Asia

[Visited: April 2001, May 2001]

One of the highlights of a trip to Esfahan are its many bridges. Some of them are modern times structures, but others are historical structures. Even though the Zayande river they span may often be dry, walking down the old, typical bridges is a true delight, also because they are free of traffic. Only motorcycles seem to be allowed to ride across. This means they are used by many of the Esfahanians.
The Si o Se bridge, built in 1602, is perhaps the least interesting bridge but anyway merits a visit. Even though it is perfectly possibile most of the year to cross the river in the dry river bed, most people still use this bridge. Literally bridge of 33 arches, the arches are actually the first thing you notice. When looking at the bridge from below, you actually see two layers of arches - the top layer certainly has many more than 33 arches.
The Khaju Bridge has a much more beautiful finishing than its far neighbour. Built by the famous Shah Abbas I, it boasts tilework to decorate all of its arches on both the lower and top level. Apart from just being a special bridge, it also functions as a dam and you can actually see the locks when you walk across the lower level. In the middle of the bridge a pavilion can be found which was for the mere pleasure of the Shah. Like the Si o Se bridge, there are several teahouses underneath this bridge.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Esfahan Bridges (Iran). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Esfahan Bridges.
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