Ālī Qāpū is a palace in Esfahan, Iran. It is located on the west side of Emam Square. Like the rest of the square, it was built around 1595. The construction went through several stages. The construction was carried out by Shah Abbas I the Great of the Dynasty of Safavids. Construction began as an atrium that provided access to the Persian garden. In 1602, the building was connected to the double gallery of shops that surrounded the entire square. Characteristic of the palace is the talar or veranda at the front. Ali Qapu is 33 meters high and has seven floors. The floor plan measures 20 x 20 m. Special about the building are the paintings of nature by Reza Abbasi, the court painter, and his pupils. There are flowers, birds and other animals depicted. People have also been painted. During the reigns of both Shah Sultan Hussein (the last Safavidensjah) and under Nasir al-Din of the Kad years (1848-1896), the palace was renovated.
I am Maarten Verhees. The focus of my photographs is on the variation of architecture, animals and people. I try to capture the essence of local places in photographs... Read more…