On the next day, after breakfast we began our day starting with Iran National museum, the two large building complex was divided between the Iran Bastan museum with artifacts began at the dawn of civilization and we’ve been through even more interesting and beautifully displayed organized, distinguishing each historic period pre- Alexander 330 BC to 700 BC and the rise of Cyrus and Darius, the Achaemenids. We’re slow shown through seminal sculpture great but limited rebalance of colonial archeological removal to England and France of major and massive inventory still held tightly by the west. The sophistication, monumentality of the exhibits had to be a national and museum science pride only superseded by the spectacular world class tour through the second Islamic museum.
We thoroughly walk next, the cold rainy day continued so differently to yesterday. The light wind outside, made the sanctuary of the museum a welcome comfort. Pushed the head to explore the next venue and we climbed to the third floor walking around the pristinely appointed rooms, each with its complement of a glass cases with carefully spaced statuary, glassware, carpet, textile, Koranic (Quran) hand drawn and gold painted illuminations. The bulk of the objects derived from 10th, 11th and 12th centuries and were overwhelmingly beautifully an ornate in the extreme. It was hard to believe them, brilliance, scholarship and artistry of the turbulent times when Mongol domination tested Persian integrity. Compared to the relative primitivism of the west at the same time, the evidence of the Persian culture of that time was breathtaking. The treasures revealed themselves; the slower we moved and exploded with the wonder when we stopped to take each perfectly lighted and displayed piece. Numerous stunningly designed gold jewelry weaving samples the exquisite pottery and glass, range of vessels gripped both of us beyond words. Descending the floors and examining every exhibition place energized and held us with unknown experiences.
We lunched at 1 PM, finely in upstairs well-established restaurant Shiva, serving stuffed olives, mixed salads, rice and lamb, barley soup and folk bread. As we navigated the city every main street was decorated with major sidewalk art installations, five feet painted eggs for the first time in Tehran. While all were decorated in tree original decorative ideas at intersections and mid blocks major multistory murals of the leaders and martyrs.
Our last step was glass museum housed in an ornate hundred year old residence built around the large double staircase and a mirror inlaid wall décor. Beautiful specimens were shown on two stories that were comfortable to the brilliantly better Islamic museum we had seen earlier. Back to the hotel dinner at 7:30, rice, lamb fillet, cream caramel and the day expired.
The next day
Storm and cold passed and today was glorious. We breakfasted with Roger Williams whom we met last night in an all American wilderness travel farewell dinner. After they were 24 days in Iran. I introduced myself simply to make a connection. Roger's wife and two co-travelers ate with us and we chatted about his extensive tour to the most unusual sites and his background in Tibetology many years ago.
Sohrab met us at 10 AM and our first disembarkation was the great bazar in downtown Tehran. It was a long walk extended in a number of blocks flanked by food and merchandise stalls laid with goods and brilliant with coiled bulbs, three to four long block long side allies, branches, utterly jammed by local buyers in the tens of the thousands.
Before we got underway, we diverted to the Golestan Palace a 140 year old royal residence. It was powerfully remodeled by the wife of the latest king. Now entirely a public tourism venue. The Property had been erratically reduced in size living two of porch pools lead up to the high story edifice. The façade was magnificently covered in painted blazingly colorful tile work and the interior where photography was prohibited was decorated wall and ceiling with mirror tiles and extreme complexity and stunning dazzling complexity which would like blue pastel and white apricot tile walls complemented the interior that originally held the diamond throne of the dynasty. The original jeweled furniture and décor had been replaced with facsimiles and the original pieces moved to Iran royal jewel collection treasure world we visited next. The excess and splendor of the reception and throne rooms reminded of Catherin the Great Saint Petersburg palaces in its sheer opulence. Sohrab reviewed the history and evolution in 19th and 20th century dynasties living up to the current period.