Description et Vue de la Place royale d’Ispahan, la Plus Magnifique de Tout l’Orient, des Superbes Edifices Dont Elle Est Ornee…

Early 18th century views of Iran’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square.

“Description and View of the Royal Square of Isfahan, the Most Magnificent in the Whole Orient, and the Superb Buildings with Which It Is Adorned…” – Approximate title translation.

Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square is a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by impressive examples of Safavid Persian architecture constructed between 1598 and 1629. This sheet presents the historic area in the late 17th/early 18th century, with the Royal Palace (Ali Qapu) and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque at opposite ends near the top. Views of the Shah Mosque and Qeysarie gate are in the lower corners, with the magnificent palace pavilion in the center.

The copperplate-engraved sheet was originally published in Paris as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720, but was reprinted until the late 1730s. The scholarly, but approachable, work was aimed at a broad audience, eager for new information during the Age of Enlightenment. The breadth of content offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science. The descriptive text (in French) and skillfully engraved maps, diagrams, and illustrations provide a fascinating window into the world of the early 18th century.