Isfahan is a city in central Iran, known for its Persian architecture. Once the truly dazzling capital of ancient Persia – Isfahan – was neglected, but current generation hopes to restore its lost brilliance. The decaying maze of narrow alleys in Isfahan betrays little of the old capital’s glory days back in the 17th century. When all the city’s mosaics were much more vibrant, Isfahan was larger than London, more cosmopolitan than Paris, and grander, by some accounts, than even storied iStanbul.

The main river crossed by elegant bridges, the world's largest square every year passed by thousands of people and hundreds of domes and minarets punctuated the skyline. People from Europe, Turkey, India and China poured into twinkling Persia, the center of tremendous empire stretching from the Euphrates River in what is today Iraq to the Oxus River in Afghanistan. Isfahan wealth in the 17th century inspired the rhyming proverb, “Isfahan nesf-e jahan” which translates to “Isfahan is half the world”.

In the period of prosperity around the world’s largest Naqsh-e Jahan Square quite a few grand buildings erected. First, probably most important was Imam (Shah) Mosque, whose dome and minarets are covered with mosaic tiles and calligraphy. While standing beneath the middle of the main dome you can hear your echo 17 times (You should only sing prayers standing on that little square though). On the other side of the square you can find Ali Qapu Palace, built for Shah Abbas and completed in the late 16th century. It has a music room and a verandah overlooking the square’s fountains. Right in front of the palace is Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque which is known for its intricate tiling. In Isfahan to visit the main square is a must but it is far not the only thing to do. There are tons of narrow streets, neighborhoods and colorful mosques. Not to mention the night life on or close to any of the elegant bridges that cross the main river.

Isfahan's history is an epic cycle of fabulous boom and calamitous bust. In early 18th century a brutal siege shattered that golden age and new rulers eventually moved the capital to Tehran, leaving Isfahan to languish as a provincial backwater, which not incidentally left many of the old city's monuments intact.

What once was a sleepy town nowadays has emerged as the country's third largest metropolis. Hosting more than three million people, surrounded by expanding suburbs, lots of factories and choking traffic. In Isfahan hope is a commodity which experience a sharp decline. The elegant urban landscape that survived invasions by Afghan tribesmen and Mongol raiders is now threatened by negligence and reckless urban development.