Isfahan
If we regard the capital Tehran as the head of Iran, then the centrally positioned Isfahan can be seen as the heart of the country. The 5,000 year old history of the town of Aspadana, chosen by several early ruling dynasties as the center of their empire, would fill many volumes. Parthians, Seljuks, Mongols and Safavids fought here, established their courts, and left behind them evidence of their power and their culture. Mosques, palaces and squares, gates and towers, secular and religious monuments are cultural heirlooms. Every antique tile which covers the minarets and mosque domes is a delight to the collector and so are the countless mosaics. The artifacts in precious metals and textiles, enamelware and paintings all point to the magnificence of this city at the foot of the Zagros mountains, which established cultural standards valid in the East and in the West. In the heyday of the city under Shah Abbas the Great, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Isfahan was a 'paradise of art and beauty'.
Sizes: rug sizes predominate, although the urban workshops make all sizes up to large room size carpets, occasionally up to 15 sq. m (165 sq. ft.).
Colours: the overall colour effect of the new Isfahan is pale, e.g. beige or light blue. However, sometimes as many as fifteen colours are used for contrast and outlines, including several different red shades.
