Esfahan was the place I yearned for for years. I have been there once previously when I was in middle school. Probably when I was 14 and all I remembered from that trip was my feeling of amazement of all the beauty I saw. As they say "Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast" (Isfahan is half of the world). This time when I went, I appreciated all the beauty and the Islamic Persian Architecture and patterns even more. Although, I found the city to be the most touristy. It was heaving with tourists like buses full of them: Europeans, Asians, Arabs and everyone.

On the way to Esfahan, we stopped by Jamea Mosque of Naein. One of the oldest mosques in Iran dating back to the 9th century. The Islamic geometric patterns there were one of the first developed ones. 

Jameh (Friday) Mosque of Esfahan

This mosque was built during the Seljuk period when Esfahan became the capital. Various parts of the mosque have different dates. Some report that the original parts of the mosque dates to 1051. Most used areas date to the 14th century. Details could be found on Archnet.  The wide range of patterns in this mosque makes it very unique. 

Shaykh Lutfallah Mosque 

During the Safavid dynasty, the town centre was moved from the above location of the Jamea mosque to current main square, where the breathtaking Shike LotfAllah's mosque is located. 

I was amazed from the first few steps I took and I lingered in the hallway to the main part for a while taking photos and videos but then I walked to the main court and I just stopped in AW. It was grand in scale and full of beauty. I had to sit down and take it all in. I wish time allowed because I thought each place I visited needed two visits. One for enjoying the beauty and another for taking pictures. 

Shah (Imam-i) Mosque

Shah Mosque was the second mosque we visited in the main square. It was even more grand. It was seriously biomorphic pattern heaven ( the organic floral soft patterns). It was slightly overwhelming in places. It dates back to 1630 and it's an architectural wonder. The entrance faces the Square, but the rest of it is rotated 45 degrees towards Mecca (the direction of prayer). More information about the architectural details here.

We visited few more beautiful spots. I couldn't fit it all into one post, so tune in for the coming posts! :)