Esfahan or Isfahan (ancient Aspadana), city, central Iran, capital of Esfahan (Isfahan) Province, on the northern bank of the Zaindeh Rud. Farming is the chief occupation of the surrounding region in which cotton, grain, and tobacco are grown. The city is a major textile-milling center, and cotton, silk, and woolen goods are produced here; other manufactures include brocade, carpets, foodstuffs, and metalwork. The city also serves as the outlet for animal products of the province.
Esfahan was renowned in former times for its architectural grandeur and the beauty of its public gardens. Most of the gardens and many of the edifices are now in ruins, but a number of imposing structures have been preserved or restored. In the central part of the city is a 17th-century royal mosque known as Masjid-i-Shah, which is faced with colored tile and regarded by many as an outstanding example of Persian architecture. The mosque is located within a huge rectangular garden, now surrounded by bazaars. Nearby is the Masjid-i-Shaikh-Lutfullah, a mosque famous for its dome of blue tile. The Ali-Kapu gate leads to the former royal gardens, in which is found the throne room, Chihil Sutun, or Forty Pillars. Additional points of interest include the Shah Hussain madrasah, a magnificent building constructed in 1710 as a school for dervishes, and an arcaded bridge spanning the Zaindeh Rud.
When it was known as Aspadana, the city formed part of the ancient Asian country of Media. In the middle of the 7th century the city was occupied by invading Arabs. The Seljuk Turks conquered Esfahan and made it the capital of their empire in 1051. Tamerlane, the Mongol conqueror, captured the city in 1387, during his invasion of Iran, and reputedly massacred 70,000 inhabitants.
Esfahan's golden age began in 1598 when Abbas I, shah of Iran, made it the national capital. Under his patronage the city attained the peak of its growth, commercial prosperity, and architectural splendor. According to an unofficial estimate the population then numbered at least 500,000. Invading Afghans captured Esfahan in 1722, and the seat of the Iranian government was removed to Shìraz. The Afghans were expelled in 1729, but the city never fully recovered from their occupation. Population (1986) 986,753.