Esfahan

Isfahan or Eşfahān (historically also rendered as Ispahan), located about 340 km south of Tehran, is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran (Persia)'s third largest city (after Tehran and Meshad). Its population in 2000 was 2,040,000.

Isfahan has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage city. It contains a wide variety of Islamic architectural sites ranging from the 11th century to the 19th.

The fame of Isfahan was such that the jazz musician Duke Ellington wrote a song with this name.

'Aali Ghapou Palace of Safavids	Chel Sotoun Palace, Meaning 40 Columns	Si-yo Se Pol, Meaning 33rd Bridge	Naqshe Jahan Square, Many years ago

The city is geographically located at 32°38′N 51°29′E, in the lush Zayandeh Rud plain, at the foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The city enjoys a temperate climate and regular seasons. No obstacle exists as far as 90 km north of Isfahan and cool northern winds blow from this direction. Isfahan is located on the main north-south and east-west routes crossing Iran. It is situated at 1590 meters above sea level. It receives an average of 355 mm of rain per year, making it similar to Denver, Colorado in terms of altitude and precipitation. The temperature ranges between 2 and 28 degrees Celsius. The record high temperature was 42 degrees Celsius and the record low was −19 degrees Celsius.

The southern and western approaches of Isfahan are mountainous and it is bordered northward and eastward by fertile plains. Thus, Isfahan's climate is varied and occasionally rainy, with a precipitation average varying between 100 and 150 mm.

Isfahan was once one of the largest cities in the world. It flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th century under the Safavid dynasty, when it was the capital of Persia. Even today, the city retains much of its past glory. It is famous for its Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the proverb Esfahān nesf-e jahān ast: "Esfahan is half of the world".

Of all Iranian cities, Isfahan is perhaps the most popular for tourists.