Isfahan University of Medical Science

Isfahan (or Esfahan) is the capital city of Isfahan Province and is located almost in the center of Iran. Isfahan metropolitan area has an estimated population of about 4,000,000, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in Iran.

The history of Isfahan dates back to ancient times. During the Achaemenid Empire (648-330 BCE), Isfahan was an ethnically and religiously diverse and tolerant city. Isfahan was once one of the largest cities in the world, ranked among places like Athens or Rome and grander than London, Paris and Istanbul. Elegant bridges crossed its modest river, hundreds of domes and minarets punctuated the skyline and polo players dashed across the world's largest square. Isfahan flourished from the early 11th to the 18th century, and particularly during the Safavi dynasty in the 16th & 17th century when it became the capital of the old Persia for the second time.

Even today, the city retains much of its past glory. Many visitors believe Isfahan is the most beautiful city in Iran and one of the most beautiful in the world. It features numerous tree-lined boulevards and flower gardens, miles of beautiful parks along the Zayandeh Rood river; 1300 year-old covered bazaars, bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb "Esfahan nesf-e- jahan ast" (Isfahan is half of the world).

Isfahan's Imam Square, also known as the Naghsh-e Jahan (meaning portrait of the world) Square, is one of the largest city squares in the world and an outstanding example of Iranian and Islamic architecture. Around the square sit a number of world-famous wonders of Islamic architecture. The Imam Square is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.