Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Naqsh-e Jahan Square is a rectangular royal square in the centre of Isfahan, Iran. It measures about 160 metres wide by 560 metres long, an area of roughly 89,600 square metres, which makes it one of the largest public squares in the world. The name means "Image of the World". It is also called Imam Square (Meidan-e Imam) and was formerly known as Shah Square.

The square was built between 1598 and 1629, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty, when Isfahan was the capital of Persia. It was designed as the centre of the new royal city: a single space combining government, worship, commerce and public ceremony. UNESCO inscribed the square on the World Heritage List in 1979, under the name "Meidan Emam, Esfahan" (reference 115), under cultural criteria (i), (v) and (vi).

The four monuments

Four Safavid buildings face onto the square, one on each side.

• Shah Mosque (Imam Mosque), south side. The principal congregational mosque, completed in the 1620s and considered a high point of Persian Islamic architecture. Its entrance portal faces the square, but the mosque itself is rotated about 45 degrees to align the prayer hall with Mecca. The main dome is covered in blue tilework, and the space beneath it is known for its acoustics.
• Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, east side. A smaller mosque built between 1603 and 1619 as a private place of worship for the royal household. It has no minarets and no courtyard. Its dome shifts in colour from cream to pink through the day, and the interior tilework is among the finest in the country.
• Ali Qapu Palace, west side. A six-storey Safavid palace and gatehouse that served as the royal residence and a grandstand for events held on the square. Its upper terrace overlooks the square, and an upper room, the "music room", has carved plaster acoustic niches.
• Qeysarieh Gate, north side. The monumental gateway that opens into the Isfahan Grand Bazaar, a covered market that runs for several kilometres north toward the old Friday Mosque (Masjed-e Jameh).

The square was also used for public events, including polo, and stone goalposts from that period still stand at its northern and southern ends.

What to see and do

The square itself is open public space, with a long central pool and gardens, ringed by two storeys of arcaded shopfronts that were part of the original design. The shops sell carpets, miniature painting, metalwork and other Isfahan crafts. The square is busiest in the late afternoon and evening, when local families gather.

Allow time to enter each of the three ticketed monuments (the Shah Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and the Ali Qapu Palace) and to walk into the bazaar through the Qeysarieh Gate. Horse-drawn carriages circuit the square for a fee.

How to visit

Square: open at all hours; there is no charge to enter the square itself.

Monuments: the Shah Mosque, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and Ali Qapu Palace each have their own opening hours and a separate entry ticket. They are generally open daily from around 09:00, with a midday break, until late afternoon (roughly 16:00-18:00 depending on the monument and season). The Shah Mosque closes to visitors during prayer times and may close on religious mourning days. Hours shift between the warmer and cooler halves of the year, so confirm current times locally.

Tickets: a separate entry fee for foreign visitors applies at each ticketed monument, bought at the door. Fees in Iran are revised frequently because of inflation, so check the current rate on arrival rather than relying on older published figures. The square and the bazaar are free.

Time needed: half a day to see the square and one or two monuments; a full day to enter all three monuments and explore the bazaar.

Note for visitors: mosques require modest dress; women are asked to cover their hair, and headscarves are usually available to borrow at the entrance.

Getting there

The square is in central Isfahan and is walkable from much of the historic centre. Taxis and ride-hailing apps serve it directly; ask for Meidan-e Imam or Naqsh-e Jahan. The Isfahan metro's Imam Hossein station is a short walk to the north, near the bazaar end.

Nearby

The Grand Bazaar leads north from the square toward the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, itself a separate UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chehel Sotoun palace and garden lie a short walk to the west, and the historic bridges over the Zayandeh River, including Si-o-se-pol and Khaju, are to the south.