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Jodaki Azizi A, Mosavi Haji S R, Abdolahi S, Ebrahimi A. (2025). A Study and Investigation of the Special Function of Historical Bridges in Isfahan; Case Study: Shahrestan (Jay), Allahverdi Khan, Shahi (Khaju), and Sa’adat Abad (Joui) Bridges. Parseh J Archaeol Stud. 9(32), 241-265. doi:10.22034/PJAS.765
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-765-en.html

Abstract
Iranian architects often designed structures to serve multiple functions beyond their primary purpose, a practice heavily influenced by Iran’s hot, arid climate and long summers. This multi-functionality is most evident in water-associated architecture, particularly in Isfahan’s historical bridges. Despite extensive research on Isfahan’s architecture, this specific aspect of its bridges has been understudied. This research aims to re-examine the non-transportation functions of four Isfahan bridges: Pol-e Shahrestan/Ji, Pol-e Allah-Verdi Khan/Si-o-se-pol, Pol-e Khaju/Shahi, and Pol-e Jubi/Sa’adat-Abad, highlighting their role in ceremonial and environmental landscape architecture. Main Research Question and Hypothesis: The study investigates how and why ceremonial functions were integrated into these bridges. It hypothesizes that this practice was inspired by Indian Jal Mahals (water palaces), introduced to Iran via extensive political and cultural exchanges during the Safavid era. Research Method: This study employs a historical-descriptive approach, with data gathered through documentary research and analysis of historical sources and travelogues. The findings indicate that while the concept of ceremonial water pavilions (Cheshmeh Emarat in Iran, Jal Mahal in India) pre-existed, its application on bridges was an innovation in Safavid Iran. The bridges served as ceremonial platforms for royal events like the Abrizan (Water Sprinkling Festival), receptions for ambassadors, and public spectacles. Furthermore, they played a crucial role in microclimate moderation by creating reservoirs that increased humidity and helped recharge underground aquifers, addressing critical environmental needs of the capital city.
Keywords: Historical Bridges, Cheshmeh Emarat, Safavid Isfahan, Jal Mahal, Ceremonial Architecture, Landscape Architecture.

Introduction 
This paper explores the multi-functional design of Safavid-era bridges in Isfahan, which extended beyond mere river crossings to incorporate significant ceremonial and environmental roles. This architectural ingenuity was a direct response to Iran’s challenging arid climate and the socio-political ambitions of the Safavid court. The study focuses on how the bridges Pol-e Shahrestan, Allah-Verdi Khan, Khaju, and Jubi were integrated into the urban and royal landscape. While the paradigm of the water pavilion (Cheshmeh Emarat) was known in Persian and Indian (Jal Mahal) architecture, its adaptation onto bridge structures represents a unique Safavid development. This research addresses a gap in the existing literature by systematically analyzing these bridges not just as feats of engineering, but as central elements of ceremonial life and environmental engineering in the capital.

Materials and Methods 
This research is based on a historical-interpretive methodology. Data was collected through meticulous documentary research, including analysis of primary sources like European travelogues (e.g., by Chardin, Tavernier) and Safavid chronicles. Secondary sources encompass modern scholarly works on Safavid architecture and urbanism. Architectural analysis was conducted by examining historical plans, photographs, and existing structures to understand the form and function of the pavilions. The comparative method is used to draw parallels between the Iranian Cheshmeh Emarat and the Indian Jal Mahal tradition, tracing potential routes of cultural and architectural influence during the 17th century.

Data and Findings 
The investigation reveals distinct evolutionary stages:
• Pol-e Shahrestan: An older bridge onto which an octagonal pavilion (Hasht Behesht plan) was added during the Safavid period, representing an architectural annexation rather than an original design.
• Pol-e Allah-Verdi Khan (Si-o-se-pol): Built by Shah Abbas I, its primary function was connectivity. Ceremonial activities were initially held in the vaulted spaces beneath the bridge deck due to structural constraints, serving as a royal loge for the Abrizan festival and receiving dignitaries.
• Pol-e Khaju: Constructed by Shah Abbas II, it represents the pinnacle of this integration. Two central pavilions (Beyglarbeygi), adapting the Hasht Behesht plan to the bridge’s axis, were purpose-built as ceremonial platforms. The bridge could be dammed to create a vast lake for boating, fireworks, and reflections of upstream palaces like Ayeneh-Khaneh.
• Pol-e Jubi: This bridge provided private access to royal gardens. It featured a central pavilion (now destroyed, but documented in European engravings) similar to the one on Pol-e Shahrestan, offering the royal family a secluded vantage point.

Discussion 
The findings confirm the hypothesis that the sophisticated development of bridge-pavilions in Safavid Isfahan was influenced by cultural and political exchanges with the Indian subcontinent, where the Jal Mahal tradition was well-established. The Safavids adeptly synthesized this influence with pre-existing Iranian concepts like the Cheshmeh Emarat and the ancient Abrizan festival. This discussion argues that these structures were not merely aesthetic additions but vital components of urban infrastructure. They served as instruments of royal propaganda, stages for displaying sovereign power to both the public and foreign emissaries. Furthermore, the creation of artificial lakes through damming was a brilliant hydrological strategy. It addressed Isfahan’s environmental needs by significantly moderating the microclimate through evaporative cooling and critically recharging the subterranean aquifers that supplied the city’s water via qanats.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the historical bridges of Safavid Isfahan exemplify a profound integration of multifunctional design. Iranian architects, responding to climatic necessities and royal ambition, masterfully extended the function of these structures from mere utilities to complex ceremonial platforms and environmental regulators. The practice of adding pavilions to older bridges or incorporating them into new designs was a strategic innovation in the landscape architecture of the era. While inspired by the Indian Jal Mahal, the Safavid implementation on bridges was an original contribution. These structures became iconic urban elements, central to the city’s public ceremonies and essential to its ecological balance. They stand as testament to a holistic architectural vision where utility, ceremony, and environmental technology were seamlessly woven together, defining the grandeur of Isfahan as a Safavid capital.