Hash Behesht Palace

Hash Behesht palace translates as Eight Paradises a two-story palace, is located in the middle of Bagh-e Bolbol in Isfahan.

Built about 1669 by Shah Sulieman’s commission, it was once surrounded by a vast garden and similar buildings, of which nothing remains except this interesting and beautiful palace. It consists of an octagonal base on which four corridors and four smaller sets of chambers are raised, while the center is surmounted by a spectacular ceiling.

The domed ceiling of the main reception room is painted in purple on a glittering gold base. Painted tile designs of birds, animals and hunting scenes, found on the spandrels of the outer blind arches, enliven the facades of Hasht Behesht. The palace owes its fame, apart from its architectural and decorative merits, to the lavish use of marble slabs, vault decorations and excellent tilework dotted with scenes of animals (birds, beasts of prey and reptiles) covering the building on the outside

Source: Iran Daily