Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Mosque

© dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo
Robert Byron once said that the city of Isfahan in Iran was beautiful enough to rival Athens and Rome, yet due to its geographical distance from the Western world, it is seldom explored. It is the location of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque built between 1602 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, an architectural masterpiece and a multi-functional space that is also home to royal caravanserai, baths, a royal mint and a hospital.