Torbjørn Færøvik: Isfahan - A City Loved, A City in Danger

Travelers of the past struggled to find the right words to describe the Iranian city of Isfahan. Yet one of them, the Frenchman Jean Chardin, wrote in the seventeenth century: “The city shone like a pearl in the desert and dazzled us completely with its splendor.” Another, Pietro della Valle, added: “The beauty of the city surpasses everything I have seen in the East.”

But this spring it is threatened with mutilation and death. In recent weeks, its inhabitants have lived in constant fear of the thunder in the sky.

“Our city is like a museum without a roof. Spare us!” pleads the mayor.

Isfahan is not only a historical jewel, but also an industrial and technological hub in Iran. In and around the city are several facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program, military industry, air bases, and logistics. This makes it a potential target for airstrikes, increasing the risk of damage to both civilian and historic areas.

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