Explore Chehel Sotoun Palace from home + Photos

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many people opt to self quarantine to stay safe so we offer some pictures from Chehel Sotoun Palace, a top tourist attraction in Iran’s Isfahan Province, which will allow you to visit the historical place from your home.

After Isfahan had been named as the capital of Iran during the Safavid period (1501– 1722), architecture flourished in the city and valuable structures were founded, including Chehel Sotoun (Forty Columns) Palace.

The construction of the palace began during the reign of Abbas I.

It was only a pavilion with 12-meter-high rooms in the heart of garden. Its design was inspired by Kolah Farangi (foreign hat), a kind of architecture where small, decorative and royal buildings which are usually circular-shaped, hexagonal or octagonal-shaped, are constructed in gardens.

That pavilion formed the initial core of the palace, which includes the middle hall of Chehel Sotoun Palace and quadrangular rooms.

The construction of the palace was completed by the start of the reign of Abbas II and major changes were made to the existing central building.

The changes include a mirror hall, a 20-column hall, two large rooms to the south and north of the mirror hall, two iwans (rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open) on both sides of the royal hall, and a big pool as well as paintings and interior wall decors using cut mirrors and tiles.

Due to the reflection of the 20 columns of the hall on the marble pool, which lies in front of the palace, it has been known as Chehel Sotoun (meaning forty columns in Persian) Palace.

The central hall of the palace, which served as a residential place for foreign guests and figures, include paintings which depict historical incidents.

The complex of Chehel Sotoun Palace was inscribed on Iran’s national heritage list about 90 years ago.

In 2011, it was also named as a UNESCO world heritage site.

SQ/MM