Iran may not be in your list of must-visit countries but this hidden jewel of West Asia — Isfahan, also spelt as Esfahan — should be, if you are into history or architecture. The city of 1.9 million beautiful people is about five hours drive from Tehran international airport to the south. An extraordinary place to discover the flourish of civilisation, this 2,500-year old city was Persia’s capital from 1598 to 1722.

I was fortunate to stay at the best hotel in the whole of Iran, the 400-year-old Abbasi Palace hotel. If it had not been in Iran, Unesco would have rated Abbasi Palace as the oldest heritage hotel in the world.

Stepping out into the beautiful, tree-lined boulevard, I could see the historic glory of the city in its architecture and many magnificent mosques and palaces built hundreds of years ago. In fact, the renovation work on the dome of the mosque adjacent to the hotel was going full swing. While marvelling at the mosaics and artwork on the mosque dome that was built with a unique technology — no hidden chains like in Vatican’s St Basilica Church — I could realise why Isfahan was at one point larger than London, more cosmopolitan than Paris, and grander, by many accounts, than even Istanbul during its glorious days.

Imagine this: Covered bridges at many points across a modest river, the beautifully landscaped and designed Nakhsh-e-Jahan (image of the world), which is also world's largest square (the Imam square), hundreds of domes and minarets punctuating the skyline, palaces, you name it, Isfahan has it all. Europeans, Turks, Indians and Chinese flocked to the glittering Persian court, the centre of a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates river in what is today Iraq to the Oxus river in Afghanistan.

Apart from great historical monuments, there is the life-giving river, the Zayandeh-Rood, which has given the city a fertile land. What I liked most about Isfahan is the large number of parks and gardens all around, allowing families to meet and have dinner together in the evenings.

One Friday, I walked down to the Imam square to see the breath-takingly beautiful Sheik Lotfollah mosque, as well as the larger (and bluer) Imam mosque. After spend-ing over an hour at the mosques of Imam square — one for men and the other for ladies — I accom-panied my friend from Isfahan to the old grand bazaar, where rows of tiny stalls are crammed with goods to sell — from saffron to spices and antiques. The magnifiecent high-vaulted ceiling of was a sight to behold: The pathway had once led to the palace. Today, that corridor lead us to a famous — and packed — tea stall that serves delicious

mint tea and traditional sweets. We had our cuppa over discussions on cultural differences between India and Iran, the majestic Imam square, which is possibly the most stunning assemblage of Islamic architecture.

We headed to Ali Qapu Palace next. Six storeys high, the palace has thin wooden columns supp-orting a roof over the elevated terr-ace, the royal vantage point for watching the polo matches that were played below, hundreds of ye-ars ago. Later that evening, I walked over to the SioSeh bridge, which has 33 arches, to enjoy its lit-splendour: A picture perfect moment. Khaju bridge is located about 1.5 km downstream to the east of Sio-seh-Pol. It has two levels of terraces over-looking the river and was built on the foundation of an earlier structure. New Julfa on the south-ern bank of Zayandeh Rood river was founded by Shah Abbas for the relocation of Armenians who were forced to flee their homes in Old Julfa in Armenia because of Turkish attacks. The amazing Vank cathe-dral in the Armenian quarter juxtaposes Christian and Islam art. Jama mosque is one of the oldest mosques still standing in Iran, and is built in the “four ivan” architec-tural style, placing four gates face to face. The Chehel Sotun (40 colu-mns) palace has beautiful paintings adorning the walls and a lovely gard-en to stroll around. Given these arc-hitectural gems, it is not really a wonder that seasoned travellers rank Isfahan among Athens or Rome. But, unfortunately, for many the city is synonymous with Iran's premier nuclear research facility. (Incidentally, I have had the chance to see the high-security facility from a distance while driving to Shiraz and Persepolis.)

If you love your food as much as I do, you’ll agree when I say the best way to learn about another culture is through their food. And what a treat Isfahan is for a foodie! A word of advice, though: Leave behind your calorie consciousness. In the shadow of the Imam mosque, with the traditional music pulsating in the background, my two friends from Isfahan and I sat cross-legged on floor and feasted on dizzy — an intricate Persian dish consisting of thick meat gravy, bread and vege-tables. A mallet was provided for cr-ushing the contents. You tear the bread into small pieces and dip into gravy, fish out pieces of crushed me-at and eat with bread. Simple and delicious. Other Iranian speciality is beriyani (not even remotely close to our biryani). Beriyani is finely min-ced meat kebab served over trad-itional bread. You must also try the koresh mast, which, sometimes, is served as an appetiser and some-times as dessert. It is sweet, made of yoghurt and minced meat! Tough time for veggies, indeed.

When to go: The best time to visit Isfahan is spring and autumn when the weather is sunny, warm and pleasant. Documents required: Indians can obtain a 15-day tourist visa on arrival from certain airports, including Isfahan Airport, but most often visas need to be applied prior to travel. Restrictions: Conservative dress code is expected, especially from women. Wear a scarf, loose-fitting top and pants when you arrive and then buy what you need from local markets or malls. Showing your ankles is inappropriate, so remember to wear socks. Shorts are not acceptable for men.

(The writer was recently in Isfahan to help a business group achieve its vision and was so impressed with the city that he wanted to write a bit about it for his favourite newspaper)