On January 19, 1629, Shah Abbas I died in Behshah, northern Iranian city. Known for his great wars during his reign and defeating the Ottoman Emperorship in the west and northwest, Uzbak in the northeast and Portuguese in the south, he is known as Shah Abbas the Great and was the fifth king of the Safavid dynasty.
Shah Abbas is also known for his ruthlessness against his enemies. In order to discipline his entourage, he blinded his sons Safimirza and Rezamirza. He carried out all his brutality in the name of developing the ShiiteReligion.
A superb administrator, Abbas encouraged commerce and industry. He maintained a lavish court and was a patron of the arts, which flourished during his reign as never before. A zealous builder, he also rebuilt Isfahan, which he made his capital; many of the city’s most splendid edifices date from his time.
During his reign, Abbas I moved the Safavid capital from Tabriz, which was dangerously close to the Ottoman border and had been occupied briefly by the Ottomans, to the centrally located city of Isfahan. He embellished Isfahan with many bridges, mosques, palaces, and schools. Most of these structures such as Naghesh Jahan square, Ali Ghapoo and Shah Masjid still stand, and they are among the best-preserved examples of Islamic architecture in the world. Abbas also encouraged trade with Europe, especially England and The Netherlands, whose merchants bought Iranian carpets, silk, and textiles.
Shah Abbas ruled over Iran for 42 years and died at 62.
Shah Abbas the first dies
RELATED ARTICLES