Chehel Sotoun palace

Chehel Sotoun palace is one of the most beautiful monuments of Safavid era in 1636 with 2120 sq m area. It has 3 entrance gates and a large traditional pool in front of the edifice. The flora consist of Persian Pine, Elm, Maple, Plane and Tree of Heaven.

The building is a composition of Persian, Chines and European architecture and has large terrace (38x17x14 m). This terrace consists of two parts: one with 18 long wooden pillars which four of them are on top of 4 lion statutes (in the past the water came out of their mouths) and the other one which is a little bit higher as the entrance arch with 2 pillars. The pillars are made of Pine and Plane wood. The palace pool, in addition to its beauty makes the weather cool. There are 4 stone statues that belong to other destroyed palaces (by Zell-e Soltan) and have been brought here.

The entrance hall of Chehel Sotoun palace is decorated with artistic mirror works and wooden geometrical frames. The main hall used for foreign gusts is full of paintings about historical events.

The arts in the main hall describe the party of King Abbass(I) and king Tahmaseb with Turk and Indian rulers, and also King Abbass(I)’s war with Uzbeks. Two more pictures in front of the entrance door are about “Chaldoran” war in king Ismail time and king Nader in Afsharid time. Most of these arts were concealed under plaster by command of “Zell-e Soltan” (the idiot savage governor of Isfahan in Qajar era) which were revived in Second Pahlavi time by many experts and art-masters.

Generally, the amazing art works of this palace has made it the toppest among the all Safavid architectures. Chehel Sotoun name signification is that there are 20 pillars on the main terrace and 20 reflections of them on the pool’s water as a result the total becomes 40 (chehel) pillar (sotoun).