Chehel Sotoun

Chehel Sotoun (, ) is a Persian pavilion in the middle of a park at the far end of a long pool, in Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas II to be used for his entertainment and receptions. In this palace, Shah Abbas II and his successors would receive dignitaries and ambassadors, either on the terrace or in one of the stately reception halls.

The name, meaning "Forty Columns" in Persian, was inspired by the twenty slender wooden columns supporting the entrance pavilion, which, when reflected in the waters of the fountain, is said to appear to be forty.

As with the Ali Qapu, the palace contains many frescoes and paintings on ceramic. Many of the ceramic panels have been dispersed and are now in the possession of major museums in the West. They depict specific historical scenes such as the infamous Battle of Chaldiran against the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, the reception of an Uzbek king in 1646, when the palace had just been completed, the welcoming of the Mughal Emperor Humayun who took refuge in Iran in 1544, and the Battle of Marv in 1510 where the Safavid Shah Ismail I vanquished and killed the Uzbek king. A more recent painting depicts Nader Shah's victory against the Indian Army at Karnal in 1739. There are also less historical, but more aesthetic compositions in the traditional miniature style, themed around life, love, and joy.

The Chehel Sotoun Palace is among the 9 Iranian gardens which are collectively registered as one of Iran's 23 registered World Heritage Sites under the name of the Persian Gardens."Otraq.com, Iran's Tourism Guide"

Architecture

In the pavilion, the combined designs of the walls and ceiling of the hall, which are placed in ''Lachak Toranj'' (corner and medallion), and the main lines of the building divisions, which are a combination of painting, tiling and other various decorations, make the building one of the best examples of Persian architecture during the Safavid era. At present, the mansion operates as a museum; and its central hall displays some works of art from different periods of Iran.

File:Ceiling of Chehel Sotoun.jpg, Muqarnas of Chehel Sotoun, featuring Ayeneh-kari
File:Chehel Sotoun photo3.jpg, Shah Tahmasp I
File:Chehel Sotoun 2.JPG, Day view of the palace
File:Chehel Sotoun 01.jpg, Rear view of the palace
File:Chehelsotun2.JPG, Closer view of the palace
File:Chehel Sotoun 03.jpg, A sculpture in the garden
File:Iran Isfahan Chehel Sotoon Palace 12.jpg, Golden muqarnas vaulting
File:Chehel Sotoun Inside, Isfahan Edit1.jpg, Inside the museum
File:Chehelsotun4.JPG, The Qur'an in kufic script
File:Fresco chehel sotoun 27.jpg, Fresco inside the palace
File:Garden and pavilion Chehel Sotoun,facade by Pascal Coste.jpg, 1840, by Pascal Coste
File:Art detail, Painting in Chehel Sotoun (cropped).jpg, Fresco inside the palace
File:Battle of Chaldiran (1514).jpg, Artwork of the Battle of Chaldiran
File:Chehel Sotoun ceiling.jpg, Ceiling of Chehel Sotoun's mirror hall that contains Āina-kāri art
File:Painting in Chehel Sotoun2.jpg, Paintings

Notes

Bibliography

* M. Ferrante: 'Čihil Sutūn: Etudes, relevés, restauration', Travaux de restauration de monuments historiques en Iran, ed. G. Zander (Rome, 1968), pp. 293–322
* E. Grube: 'Wall Paintings in the Seventeenth Century Monuments of Isfahan', Studies on Isfahan, ed. R. Holod, 2 vols, Iran. Stud., vii (1974), pp. 511–42
* S. Babaie: 'Shah Abbas II, the Conquest of Qandahar, the Chihil Sutun, and its Wall Paintings', Muqarnas, xi (1994), pp. 125–42

External links

*

More Pictures, Tishineh

"About Chehel Sotoun" Irpersiatour

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Palaces in Iran
Persian gardens in Iran
Buildings and structures in Isfahan
Safavid architecture
Buildings and structures completed in 1646
Persian words and phrases
Tourist attractions in Isfahan
World Heritage Sites in Iran
Safavid court
Buildings and structures on the Iran National Heritage List