Isfahan

Isfahan or Sepahan ( Esfahān), historically rendered in English as Ispahan or Hispahan, is a city located about 340 km south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city (after Tehran and Mashhad). Isfahan ceety haed a population o 1,583,609 an the Isfahan metropolitan aurie haed a population o 3,430,353 in the 2006 Census, the seicont maist populous metropolitan aurie in Iran efter Tehran.2006 Census Results and Mashhad(Statistical Center of Iran, Excel file, in Persian.)

The ceeties o Najafabad, Si-deh (Homayounshahr (renamed Khomeinishahr syne 1981), Khan Isfahan, Shahin-shahr, Zarrinshahr, Mobarakeh, Falavarjan an Fouladshahr aw constitute the metropolitan ceety o Isfahan.

Isfahan is locatit on the main north-sooth an east-wast routes crossin Iran, an wis ance ane o the lairgest ceeties in the warld. It flourished frae 1050 tae 1722, parteecularly in the 16t century unner the Safavid dynasty, when it became the caipital o Persie for the seicont time in its history. Even the day, the ceety retains muckle o its past glory. It is famous for its Islamic architecture, wi mony bonnie boulevards, covered brigs, pailaces, mosques, an minarets. This led tae the Persian proverb "'Esfahān nesf-e jahān ast" (Isfahan is hauf o the warld)."Isfahan Is Half The World" , Saudi Aramco World, Volume 13, Nr. 1, January 1962

The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is ane o the biggest ceety squares in the warld an an ootstaundin ensaumple o Iranian an Islamic architecture. It haes been designatit bi UNESCO as a Warld Heritage Site.  The ceety an aa haes a wide variety o historic monuments.

 Twin towns — Sister cities 

Isfahan is twinned wi:

 Istanbul, Turkey
 Kuwait Ceety, Kuwait
 Beirut, Lebanon 
 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysie
 Cairo, Egyp
 Barcelona, Spain 
 Florence, Italy
 Venice, Italy
 Freiburg, Germany
 Havana, Cuba
 Yerevan, Armenie
 Iaşi, Romanie
 Lahore, Pakistan
 Saunt Petersburg, Roushie
 Xi'an, Fowkrepublic o Cheenae

 References 

Category:Ceeties in Iran
Category:Populatit places in Isfahan Province
Category:Iranian provincial caipitals

Category:Umwhile caipitals o Iran
Category:Umwhile naitional caipitals
Category:Metropolitan auries o Iran