Pul-i Allahvardi Khan

Isfahan, Iran

The Bridge of Allahvardi Khan, also known as Si-o-seh Pul, begins at the termination of the Chahar Bagh, the main boulevard of Shah Abbas' urban project. The bridge spans 300 meters, linking the city to New Julfa, the new Armenian neighborhood across the Zayandah River.

The central aisle provided passage for animals and carts. Paths to the sides are for pedestrians, from which there is access to arcaded galleries overlooking the river. Typical of the bridges of Isfahan, the bridge was designed as a social and contemplative space, not just a transportation structure.

Sources:

Blair, Sheila S. and Jonathan M. Bloom. The Art and Architecture of Islam. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994.

Michell, George. Architecture of the Islamic World. London: Thames and Hudson, 1978.

Pope, Arthur Upham, ed., with the assistance of Phyllis Ackerman. A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present. Vol. 3, Architecture, Its Ornament, City Plans, Gardens. 3rd ed. Tehran: Soroush Press, 1977. 1235-1238.