The city that's 'half the world'

Esfahan's striking Islamic architecture and distinctively colored tiles draw tourists to the buildings around the city's huge public square. Mike Peters / China Daily

"Commerce has always been central to the growth of Esfahan," according to a UNESCO report, and Abbas "effectively rerouted the Silk Road through Esfahan ... so that his empire would enjoy a trading monopoly."

Famous for its Persian-Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques and minarets, visitors and locals are imbued with its past glory and strong sense of place.

"You can go to France and see great cathedrals, but you will see similar things in Germany or Italy, perhaps," says Hassan Rezaei, an Esfahan native who has been in Beijing for about eight years.

"Iran's classical architecture is like nothing else, and Esfahan is the best place to appreciate it."

The most pleasant places to savor what Abbas had built may be Esfahan's bridges, which are a key reason the city has been called the Florence of the Orient.

Stretching across the Zayande River, they are grand and imposing by day but friendly and intimate at night, when some become lighted pedestrian streets and markets.