The Modus Operandi of City Quarters in Isfahan of Safavid Period

A glance at the studies in the area of historical urbanology of Persiaunder Safavids makes it clear that subjects of importance like city quarters (maḥalla) –which is at the heart of city-dwelling–have not been studied thoroughly and in a comprehensive manner. At the beginning, it seems that quarters of cities like Isfahan are lacking in a specific system or pattern. A close inspection of the sources on Safavid period, however, proves the contrary. The present study tries to represent the patterns and features of Isfahan’s quartersunder Safavids –a task which will be completed with a historical approach and an analysis of the main sources of the period.The findings reveal that Isfahan’s quarters used to have a uniquecultural, social, administrativeand physicalsystem and identity,which corresponded to the residents’ religious, ethnic, vocationaland social class background. Conflicts acrossvarious quarters–be it religious, ethnic or of class nature –are stressed in the sociologicalanalysis of pre-industrial societies. The study of the quarterssystem of Isfahan indicates patterns which correspondto the features of pre-modern societiesin their last years, ignoring the class and social interests of city-dwellers. The system of these quarters was, nonetheless,self-administered, which proved to be efficient when it came to satisfying the people’s economic, cultural, social and dministrativeneeds.