Khaju Bridge in Isfahan is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid dynasty and is located over Zayanderud River. It was constructed during Shah Abbas II. The bridge, which is about 150 meters long, 14 meters wide and about 6 meters high, is made of stone and brick with 18 arcades. Khaju Bridge is decorated with tiles from Safavid dynasty, and a special building has been constructed for the royal family in the middle of it. The middle structure called ‘Shahneshin’, was the place for leaders and kings who watched swimming and sailing competitions on the lake. Glamorous tilework and extraordinary architecture of the bridge have made it more famous than other bridges in Isfahan. On the corners of the eastern side of Khaju Bridge, there are two stone lions, which appear to be the symbols of Bakhtiari, tribal protectors of Isfahan during Safavid era. According to historians and researchers who have studied this dynasty, the bridge was established to connect Khaju neighborhoods and Hasan Abad Gate with Takht-e Foulad and Shiraz Road. Tourists visiting Isfahan in different periods of time, praised the beauty of Khaju Bridge and considered it as one of the most important structures representing Iranian and Islamic architecture. Khaju Bridge was registered as a national heritage in 1931.
