Chehel Sotoun Palace

The ancient Chehel Sotoun Palace was built by Shah Abbas II for welcoming high-ranking guests, including Iranian ruler and foreign delegations. The name "Chehel Sotoun" means "Forty Columns" in Persian. In front of the palace entrance, there is a magnificent terrace with breathtaking views of the fountain and the garden with 20 slender and graceful cypress trees. The reflection of these trees in the water of the pool located in the middle of the well-tended garden creates the illusion of 40 columns. At each corner of the central fountain, there are statues of four stone lions, which guard the entrance to the palace.

Unique Frescoes of Chehel Sotoun

Chehel Sotoun covers an area of 67,000 square metres. The design of the palace incorporates various elements of Chinese, Iranian, and European architecture. The doors and windows are decorated with bas-reliefs and various intricate patterns. The walls of the central hall are decorated with paintings and frescoes, each depicting important events from different eras of Iran's history, such as the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514 between the Persians and the Turks, and the meeting between Persian Shah and the ruler of Uzbekistan.

The inscription on the structure indicates that the decorations and frescoes were created in 1647.

All these elements reflect the unsurpassed craftsmanship of Iranian artists and architects of that era.

Today, the building serves as a museum. It is open to the public and can be found near Naqsh-e Jahan Square.