Isfahan Royal Square, built by King Abbas I of the Safavid Dynasty in the early 17th century. Surrounded by a series of two-story arcades and grand buildings on all sides, such as the Royal Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque portal, the Ali Qapu palace portal, and the Qeysarieh Market portal. All of this bears witness to the social and cultural life of Persia in those days. The expansive square, designed by Abbas, features the Maidan-e Naqsh-e Jahan, also known as “Maidan”, meaning the Image of the World. The square was constructed in 1616, rectangular in shape, 500 meters long and 150 meters wide, located at the intersection of the new royal palace and the old commercial center, used for polo matches, military parades, grand performances, and other ceremonies. Arcades surround the square on all four sides, each side having a magnificent gate, namely the Royal Mosque gate, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque gate, the Ali Qapu palace gate, and the Qeysarieh Market gate. Outside the arcades, there is a canal protecting the area. The towering Royal Mosque stands on one long side of the square, with its dome and minarets adorned with intricate Arabic and geometric patterns made of Turkish blue mosaic tiles. The whole building, contrasting sharply with the predominantly yellow city, features a circular roof with tiles arranged in a radial pattern, grand and magnificent, giving a sensation as if it is about to take flight. A bird’s eye view of the Royal Mosque and the sight of it from the square at nightfall are equally magnificent. The exceptional skill displayed in the intricate patterns of the mosque’s inlaid designs and the central courtyard surrounded by four large dome-pillared porticoes reached the pinnacle of traditional mosque architectural art. It is estimated that 18 million bricks were used in the construction of the mosque; and it is said that there are as many as 472,500 rivets in it.