Chehel Sotoun

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 (date of the construction of the Chehel Sotoun) 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 (corner and medallion), 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.

Gallery

File:Inside of Chehel Sotun by Jean Chardin, 1666.jpg|Inside of Chehel Sotun by Jean Chardin, 1666 File:Ceiling of Chehel Sotoun.jpg|Muqarnas featuring Ayeneh-kari File:Chehel Sotoun photo3.jpg|Shah Tahmasp I, painted circa 1647 File:Chehel Sotoun 2.JPG|Day view of the palace File:Chehel Sotoun 01.jpg|Rear view of the palace File:Chehelsotun2.JPG|Closer view of the palace File:Chehel Sotoun 03.jpg|A sculpture in the garden File:Iran Isfahan Chehel Sotoon Palace 12.jpg|Golden muqarnas vaulting File:Chehel Sotoun Inside, Isfahan Edit1.jpg|Inside the museum File:Chehelsotun4.JPG|The Qur'an in kufic script File:Fresco chehel sotoun 27.jpg|Fresco inside the palace File:Garden and pavilion Chehel Sotoun,facade by Pascal Coste.jpg|1840, by Pascal Coste File:Art detail, Painting in Chehel Sotoun (cropped).jpg|Fresco inside the palace, painted circa 1647 File:Battle of Chaldiran (1514).jpg|Frescoe of the Battle of Chaldiran, 19th century File:Chehel Sotoun ceiling.jpg|Ceiling of the mirror hall with Ayeneh-kari art

Notes

Bibliography

• M. Ferrante: 'Čihil Sutūn: Etudes, relevés, restauration', Travaux de restauration de monuments historiques en Iran, ed. G. Zander (Rome, 1968), pp. 293–322
• E. Grube: 'Wall Paintings in the Seventeenth Century Monuments of Isfahan', Studies on Isfahan, ed. R. Holod, 2 vols, Iran. Stud., vii (1974), pp. 511–42
• S. Babaie: 'Shah Abbas II, the Conquest of Qandahar, the Chihil Sutun, and its Wall Paintings', Muqarnas, xi (1994), pp. 125–42

References

1. (1994). "Shah Abbas II, the Conquest of Qandahar, the Chihil Sutun, and Its Wall Paintings". Muqarnas.
2. [[:File:Description of the paintings with three royal entertainments and one battle scene in Chehel Sotoun, Isfahan, in 1666.png. Original description of the paintings by Jean Chardin in Chehel Sotoun, Isfahan, in 1666]].
3. (25 February 2021). "Safavid Persia in the Age of Empires: The Idea of Iran Vol. 10". Bloomsbury Publishing.
4. Honarfar, Lotfollah. (1966). "A Treasure of the Historical Monuments of Isfahan; Honarfar L.". Saghafi.
5. "Chehel Sotoun Museum".
6. Landor, Arnold Henry Savage. (1902). ["Across Coveted Lands"](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/22117/22117-h/v1.html}}. The name was likely inspired by the twenty slender wooden columns supporting the entrance pavilion, which, when [[Reflecting pool). MacMillan and Co., Limited.