In the first episode of Inside Iran, we got to explore the
capital of the country and its numerous sites. In this
episode, our trip through Iran continues in the traditional
town of Isfahan with its impressive attractions and delicious cuisine.
We are now leaving Tehran and we are going to Isfahan
with one of these VIP buses. Just $10 for VIP bus, where
you get this leg room.
[David] Salam from Isfahan, or Esfahan as the locals say.
[Steve] In this episode, we're going to show you around
one of the most traditional cities of Iran. Let's go.
So, of course, one of the major tourist attractions here in
Isfahan is the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, which is the second
largest square in the world with about 560 meters of
length. And also, it's the location where you can find
most of the attractions in Isfahan.
In 1598, when Shah Abbas of the Safavid dynasty decided to move the
capital of his empire from the northwestern city of Qazvin to
the central city of Isfahan, he initiated what would
become one of the greatest programs in Persian history,
the complete remaking of the city. The ingenuity of the
square was that, by building it, Shah Abbas would gather the three
main components of power in Persia in his own backyard:
the power of the clergy, represented by the Shah Mosque,
the power of the merchants, represented by the Imperial
Bazaar, and of course, the power of the Shah himself,
residing in the Ali Qapu Palace.
It's pretty cool.
The Shah Mosque, also known as Imam Mosque after the
Iranian Revolution, is located at the south side of the
Naqsh-e Jahan Square and is considered as one of the
everlasting masterpieces of architecture in Iran. Along
with the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, the mosque is part of the
Unesco world heritage.
Next spot, also on the square, is the Sheikh Lotfollah
Mosque, which is famous for its tiles inside. The purpose
of the Lotfollah mosque was for it to be a private mosque
of the royal court, unlike the Shah mosque, which was
meant for the public. For this reason, the mosque does not
have any minaretes and is of a smaller size. Centuries later, the
doors were opened to the public who could admire the
exquisite tile work inside.
Every now and then, you should also try the street food.
So, we got samboose and falafel. So, it's filled with
vegetables, potato, and meat.
Fried stuff is always good stuff.
So, our little food tour continues with-
[David] Saffran-
[Steve] -ice cream.
David got his ice cream. Look at his happy face. And we
got faloodeh. It's basically like spaghetti ice cream. Let's try faloodeh.
Mmm, it's interesting. Tastes like lemon and not too bad.
Another thing Isfahan is really famous for, or popular for,
is that it is such a green city. You have a lot of these green
alleys going through the city, you have a promenade
along the river, so it's really enjoyable to walk around and
everything is in walking distance for tourists. So, great to explore!
One of the things you should definitely check out while in
Isfahan is the Abbasi Hotel, which is a 300 year old
beautiful hotel, a little bit like 1,001 nights. Even if you
don't stay here, you should check out the beautiful
garden, and you can drink a tea at the traditional tea house
or the coffee shop.
Time for another Persian restaurant and a new dish. We
just found out a new dish- just looked on the internet for a
new dish. So, apparently that's the place.
Okay, we tried their local dish, as happens when you
travel, and we took fesenjan. The typical rice, the sauce is
sweet, there are walnuts in there, and it comes with
chicken and rice. Really delicious. Really delicious.
We booked a room in the Saba Hotel. And actually, we
booked a double room, but we somehow have 4 beds.
And, look at the terrace. You can have a party here. All of that for just-
[David] $40.
[Steve] With breakfast. Not too bad. Another must do
when you are in Isfahan is the Chehel Sotoun Palace
which was the reception hall of Shah Abbas II and is also part
of the Unseco world heritage sites.
The name, Chehel Sotoun, meaning 40 columns in
Persian, was inspired by the 20 slender wooden columns
supporting the entrance pavilion, which when reflected in
the waters of the fountain, are said to appear to be 40.
Our friend Shayan brought us to the old streets of Esfahan.
And, they're not that high, and the reason for this is to
protect the city of being captured by the enemies on
horses, because they couldn't get through. Pretty clever.
Enemy.
Also in Esfahan, you should go to the bazaar, because it's
one of the oldest and most traditional ones here in Iran.
So, let's dive into the bazaar.
The Bazaar of Isfahan is one of the oldest and largest
bazaars of the middle east. Athough, the present structure
dates back to the Safavid era. Parts of it are more than 1,000
years old, dating back to the Seljuq dynasty.
Finally, we got to smoke some shisha right in the bazaar of Isfahan.
So, we're now having Beryani, which is a traditional dish
here from Isfahan. It's made out of the lung of the sheep.
It has meat in it and it's in a bread, and you put basil on it.
How does it taste?
[David] The mixture of the basil and the onions inside, it's nice.
[Steve] It makes for good taste.
Isfahan has so many bridges. This is the Si-o-seh bridge.
Just walk along the promenade and take some pictures at
night from this beautiful lit up bridges. Over there is
another very colorful one.
After the bridges, you should continue your night
photography tour at the Nagsh-e Jahan Square, as it is
mostly empty at nighttime.
So far, Isfahan- we see each other in the next episode
from Shiraz. If you like this video, don't forget to share
with your friends, comment below, and share your tips for
the city, and don't forget to subscribe to this channel for
new travel videos every Thursday.
