For more than 15 years, Joel Bartsch has served as president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, one of the region’s leading cultural and educational institutions. A PhD candidate, he holds a master’s in history from Rice University. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Joel A. Bartsch is an enthusiastic world traveler who has taken multiple trips to the Middle East.
Beyond any artificial modern-day sense of geographic or political divisions, the Middle East region is home to timeless treasures of culture and scholarship. One such location, the Iranian city of Isfahan, has survived wars, neglect, and modern-day rapid industrialization while continuing as a vibrant city that attracts many of the country’s leading intellectuals and creative workers looking for an alternative to the fast-paced capital of Tehran.
In the 17th century, Isfahan was renowned around the world for its sophistication as the capital of Persia. Larger than London and more sophisticated than Paris, it truly was a multicultural city, a regular destination for people from China, Europe, and elsewhere. One proverb says it all: Isfahan is half the world.
Situated at the center of the main Silk Road trade routes, this city of gleaming mosaics, delicate minarets, and beautifully constructed bridges over the Zayanderud River was built by commerce. One of the city’s famous domed mosques may have been designed or influenced by the poet and mathematician Omar Khayyam.
Isfahan’s numerous architectural treasures include the 400-year-old Naqsh-e Jahan Square and the stunning Masjed-e Jame mosque, constructed over the course of 12 centuries. Both have received designations as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Beyond any artificial modern-day sense of geographic or political divisions, the Middle East region is home to timeless treasures of culture and scholarship. One such location, the Iranian city of Isfahan, has survived wars, neglect, and modern-day rapid industrialization while continuing as a vibrant city that attracts many of the country’s leading intellectuals and creative workers looking for an alternative to the fast-paced capital of Tehran.
In the 17th century, Isfahan was renowned around the world for its sophistication as the capital of Persia. Larger than London and more sophisticated than Paris, it truly was a multicultural city, a regular destination for people from China, Europe, and elsewhere. One proverb says it all: Isfahan is half the world.
Situated at the center of the main Silk Road trade routes, this city of gleaming mosaics, delicate minarets, and beautifully constructed bridges over the Zayanderud River was built by commerce. One of the city’s famous domed mosques may have been designed or influenced by the poet and mathematician Omar Khayyam.
Isfahan’s numerous architectural treasures include the 400-year-old Naqsh-e Jahan Square and the stunning Masjed-e Jame mosque, constructed over the course of 12 centuries. Both have received designations as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
