Isfahan (Persian: اصفهان) is a city in Iran. The metropolitan area is one of the major centres of industry and education in Iran.
The city was the capital of the Persian Empire under the Safavid dynasty between the 16th and 18th centuries. The city is well irrigated and its greenery offers a particular contrast with the desert expanses that surround it. The work undertaken under Shah Abbas to make Isfahan a showcase for highly refined Sefavid architecture and art, as well as the many Islamic monuments built between the 11th and 19th centuries, have turned the city into one of the gems of the Middle East.
Source: Costumes historiques de ville ou de théatre et travestissements. Author: Achille Devéria and José Domínguez Bécquer. Publisher Paris: Goupil et Vibert 1831. Publisher London: Charles Tilt 1839. Printed by: Lemercier & Cie.
