Ali Kapu Palace in Isfahan, Iran, continues to host its guests and tell its history without losing any of its magnificence in Naqsh-i Jahan Square, even though hundreds of years have passed since its construction.
Ali Kapu Palace in Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid state, is located in the western part of Naqsh-i Jahan Square, one of the most lively centers of the city. The history of the palace, which is part of the square that is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List with the historical buildings around it, dates back to the Timurid period. The palace, which was rebuilt as a two-storey building during the reign of Safavid ruler Shah Abbas I, was expanded with new floors and balconies during the reign of Shah Abbas II.Although the historical building, which was used as the government palace of the period, has 6 floors, it looks like 4 floors when viewed from the front and 5 floors when viewed from the back. This unique architectural structure, which cannot be understood as having 6 floors until you enter, still bears the traces of the periods when it was built and restored. The entrance floor of the palace, which welcomes its visitors with a long arched corridor, is one of the places of interest for visitors. What is said in a whisper in one corner of this section, which has an acoustic feature, can be easily heard in the opposite corner. Visitors do not prefer to go to the upper floors without experiencing this. The unique patterns engraved on the dome just above this section are called the Shah Abbas Pattern. The patterns around the sun design in the middle begin to shrink towards the center. This circular reduction adds more depth to the dome.It requires some patience and effort to climb to the upper floors of the 48-meter high building, where different decorations are used from floor to ceiling. The spiral staircases of the building, which was also used as the official residence of the Safavid rulers, resemble the stairs of a mosque minaret, making it difficult to go to the upper floors. The fact that the stairs are so narrow brings to mind the security of this palace in the market without a castle wall. Describing the Ali Kapu Palace, tourism expert Muhammed Cafer Şahsevendi pointed out that the stairs may have been made narrow in order to make it difficult to enter in case of any attack and to ensure security more easily.There are reception and waiting rooms on the first and second floors of the palace. Each hall has its own unique architectural lines, portraits and decorations painted on the walls. The third floor of the historical building opens to a terrace with 18 wooden columns, 12 meters high. Although the ceiling of the terrace was originally wooden, it was replaced with different materials due to time and water, giving it the appearance of wood. Columns made of plane tree have also had their share of time and undergone changes. Tourism expert Shahsevendi stated that the wooden columns, which had become fragile, were replaced with steel columns after Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the Iranian revolution in 1979, and the woods were split in half lengthwise, their insides were emptied and they were put on the steel columns.The pool in the middle of this terrace, which resembles the Chehel Sutun Palace in Isfahan, is made of copper and lead. Şahsevendi stated that water was filled with pumps in the tank built between the third and fourth floors, and that this water was used both in the pool on the terrace and in the sinks in the palace. Şahsevendi stated that the water flowing from the pool was used to water the trees in Naqsh-i Jahan Square.This terrace floor, built during the reign of Safavid ruler Shah Abbas II, was also used for the Shah family to watch the events and polo matches in the square. The engravings and paintings on the walls of the terrace floor immediately attract attention. Some of these murals depicting women, men or people from other communities have been destroyed. Among these paintings, which also show the clothing style of the period, there is also a painting of a woman in underwear. It is clear that this painting was destroyed by human intervention rather than by the end of the life of the material from which it was made.The fourth and fifth floors of the building are used as residences, and there is a music hall on the sixth floor. The acoustic structure of the hall, as well as its aesthetic appearance, attracts attention from visitors. Shahsevendi shared the information that this area, which cannot be entered most of the time, was built for Shah Abbas to host his guests and gave concerts here.Tiles, mirrors, paintings, plaster works, wood carvings, reliefs and bricks were used in the decoration of Ali Kapu Palace.It is possible to see plaster work, works of Safavid period artists and Qajar period lines on every floor of the palace. It is almost impossible to see an unengraved wall of the historical building.
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This is a photo of the Ali Kapu Palace in Isfahan, Iran. The palace continues to host guests and tell its history without losing any of its magnificence in Naqsh-i Jahan Square, even though hundreds of years have passed since its construction. The palace is an important historical building in Iran and is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. It has unique architectural features and is known for its intricate decorations, such as tiles, mirrors, paintings, plaster works, wood carvings, reliefs, and bricks. The article also describes the different floors and rooms within the palace and the history and significance of each. Overall, the Ali Kapu Palace is a beautiful and well-preserved historical site in Isfahan.
