\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx4896\tx5616\tx6336\tx7056\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs24 Isfahan possesses some of the most
significant monuments of all ages and is one of the most beautiful cities in the Islamic world. Its royal residences, gardens, vast squares, \b \cf2 \ATXht10201 bazaars\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , and sumptuous mosques fascinated travelers to the East, who have le
ft us memorable accounts of the city's beauty. It was at Isfahan, in the sixth century, that the Safavid culture found expression in the arts, in architecture, and in generous and sweeping urban planning. On the immense \b \cf2 \ATXht10104 Al\cf0 \ATXht0 -\b0 Maydan square, where princes used to play polo, stand the \b \cf2 \ATXht11311 mosques\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 of Lotfollah and the \b \cf2 \ATXht10903 Imam\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , faced with glazed tiles, a multitude of bowl-shaped vaults and stalactites glitteri
ng with turquoise, sky blue, and gold. The pool of water in the central court reflects the image of the \b \i \cf2 \ATXht10905 ivan\b0 \i0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , a group of large prayer halls roofed with domes that constitutes the characteristic architectural fe
