Visit Alighapoo Palace during Your Visit to Isfahan – room – EzineMark

Alighapoo Palace is a prominent building in the Nagsh-i Jahan (image of the world) Square in Isfahan. Located to the west of the square, it is directly opposite Sheikh Lotfollah mosque. Like many other beautiful monuments, this too was built during the Safavid era and was used to host receptions for the envoys of foreign countries.

There are six floors in the palace with a number of rooms, all being embellished with artistic paintings and plasterwork. A spiral staircase weaves its way from the bottom to the top, which makes it possible to have access to the upper floors.

The Music Room

This palace should figure prominently in your visit to Isfahan simply because of its innovative music room. Situated on the sixth floor, there are deep curvy niches cut on the walls in form of shelves which account for the pleasing sound effects in the room. This room is also tastefully decorated, but the acoustic quality of the room is its main attraction.

Most of the banquets and receptions were hosted in this unique room which has stucco decoration with many motifs of decanters and jars. There were many performances of music and songs in this room.

Hosting Receptions

The Alighapou Palace is known for its high gate, which is also called the Sublime Gate. It served as the doorway to the Safavid royal structures which stretched across the Square. It was built under the orders of Shah Abbas the Great in the first part of the seventeenth century.

All the entertainment activities were carried on here. Nowruz or Iranian New Year’s celebrations also began from here in 1597 AD. The building itself is 48 meters high having a wide terrace. Wooden columns support the structure, which have gone through some reinforcement by steel bars.

Beautiful Decoration

Among many monuments which you will see during your visit to Isfahan, the interior architecture of this palace has its own place with wall paintings by Reza Abbassi, who was contemporary to Shah Abbas I. The decoration consists of all kind of motifs including animals, flowers and birds. The building has been ravaged during invasions by other kings but a lot of restoration work has been done by Shah Sultan Hussein of the Safavid dynasty. The palace mainly served as an excellent place for viewing polo and horse racing which was carried out in the Square’s open space.