Isfahan (Old Persian: اسپادانیا , Middle Persian: سپاههن , Persian: اصفهان اسفاحهن) is the third largest city in Iran, 340 km south of Tehran. Isfahan was once one of the largest cities in the world. It was prosperous from 1050 to 1622 AD. Isfahan reached the peak of valor during the Safavid Empire. At that time, for the second time, Isfahan became the capital of Persia. Unique Islamic architecture , rooftop bridges , mosques and minarets are the main attractions of Isfahan even today. Isfahan's beauty is legendary. There is a proverb in Iran called "Isfahan Nesfe Jahn Asat" which means "Isfahan is half of the world". The famous travel writer Andr মাল Malraux wrote: That is to say, "Who can claim to have seen the most beautiful city in the world , which has not yet reached Isfahan ?" Malro called Isfahan " l'une des trois plus belles villes du monde", meaning "one of the three most beautiful cities in the world".