I thought of reviewing an Iranian UNESCO World Heritage Site in light of Trump’s recent threat to the country’s cultural sites. Sheer insanity I thought, but thankfully, the Pentagon just completely ignored him as blasting cultural heritage sites constitutes a war crime. Date of Visit: December 2016.

Esfahan was the second city I visited during my backpacking trip to the country 3 years ago, and I truly enjoyed it. My first day in this city was spent in this square and the adjacent grand bazaar, taking heaps of photos and observing locals and tourists stroll, eat, shop, play and socialise. Meidan Emam is bounded in all sides by a 2-storey arcade, interrupted in the four cardinal directions by the following beautiful monuments and the Qeysarie gate of Esfahan’s grand bazaar:

• Ali Qapu Palace – as mentioned by Alexander, the view of the square from its balcony is stunning. From a casual traveler, I appreciate its beautiful ornamentation, design and architecture.
• Masjed-e Shah – the site’s UNESCO page mentions that it “remains the most celebrated example of the colorful architecture, which reached its high point in Iran under the Safavid dynasty”. At the time of my visit, scaffolding could be seen surrounding one side of the mosque’s dome. For some reason I could not recollect, it deterred me from going inside the mosque. Stupid me, I should’ve at least tried.
• Sheik Lotfallah Mosque - in terms of its interior, it is THE most beautiful mosque I have ever seen. This is the first monument I visited in the morning, which gave me an opportunity to have the entire place to myself and catch the sun rays penetrate the carved windows and lit the entire place to a beautiful golden hue! It was an astonishing sight!

I visited the above monuments in the morning and went straight to the bazaar to eat lunch. I dodged my way through as the bazaar was crowded with locals haggling and delivering goods (mostly carpets and spices) to various stalls. 

I'd argue that the OUV of this site is best reflected by how this public square serves as an integral part of the daily lives of the people living in and around Esfahan, from the Safavid era to the present. Yes, it deserves inscription just by its sheer size (it is one of the world's largest public urban squares in the world) and beautiful architecture, but its function as a living heritage solidifies its status as a World Heritage site. Shah Abbas I must be proud of his legacy.