Compare and contrast the culture and society of the two important Muslim cities, Istanbul and Isfahan.

Istanbul is actually a relatively diverse city,
religiously, both currently and throughout its history.  Even though it was the seat of
the Islamic Caliphate for nearly 400 years, the city always had thriving communities of
non-muslims.  Due to its size and importance, Istanbul also had a great deal of history
that remained influential as it was never conquered and destroyed the way that Isfahan
was in the 18th century which actually caused the capital status of the city to be moved
to Tehran.

Isfahan is also slightly less diverse,
particularly now, perhaps because of its location within the more homogeneous region of
Iran and in the midst of a non-secular culture.  The influence of Islam is huge in the
city, perhaps evidenced by the massive and beautiful mosques in the
city.