Ispahân, properly ISFAHÂN, a famous city of Persia, capital of the province of Irak-Ajemi, and formerly capital of the entire country, is situated on the Zenderud, in an extensive and fertile plain, 226 miles S. of Tehran. The river, here 600 feet broad, is crossed by three noble bridges, one of them 1000 feet in length, with 34 arches, but now sadly in decay. Groves, orchards, avenues, and cultivated fields surround the city for miles; but the permanent beauty of the vicinity only serves to make the contrast all the more striking between the former splendour of the city and its present ruinous condition. Miles of street are now almost tenantless, and many of the palaces are deserted and rapidly falling to decay. The suburb Julfa, on the southern bank of the river, once a flourishing Armenian settlement of 30,000 inhabitants, is now little better than a mass of ruins, since most of the Armenians have migrated to India. Ispahân, however, is still an important city and the seat of extensive manufactures, including all sorts of woven fabrics, from rich gold brocades and figured velvets to common calicoes. Trinkets and ornamental goods in great variety, with firearms, sword-blades, glass, and earthenware, are also manufactured. Of late years, too, Ispahân has shown considerable signs of improvement; many of its edifices have been rebuilt; rice, an important article of commerce, is now largely cultivated in the neighbourhood. Pop. estimated at 60,000.
Ispahân was a trading town of importance, and the capital of Irak, under the califs of Bagdad. It was taken by Timûr in 1387, when 70,000 of the inhabitants are said to have been massacred. During the 17th century, under Shah-Abbas the Great, it became the capital of Persia, and reached the climax of its prosperity. Its walls were then 24 miles in circuit, and it is said to have had between 600,000 and 1,000,000 inhabitants. It was then the emporium of the Asiatic world; the merchandise of all nations enriched its bazaars, and ambassadors from Europe and the East crowded its court. In 1722 it was devastated by the Afghans, and some time afterwards the seat of government was transferred to Tehran (q.v.). The importance of the place is likely to rise through the opening of the Karun River, since the main road leading from Mohammera to the interior of Persia will pass Ispahân. Ispahân is besides the religious centre of Persia, as the Imâm Djumaa (high-priest) residing here is looked upon as the greatest ecclesiastical dignitary of the Shiite world.