Address
Naghsh-e Jahan
Isfahan
Telephone: +98(311)6635231
Fax: +98(311)6627966
Description
Ali Qapu is Azeri Turkish for 'Sublime Gate'. The palace sits on the Imam Square (Naghsh-e Jahan ) at the heart of Isfahan city and is located directl
[more]Ali Qapu is Azeri Turkish for 'Sublime Gate'. The palace sits on the Imam Square (Naghsh-e Jahan ) at the heart of Isfahan city and is located directly opposite the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque.
It was built for Shah Abbas at the end of the 16th / start of the 17th Century for use as a ceremonial palace for entertaining guests. It is six stories high (48m) with a large balcony from which the Shah and his guests would have watched Polo matches being played in the square. The upper floors were designed to be acoustically ideal for musicians and this area was used by the Shah for 'private' meetings and wooing ladies. The balcony is supported by tall, elegant pillars and the walls are decorated with frescoes of dancing ladies.
Entrance fee is 20 000 rials (approx 1.68 Euro). This site is not recommended for anyone who will have trouble dealing with a lot of narrow and high stairs.
Ali Qapu Palace is one of the constituent parts of the Imam Square which is covered by the UNESCO World Heritage inscription for Maiden Emam
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Surroundings
Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque
(0.1 miles)
Imam Mosque
(0.2 miles)
The Palace of 40 Pillars
(0.3 miles)
Si-o-seh Bridge
(1 miles)
