Made by Shah Abbas II, this bridge is the finest bridge of Isfahan, functioning as both bridge and dam. There was a bridge from the Timurid era and by the order of Shah Abbas it was remade to the current shape, therefore it is the oldest bridge of the city. The artistic tile work and paintings of the bridge distinguish it from the other 11 bridge of Isfahan. The 132-meter-long bridge has two levels; the lower level has 26 arches that regulate water with their locks. The octagonal pavilion of the center was used by Shah Abbas and his family. Although the bridge was made as a passage over the river and as a dam, by the time its primary function changed and it became a place of public meeting. In words of Upham Pope and Jean Chardin, Khaju bridge is “the culminating monument of Persian bridge architecture and one of the most interesting bridges extant...where the whole has rhythm and dignity and combines in the happiest consistency, utility, beauty, and recreation.”
