Chehel Sotoun

Chehel Sotoun is a 17th century pavilion and garden, in Isfahan, Iran. It was commissioned by Abbas the Great and completed by Shah Abbas II, both Safavid Shahs, mostly for royal entertainment and receptions. Chehel Sotoun Garden, along with eight other gardens all located in Iran, have been inscribed as Persian Gardens World Heritage Sites in Iran|World Heritage Sites] since 2011.

Early paintings (1647-1666)

As with the Ali Qapu, the palace contains many frescoes and paintings on ceramic. Many of the ceramic panels have been dispersed and are now in the possession of major museums in the West. Four of the major frescoes are thought to have been painted circa 1650, and in any case between 1647 and 1666, based on stylistic grounds, and on the fact that Jean Chardin described the specific paintings as "three royal entertainments and one battle scene" during his visit in 1666. They were commissioned by the Safavid ruler Abbas II. They are:

the Battle of Marv in 1510 where the Safavid Shah Ismail I vanquished and killed the Uzbek king Shaybani Khan
the welcoming by Shah Tahmasp of the Mughal Emperor Humayun taking refuge in Iran in 1544
the reception by Abbas the Great of the Uzbek ruler Vali Muhammad Khan
the reception of Uzbek king Nader Mohammad Khan by Abbas II in 1646, when the palace had just been completed

Later paintings

There are also more recent paintings, generally dating to Qajar period, such as the infamous Battle of Chaldiran against the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, and Nader Shah's victory against the Indian Army at Karnal in 1739. There are also less historical, but more aesthetic compositions in the traditional miniature style, themed around life, love, and joy.

Architecture

In the pavilion, the combined designs of the walls and ceiling of the hall, which are placed in Lachak Toranj, and the main lines of the building divisions, which are a combination of painting, tiling and other various decorations, make the building one of the best examples of Persian architecture during the Safavid era. At present, the mansion operates as a museum; and its central hall displays some works of art from different periods of Iran.