Imam Square is undoubtedly Esfahan’s glory, and is perhaps the most magnificent and cohesive collection of buildings in the Islamic world. Shah Abbas the Great (1587-1629) created this centrepiece, twice as large as Moscow's Red Square, and called it Naghsh-e Jahan (Portrait of the World). Around it he built three of the most important Islamic buildings of the Safavid era: the Imam Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and the Ali Qapu Palace. Surrounding the square are two-storey covered walkways housing shops, while on the north side lies the entrance to Esfahan’s vibrant bazaar. But Esfahan is much more than just Imam Square. Nearby is Chehel Sotun Palace, a royal pleasure pavilion built in the mid-seventeenth century by Shah Abbas II and set amidst trees behind a pretty lake. Inside the grand hall the walls are full of large, richly-painted Safavid and Qajar frescoes and small Mongol-style miniatures, some of them really quite sensual. At the northern end of the bazaar the wonderful Jameh Mosque (Iran’s largest at over 20,000 square meters) offers a primer in Persian architectural and ornamental styles spanning 800 years. The Zayandeh River, where Esfahanis stroll in the cool twilight air, is spanned by five ancient bridges, graceful, elegant and functional, and largely built in Safavid times – although the oldest dates from the twelfth century. South of the river is Jolfa, home to Esfahan's seven to ten thousand Armenians and to thirteen Orthodox churches, plus a Roman Catholic, Protestant and Adventist church. The most important, Vank Cathedral, was built between 1605 and 1655 – quite uninspiring from the outside, but every surface within covered with rich decoration and colourful paintings of biblical scenes. The Safavid architecture – indeed, Imam Square on its own – is enough to make Esfahan worthwhile. But throw in the river, the wonderful bridges, the bazaar, the wide shop-lined streets, the mingling crowds and the friendly people, and you have a hugely attractive package.