Beautiful Isfahan - again

The Ali Qapu Palace on Naqsh-e Jahan Square has a fascinating music room.  Covering the walls and ceilings are numerous cavities shaped in the form of musical instruments.  They are there to reduce echoes, presumably.  I couldn’t try out the sound effects.  But it made for a beautiful sight. 

The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on Naqsh-e Jahan Square has a very intricate dome.  When the lighting is just right, a peacock would appear, with the eyes of its feathers covering the dome.  

Around the square are numerous carpet shops.  Some of them have intricate two-sided patterns. 

Hand-printed table cloths are pretty.  The stamps themselves are relatively small.  A multicoloured, large table cloth requires more than 1,000 stampings.  Considering how much manual labour go into these tableclothes, they are really not too expensive.  

The Chehel Sotoun (40 columns) palace is a classical Persian Garden.  The pavilion at the end of the water channel actually has 20 wooden columns.  The other 20 refers to their reflection.  The pavilion, the water channel, the surrounding trees, provides a peaceful refuge - a “paradise”.  

The pigeon towers in Isfahan are built to attract and house pigeons.   Their droppings provide rich fertiliser for melons.  Most of the towers are deserted now.  Those that remain become curiosities, providing intricate patterns.  

No wonder so many people want to come to Isfahan.