Chehel sotoun Palace in Isfahan

Among all the palaces and mansions in Iran, Chehel sotoun Palace in Isfahan is the best example of Iranian art. Watching the porch of Chehel sotoun Palace and the reflection of its columns in the beautiful garden’s pool gives a pleasant feeling to any visitor.

In addition, visiting the green space of the garden and seeing the paintings and drawings and mirrors inside the palace will be pleasant for tourists.

There is also a museum in this garden, which will be interesting for tourists to see.

Chehel Sotoun Palace and its royal garden is one of the ancient sites of Isfahan. The construction of this attractive palace dates back to the Safavid era in 1588, but was completed in 1647. The decision to build this garden was made when Shah Abbas chose Isfahan as his capital. He decided to build a long street called (Chahar Bagh) and gardens in it. But today, except for Chehel Sotoun Garden and the Hasht Behesht Garden, none of these gardens remain.

Chehel Sotoun Palace Structure

Chehel Sotoun Palace is built on 67,000 square meters of land. The design of the palace is inspired by Chinese, Iranian and European architecture.

The palace consists of a main porch 38 meters long, 17 meters wide and 14 meters high, which is built facing east. The columns of this octagonal porch are made of sycamore and pine wood.

The main porch has twenty columns. These twenty columns are reflected in the large palace pool and a total of forty columns are visible.

 The pool in front of the mansion is 110 meters long and 16 meters wide. The jump of water in the pool between the hall and the four lions that are located in the four corners of the pool have created a special atmosphere in this palace. In Iranian architecture, building a pool in front of a mansion for the purpose of beautification was considered one of the styles.

The porch of Chehel Sotoun Palace consists of two parts; The first part is based on 18 tall wooden pillars. The four pillars in the middle are on four stone lions. In the past, water flowed from the mouths of these four taps. This water poured into the marble pool of the hall.

The second part, which is a little higher, forms the entrance of the hall. This part is called the Hall of Mirrors. This part is located on two columns and is mirrored all over.

Chehel Sotoun Palace Paintings

 The painting of the central hall of the palace was dedicated to foreign guests and personalities from other countries. This hall contains paintings that express the historical events of different periods.

Some of the paintings in the central hall were painted in the Qajar era. These paintings depict the hospitality of Shah Abbas I and II and Shah Tahmasb of the rulers of Turkestan and Homayoun Hindi. These paintings also depict the war of Shah Ismail I with the Uzbeks. The other two paintings show the Chaldoran War during the reign of Shah Ismail I and the Cornell War during the reign of Nader Shah Afshar. On either side of the central hall of Chehel Sotoun Palace are paintings of ambassadors and Europeans by two Dutch painters, Angel and Lucar.

Ashraf Hall is one of the most important parts of Chehel Sotoun mansion

Ashraf Hall or the main hall, with beautiful paintings of the Safavid period is very spectacular and amazing. There are inlaid windows in Ashraf Hall. These windows are in front of the pool in front of the building and the garden space. These windows are installed to allow light to enter the hall.

In addition to beautiful wall paintings, three domes are decorated with gold ornaments and amazing paintings.

Unfortunately, Chehel Sotoun Palace caught fire during the reign of Sultan Hussein Safavid, but was rebuilt. During the Qajar period, this amazing palace suffered serious damage, but after many years, it is still a magnificent monument in Isfahan.

Chehel Sotoun Palace Museum

In Chehel Sotoun, a hall is dedicated to the museum. This museum is a place for keeping historical objects of Safavid and Qajar periods.

Among the objects kept in this museum, the following can be mentioned: types of pottery and glass from the third to the eleventh centuries AH, white and blue porcelain ordered by Shah Abbas, old manuscripts, rugs with an altar design related to the 11th century AH And inlaid wooden doors belonging to the Safavid era

In terms of antiquity, this museum is the second oldest museum in Iran after Golestan Palace.

Best time to visit Chehel Sotoun Palace

Spring is the best time to visit Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan; Because in addition to pleasant weather, the garden around it also has a special beauty. If you are planning to take a photo, morning is the best time. Also at night, Chehel Sotoun has its own beauty with lighting. Seeing Chehel Sotoun is spectacular both at night and during the day.

One of the best places that shows the art of Iranian architecture well is Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan. Isfahan Chehel Sotoun Palace attracts the attention of every visitor.

So do not forget to visit Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan during your travels.