Isfahan

Architecture detail of the ceiling of the Chehel Sotoun, Isfahan, Iran. Chehel Sotoun is a pavilion in the middle of a persian garden at the far end of a long pool, built by Shah Abbas and used for his entertainment and receptions. The name mean forty columns and was inspired by the twenty wooden columns supporting the entrance pavilion, when reflected in the water are said to apper to be forty.

Shah (Emam) mosque

Shah Mosque –or Imam mosque- is located on the southern side of Naghsh-e- Jahan Square in Isfahan. This mosque belongs to Safavi era and was built under the order of Shah Abbas the First. This building has an enormous dome with a height of nearly 57 meters (170 ft.) as well as tall minarets. Additionally, an exemplary tiling with a unique symmetrical design under the dome and on most of the inner walls mesmerizes the visitors. . The ceiling of this place is none like any other. It is one of the most exquisite works of architecture, which one might find hard to look away. I stood in the middle of this structure so I could capture its perfect symmetry with prominence. Using a wide lens, I was able to capture the ceiling in its entirety.

Weaver Weaving Silk on a Handloom in Yazd

31 May 2006, Yazd, Iran --- Weaver Weaving Silk on a Handloom in Yazd --- Image by © Kazuyoshi Nomachi/Corbis