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Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan · History

A king's goal in Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan still has its polo goals, laid out for the Safavid shahs.

Checked: true

The story holds up against the record.

Published · checked against 10 sources
Part one · in the video's narrative veo style

The legend says

See those two stone posts the kids are using as a goal? That was a king's goal.

Sit, sit, next to me. This is my aunt Mahin. Befarma. That means here, take it. She says you're too thin. She says it to everyone.

Watch out, duck!

Now imagine that same ball, four hundred years ago. All of Naqsh-e Jahan is the Shah's polo field.

He's up on that balcony. You're in the crowd, right at the front. And here they come. Duck!

Wait. Go back. Watch again. Look behind them. The same two posts.

And the ball drops at your feet, a football again. That's my cousin Sina. He was told to stay on the blanket.

Befarma. Kick it. You just scored in the Shah's goal. Here in Isfahan, you're a stranger for about five minutes.

This is the story as it is told. We tell it as a story. Below is what the record holds.

But
Part two

The record shows

9 facts, each checked against a source we opened. Tap a source to read the line that carries it.

  1. 01

    Naqsh-e Jahan Square is at the centre of Isfahan, Iran; the Qeysarieh gate opens on its north side into the Grand Bazaar

    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    a square situated at the center of Isfahan, Iran
    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    at the northern side Qeysarie Gate opens into the Isfahan Grand Bazaar
    2iransafar.co
    the central square of Isfahan
    2iransafar.co
    located at the northern end of the square, once served as the entrance to Isfahan's Grand Bazaar
  2. 02

    The square was built under Shah Abbas I (the Great), between 1598 and 1629

    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    Constructed between 1598 and 1629
    2iransafar.co
    during the reign of Shah Abbas I in 1598
    3roughguides.com, "The Art of Persia"
    the creation of Shah Abbas the Great
  3. 03

    The square was a polo ground, laid out for polo, parades and shows

    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    polo could be played in the maidan
    2iransafar.co
    prepared for polo competitions, army parades
    4V&A, SD.382 record
    created as a polo ground by Shah Abbas
  4. 04

    The Safavid shahs watched polo from the Ali Qapu palace, on the square's west side

    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    the Safavid shahs watched polo games, maneuvers and horse-racing below
    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    On the west side is the Ali Qapu Palace
    2iransafar.co
    a royal balcony to watch games and competitions
    4V&A, SD.382 record
    from which the royal family could view the ceremonies and sporting events
  5. 05

    The Shah (Imam) Mosque closes the square's south side

    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    situated on the south side of this square
    2iransafar.co
    the Abbasi Grand Mosque, which is located on the south side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square
  6. 06

    The polo matches there were played some four hundred years ago

    3roughguides.com, "The Art of Persia"
    polo matches that were played some four hundred years ago
    1en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
    Constructed between 1598 and 1629
  7. 07

    Stone polo goalposts still stand at the ends of the square; at the south end they are two short white pillars either side of the central path in front of the mosque

    2iransafar.co
    Two pairs of polo stone goal posts still remain on the sides of the field
    3roughguides.com, "The Art of Persia"
    were once instrumental in the polo matches
    5lisagermany.com (travel blog)
    stumps of goalposts at either end
    5lisagermany.com (travel blog)
    two short-ish, white pillars on either side of the central path … in front of the Mosque
    6archaeology.columbia.edu
    these stone goalposts
  8. 08

    People sit and picnic on the square's lawns

    3roughguides.com, "The Art of Persia"
    Picnickers flock to the lush green patches of the square to spread out
    7visitouriran.com
    hang out, chatter, and camp
    7visitouriran.com
    sit on the green grasses of the site
  9. 09

    "Befarma" (بفرما) is the everyday Persian word said when you offer something: "here you are", "please, help yourself", "go ahead"

    8en.wiktionary.org, "بفرمایید"
    here you are
    8en.wiktionary.org, "بفرمایید"
    after you
    8en.wiktionary.org, "بفرمایید"
    go ahead
    9chaiandconversation.com, "befarmā"
    please/help yourself (informal)
    10katyafaris.com
    I insist

Timeline

On recordTradition only
  1. 1598–1629A square for poloShah Abbas I has Naqsh-e Jahan Square built as a stage for polo, army parades and shows.
  2. 1600sThe shahs watch from Ali QapuThe Safavid shahs watch polo, manoeuvres and horse racing from the Ali Qapu palace on the west side.
  3. TodayThe goals still standTwo short white stone pillars stand either side of the central path in front of the mosque; families picnic on the lawns.

Left out on purpose

What we chose not to say in the video, and why. If a comment says "you forgot…", the answer is probably here.

Leo, his aunt Mahin, his cousin Sina, the football game, the crowd and the riders, and "you" in the royal crowd

They are imagined; the narration frames the past with "imagine", and "a stranger for about five minutes" is Leo's own boast, not a claim.

"The oldest goalposts / oldest polo field in the world"

The brief bans it; only popular sites say it.

Polo still played there at festivals

One source only.

The square's size

Not needed for the story.

The Shah on the balcony named as Shah Abbas himself

The sources say "the Safavid shahs", so the line says "the Shah".

The ball, the mallets and the rules of Safavid polo

No claim about them was checked.

The date of Ali Qapu's columned terrace

The past beats are set "in the 1600s", not in a given year.

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Read the video's transcript

Leo See those two stone posts the kids are using as a goal? That was a king's goal.

Leo Sit, sit, next to me. This is my aunt Mahin. Befarma. That means here, take it. She says you're too thin. She says it to everyone.

Leo Watch out, duck!

Leo Now imagine that same ball, four hundred years ago. All of Naqsh-e Jahan is the Shah's polo field.

Leo He's up on that balcony. You're in the crowd, right at the front. And here they come. Duck!

Leo Wait. Go back. Watch again. Look behind them. The same two posts.

Leo And the ball drops at your feet, a football again. That's my cousin Sina. He was told to stay on the blanket.

Leo Befarma. Kick it. You just scored in the Shah's goal. Here in Isfahan, you're a stranger for about five minutes.

Sources

  1. en.wikipedia, "Naqsh-e Jahan Square"
  2. iransafar.co
  3. roughguides.com, "The Art of Persia"
  4. V&A, SD.382 record
  5. lisagermany.com (travel blog)
  6. archaeology.columbia.edu
  7. visitouriran.com
  8. en.wiktionary.org, "بفرمایید"
  9. chaiandconversation.com, "befarmā"
  10. katyafaris.com

Found a mistake? Send us your source. If it holds, we correct this page and note the change here.