Farahabad, Mazandaran

Farahabad (Persian: فرح‌آباد; "abode of joy") was a palace and city built by Shah Abbas I in Mazandaran province, Iran.

Shah Abbas was fond of the province of Mazandaran, the birthplace of his mother Khayr al-Nisa Begum.

Situated on top of a hill with a view of the sea and the Elburz Mountains, it was decorated with murals by Reza Abbasi and goldwork by a German craftsman, and surrounded by gardens in the Persian style.

In 1618, the Italian traveller Pietro della Valle visited Farahabad and compared the length of the walls to that of Rome or Constantinople.

The main remains today are the restored main mosque, built to a similar ground plan like the Masjed-e Shah in Isfahan, the ruins of the royal palace and parts of a bridge over the Tajandrud river which belonged to the royal road connecting Isfahan with the palaces of the Caspian region.