Lord Curzon says (History of Persia, Vol. II, page 37) that "Even Chardin, enthusiastic but seldom sentimental, was inspired to an unwonted outburst by the charms of Hasht Bahisht".
VIEW OF CHAHAR BAGH (FOUR GARDENS) AND HASHT BAHISHT (PAVILION OF EIGHT PARADISES) AT ISPAHAN. CONSTRUCTED BY SHAH SULEIMAN SAFAWI ABOUT A.D. 1670. REPRODUCTION FROM "LA PERSE, LA CHALDEE ET LA SUSIANE" (1887) BY DIEULAFOY
PAIR OF DOORS FROM THE PAVILION OF CHAHAL SITUN (Hall of Forty Pillars) built by Shah Abbas the Great (A.D. 1588-1629).
These are decorated with representations of scenes from the Royal Court of the great Shah, painted minutely by Court artists.
"They transport us straight to the Court of the lordly Abbas and his predecessors or successors on the throne.... We see the King engaged at some royal festivity enjoying the pleasure of the Bowl."—Lord Curzon, History of Persia, Vol. II, page 34.
Ker Porter, who saw the Palace of Chahal Situn in its perfect condition, records: "The exhaustless profusion of its splendid materials reflected not merely their own golden lights on each other, but all the variegated colours of the Garden, so that the whole surface seemed formed of polished silver and mother of pearl set with precious stones."
Lord Curzon, who visited it soon after its last repair in 1891, quotes Ker Porter and by way of contrast says: "The bulk of this superb decoration which still remains in the Throne Room behind, to point bitter contrast, had on the walls of the Loggia been ruthlessly obliterated by the brush of the painter, who had left in its place pink wash; had I caught the Pagan, I would gladly have suffocated him in a barrel of his own paint."—History of Persia, Vol. II, page 33.
