The city's splendour began with the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas I (r. 1587-1629), who made the city his capital and built the huge bazaar, which was strategically located on the Silk Road.

Under Abbas, Isfahan enjoyed great prosperity and flourished as a centre of art, architecture and commerce (based on carpet, textile and silk production), with a reputation as one of the greatest and most beautiful towns in the whole of Asia.

Isfahans glory was short-lived however and the city began to decline on Abbas death and the capital later moved to Shiraz and then later to Tehran. Still much remains of the vision of Shah Abbas "the Great", to make the city a must-see for present-day visitors to Iran.