitution house is No. 14 Neshat Ave.

Later this house became a historical museum about the constitution period in Iran. It is called a constitution because it belonged to Haj Aqa Nourollah. It exhibits historical documents, and photographs from the period.

Safa Khaneh was built by Haj Aqa Nouroollah and his older brother. Muslims and Christians came here to talk about their religions with each other. It was one of the first interfaith centers in the world. Later a magazine published based on these dialogues was released in Iran, India and London. Later it became an Islamic hospital delivering care without charge. It then became a qeraat khane, (place for reading) where the staff read newspaper aloud for visitors. About 100 years ago it became an Islamic companythat produced clothing.

One of the most interesting parts of the house is the basement. It displays 100 of Isfahan’s newspapers from various era.

Sarban minaret is a historical minaret in Isfahan, Iran. It dates back to the Seljuqera. The Sarban minaret is located in the north of Jouybareh district, not far from Chehel Dokhtaran minaret. It seems that there was a mosque beside this minaret in the past, but it does not exist any more. The minaret consists of seven different parts. The first part has brick bolster work. The second and third parts have masterly decorative brickwork. The fourth part is its first crown, which has brick muqarnas with turquoise tiles. The fifth part has decorative bricks. the sixth part is the second crown and the seventh part is the vertex of the minaret. The minaret is 54 m high and is the highest historical minaret in the Isfahan province.

The Ali Gholi Agha hammam is a historical hammamin the Bidabad district of Isfahan, Iran. The hammam was built in 1713 by Ali Gholi Agha, who was a courtier of two Safavid kings Suleiman I and Sultan Husayn. Its architectural style is Isfahani and it was built in the late Safavid era. The structure consists of one large hammam and a small hammam and also a Howz. Each of these hammams consists of a dressing room and a Garmkhaneh (hothouse), so that they could be used in that time separately by men and women. At present, the structure is a museum and can be visited by tourists.

Ali Gholi Agha and his brother Khosro Agha, who built Khosro Agha hammam, were two well-known benefactors in that time.

The Allahverdi Khan Bridge is the largest of the eleven historical bridges on the Zayanderud, the largest river of the Iranian Plateau, in Isfahan, Iran.

The bridge was built in the early 17th century to serve as both a bridge and a dam. It is a popular recreational gathering place, and is one of the most famous examples of Iran’s Safavid architecture.

Si-o-se-pol was built between 1599 and 1602,under the reign of Abbas I, the fifth Safavid king (shah) of Iran. It was constructed under the supervision of Allahverdi Khan Undiladze, the commander-in-chief of the armies, who was of Georgian origin, and was also named after him.

The bridge served particularly as a connection between the mansions of the elite, as well as a link to the city’s vital Armenian neighborhood of New Julfa.

The bridge has a total length of 297.76 metres (976.9 ft) and a total width of 14.75 metres (48.4 ft). It is a vaulted arch bridge consisting of two superimposed rows of 33 arches, from whence its popular name of Si-o-se-pol comes, and is made of stone. The longest span is about 5.60 metres (18.4 ft). The interior of Si-o-se-pol had originally been decorated with paintings, which were often described by travelers to have been erotic.

There is a larger base plank at the start of the bridge, under which the Zayanderud flows, supporting a tea house, which is nowadays abandoned.

Chehel Sotoun is a pavilion in the middle of a park at the far end of a long pool, in Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas II to be used for his entertainment and receptions. In this palace, Shah Abbas II and his successors would receive dignitaries and ambassadors, either on the terrace or in one of the stately reception halls.

The name, meaning “Forty Columns” in Persian, was inspired by the twenty slender wooden columns supporting the entrance pavilion, which, when reflected in the waters of the fountain, are said to appear to be forty.

As with Ali Qapu, the palace contains many frescoes and paintings on ceramic. Many of the ceramic panels have been dispersed and are now in the possession of major museums in the west. They depict specific historical scenes such as the infamous Battle of Chaldiran against the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, the reception of an Uzbek King in 1646, when the palace had just been completed; the welcome extended to the Mughal Emperor, Humayunwho took refuge in Iran in 1544; the battle of Taher-Abad in 1510 where the Safavid Shah Ismail Ivanquished and killed the Uzbek King. A more recent painting depicts Nader Shah’s victory against the Indian Army at Karnal in 1739. There are also less historical, but even more aesthetic compositions in the traditional miniature style which celebrate the joy of life and love.

The Chehel Sotoun Palace is among the 9 Iranian Gardens which are collectively registered as one of the Iran’s 23 registered World Heritage Sites under the name of the Persian Garden.