The fourth phase of the project to strengthen the structure of Chehel Sotoun in Isfahan Province has been successfully completed, according to a senior official at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
This stage involved the reinforcement of the double-layered roof of the palace's colonnaded terrace and its ornaments.
Fereydoun Allahyari, head of the provincial ICHHTO office, said the scheme has been conducted "with state funds of around one billion rials ($24,000)".
"The colonnaded hall is the first part of the palace to catch the visitors' eye and reflects the overall beauty of the building," he said. Besides, another one billion rials were allocated to cobble the northeastern wing of the palace's garden, according to the official.
Chehel Sotoun is a palace located in the center of a garden in the city of Isfahan. It was built by Shah Abbas II (1642-1666) to be used for his entertainment and receptions.
The entrance pavilion is a special feature of the building. It is supported by twenty slender wooden columns which, when reflected in the waters of the fountain, appear to be forty. This has inspired the name Chehel Sotoun which means forty columns in Persian.
The wooden roof of the terrace is ornamented with paintings and mirror work.
