Si-o-se Pol

Thirty-three arches march across the Zayanderud in a long, low line of honey-coloured brick, with a second gallery of smaller openings running along the top: Si-o-se Pol, the "bridge of thirty-three spans", is the largest of Isfahan's eleven historic river crossings and one of the defining works of Safavid architecture. Nearly 298 metres long and close to 15 metres wide, it is as much a promenade as a bridge, with arcaded passages along its sides where people walk, sit and gather above the water.

It was built between 1599 and 1602, under Shah Abbas I, the ruler who made Isfahan the capital of Safavid Iran and reshaped it with avenues, gardens and monumental squares. The work was overseen by Allahverdi Khan Undiladze, a commander of Georgian origin who led the shah's armies, and the bridge is also known by his name. It is a double-decker vaulted structure of stone and brick; the longest individual span is only about 5.6 metres, so the effect comes from rhythm and repetition rather than from any single daring arch. Beyond carrying traffic, the bridge also acted as a weir, controlling the flow of the river, and it linked the city's elite districts with the Armenian quarter of New Julfa on the southern bank. European travellers of the period described paintings that once decorated its interior.

The bridge stands where Chaharbagh, the long tree-lined avenue of Safavid Isfahan, meets the river, tying the crossing into the main axis of the city. The Zayanderud, the largest river of the Iranian Plateau, has in recent decades often run low or dry, its water diverted upstream, so the arches can be seen standing over a bare riverbed as well as over flowing water.

Isfahan, in central Iran, is one of the great historic cities of the Islamic world, famed for its Safavid mosques, palaces and bazaars. Si-o-se Pol remains one of its best-loved public places.

Getting there

The bridge is in central Isfahan, about 1 km from the city centre, where Chaharbagh Street meets the river; the Si-o-se Pol metro station is nearby. The nearest airport is Isfahan Shahid Beheshti International (IFN), about 24 km away in a straight line.