The era of Safavid rule (1501-1722) saw the finest flowering of the arts in Iran. In a time of dynamic religious and political developments, painting and textiles attained new heights of brilliance and opulence and architecture flourished with the growth of cities. This comprehensive book follows the development of Persian art and architecture during the reigns of successive shahs, from the first emperor Ismail I (1501-24) through the rule of his successor, Shah Tahmasp, and into the glorious age for the arts under the reign of Shah Abbas I, who came to the throne in 1588 and made Isfahan his capital, embarking on a grand plan of palaces, mosques and new quarters. Unlike his predecessors, he welcomed European travellers at his court, and by the end of his reign in 1629 European art had begun to influence that of Iran. Under his successors Shahs Safi and Abbas II, traditional Iranian forms such as colourful revetments of buildings were combined with wall paintings in both the Persian and European styles, and a new wave of Chinese influence made itself felt.