Es·fa·han (?s?f?-hän?) or Is·fa·han (?s?-) A city of central Iran south of Tehran. An ancient town and capital of Persia from 1598 to 1722, it was long noted for its fine carpets and silver filigree.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.E?fah?n (???f??h??n) n (Placename) a variant of IsfahanCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014