Chehel-Sotoon; painting detail

This is a partial view showing a detail of the painting in my previous post. Here you see Tahmasb I, the Safavid king of Iran in the 16th and Homayun, the Mogul king of India which came to Iran as a refugee.
The setting of the ceremony is a palace (which is now destroyed) in North-West of Iran in a city called after a Jewish prophet Qeidar-r-Nabi (Qeidar the Prophet).
The Iranian and Indian kingdoms were in good relationship at that time, so the Safavid king helped Homayun to gain back his kingdom.
The dancers and the musical instruments are all Iranian. 

Chehel-Sotoon; part of the ceiling

I hope that I haven't made you sick by posting too much of a the same subject.  

Chehel-Sotoon Interir

The painting shows Shah-Abbas II (the Safavid king) accepting the King of India in a formal ceremony. There are severl very fine paintings in this palace. 

Chehel-Sotoon Palace

An internal view of the palace which is now used as a museum. 

A world within the world

The great American architect, Louis Kahn, used to say that architecture is making a world within the world. That was going on my mind when taking this photo from a church in Isfahan.

Chehel-Sotoon Palace; Entrance Decoration

 

Chehel-Sotoon Palace [5]

Looking from the balcony to the garden, court, and pool. I forgot to write about the interesting story about the name of the building. The balcony has 20 columns which their reflection in the pool water creates 20 more columns, so one would see 40 columns when he is in the other side of the court. And the name of the building (Chehel-Sotoon) verbally means 40 columns. 

Chehel-Sotoon Palace [4]

Another view of the roof of the balcony. It's like a sheltering with the sun in the middle and lots of stars surrounding it. 

Chehel-Sotoon Palace; Partial view of the roof

 

Chehel-Sotoon [2]

 

Chehel-Sotoon Palace; Isfahan

Chehehl-Sotoon Palace is a Safavid (a6th century) monument in the Royal Quarter of Isfahan. Chehel-Sotoon literally means "40 columns".