Heart of empire

The world’s largest and oldest polo feld, where the national sport was played by 17th-century Persian nobility, may once more come into its own, says Tanya Jackson

On 11 October last year, 34 mounted polo players slowly paraded through the cobbled streets of Esfahan in Iran on their way to compete on a historic feld: the medieval Naqsh-e Jahan, or, ‘Image of the World’ square. The match was organised by the Iranian Polo Federation (IPF) and the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization in honour of Iran’s bid to have the sport offcially registered by UNESCO as part of Iranian heritage. And where else could one hold a match like this, other than on the world’s largest, and oldest, United Nations-listed polo feld?

Second in size only to Tiananmen Square in China, the extensive space was built by Shah ‘Abbas I between 1602 and 1630, when he moved the capital of Persia to Esfahan. Measuring 500 x 150m, it was surrounded by a two-storey arcade that is still home to buskers, street vendors and an array of shops. It was the thriving centre of the Great Shah’s new empire, where people gathered not only to make purchases and to promenade, but also to attend public celebrations and executions, as well as to watch noblemen and royalty compete in the national sport of polo.

On adapting the existing 15th-century palace for his own use, the shah had the polo feld placed in front of his new residence, allowing him a good view of the action from the comfort of his balcony. From the centre of the square, Ali’Qapu palace stands to the west. Opposite, on the east side, is the Mosque of Sheikh Loffollah; to the north, sits the lavish Portia of Qeyssariyeh; and on the south edge of the square is perhaps the most outstanding example of vivid Safavid architecture: the lapis lazuli and gold-mosaicked Royal Mosque. Ceramic tiles decorate all the buildings on the square, including the arcade, which is painted with fowering trees. Surrounded by such exquisite and detailed artistry, it’s diffcult to imagine a more distractingly opulent sports ground on which to saddle up and whack a ball about.

To the north and south of the square –though the players of last October’s ceremonial match opted not to use them – the original marble goalposts serve as a reminder of how long the game has been played here. ‘We hope to stage a similar event as part of next year’s MENACA Cup,’ says IPF representative Siamack Ilkhani. ‘Ultimately, it’s our goal to make the square into a proper polo feld again.’

Whether or not the UNESCO-listed site is adapted to once again host regular matches remains to be seen. For now, it is at its best during the late afternoons, when the fountains are turned on and families take to the esplanade for their evening walk. In the softer dusk light, the architecture attains its full grandeur, and one gets a taste of just how atmospheric it must have been to play here in the heart of the Persian Empire, in front of the most powerful man in the world.