Exploration of Isfahan
Today we began our exploration of Isfahan. We visited a large park within the Imam Square (Naghshe Jahan or half the world) built in the early 1600 by Shah Abbas. The courtyard 512 by 163 meters was the largest of its kind in Iran and the second largest in the world adored for the brilliant and monumental structures that Shah Abbas ordered during his reign
The square is surrounded by merchants and a façade of a second story strictly for static purposes at one end of the Abbas Mosque, the largest in Iran has been operational for over 400 years and whose chambers showed tile work that took over 17 years to complete. The acoustics of the main space has incredible resonance due to the design that allows Imam to be heard within its vast chamber. The two towers are many meters high.
Actually on the way to the square we stopped to see if the contemporary art museum might be opened. It wasn’t and accidently ran about fourteen, seven year old school girls who had visited the national history museum earlier on the site that we found them. It was a movingly joyous encounter, giving the total fun emanating from each girl as we talked with them and their sweet teacher. They played and whispered to each other and looked at us with openly sensational interest. We took some invited photos and assembled the group for more pictures. Sohrab suggested to see them tomorrow at their school and Lisa and I began to figure that we could buy things like puppet to give them if the meeting happened. The whole experience was happy, beyond words, one of those unanticipated moments that exceed all feelingful bounds.
We had to wait till after two to visit due to the daily prayer earlier so we wandered around the bazar perimeter under the brick arches shopping. We searched out a block printing workshop some master sat working surrounded by shells piled high with folded products of varied colors. He exuberantly explained the sequence of producing the finished table cloths and bedspreads and other sundries from preparing the high quality cotton cloth to washing it, to shrink it down then we began the to see printing of one, two, three, four, five cotton colors all for natural coloring stuffs, walnut for black, saffron for yellow, lapis for blue, pomegranate for red that he carefully placed in visual registry and then make it ready to imprint. The follow up steaming and washing, to set the colors permanently to a range of quality was demonstrated. I bought a long rectangular table cloth and a round one for the breakfast table.
Then we talked with the shopkeepers and we went to Bastani restaurant, another magnificent site where walls were covered with geometric and arabesque mirror tiles where an 8 foot high old brass samovar and tea kettle stood. I ordered a crunchy and mediocre shrimp and rice combination, Sohrab consumed his usual major meal and we exited to continue our hunt in the bazar.
Lisa found a copper vessel store and bought 9 gorgeous plates for her gift bag, so we needed to get and additional bag. We went out again to visit the grand mosque then across the square to mosque Abbas build for the royal family without minarets. It’s breathtakingly orange glow of the spectacular tile work in dome was design like a sundial where light from the sun created from a peacock like illumination of the dome that moved the hours and pointed to the Koranic prayers always in Arabic script in sequence.
Lisa bought a lovely tile from the restoration workers’ shop in the main mosque going through major repairs included replacing tiles of the dome every 30 years due to sun and weather deterioration. We then stopped in a miniaturist shop of a seventy something (year old) artist who worked his imagery on camel bone he had framed. We grabbed a tiny frame oval beauty for $50.
Walking was tough and we saw a 150 year old tea shop, Azadegan tea house and sat where we chatted with a young English teacher Maryam and her miniature artist friend for 30 minutes. It seemed everywhere we went, we were readily connected with Iranians and exchange basic stories, questions and loving sentimentalities always with photos all around to clutch on to the fleeting moments of heartfelt encounters.
The evening fell; we grabbed a small ice cream and came home, strolled across the street and called out another day. So much experience, such warm personal meetings and expensive shopping hunt, dissolving our little treasure and a deep feeling of a contentment and the payoff from our travel
Second Day in Isfahan
That was a day we visited Masjid Jame a thousand year old mosque whose origin was most like pre-Zoroastrian then went through every period of cultural change becoming the largest mosque in Iran. breakfast in the second floor of the Abbasi Hotel included juice, yogurt, cereals, two hard fried eggs and tea for me, Lisa had yogurt and two cold pancakes but warm from our regular substantial conversation with Sohrab. We set the day's plan to include the massive mosque walk and the Bazar shops along Imam square, having lunch in the Armenian quarter then to Vank cathedral, meeting with Shiva and her friend for tea and return home.
The bazar walking was filled with women's glittering evening wear, men’s clothing, spice and nuts and dried food stands, cheap jewelry, very much below the quality of the main bazar yesterday. The entry to the Jama mosque led to the large enclosure before the twin minarets and arched main entry. Sohrab walked us through 20 chambers, each with very tile and brickwork then the different historical ages through Sassanid, Mongol, Timuird, and through Shah Abbas. Sohrab's compelling scholarship and enthusiasm tried to light each compartment for us. He talked about Tajolmolk dome the finest example of the square chamber on which was designed and engineered a perfect circular brick dome 900 years ago. The Koranic Arabic calligraphy tile work and incredible alabaster corner round stones were beautiful. Text prayers were shielded by glass protectors, 40 0r 50 of them.
Highly technical explanations of each architectural period and details of the construction were available at the site. We pondered to see the legacy in the stone experience. Hasan drove us to the Armenian border, a rather more upscale area of Isfahan where we ate at a restaurant used to be a bathhouse 400 years ago. The lunch was new; Kufteh and Dolmeh for Lisa and I a barley soup and kebab for Sohrab and Hasan. The last day of the journey was to Armenian Christian church, Vank Cathedral, church of Saint Josef of Arematia in 1648. The interior of the site were completely covered with murals like those we had seen in every Russian church in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The exultation of Christ and the biblical paintings had covered every inch of wall set upon a traditional yellow and blue tile base. The museum next door included an early printing press bibles in 1860, first printed bibles.
Shiva and her childhood friend met us on the street and we spent an hour of laughter and exchanging stories at the nearby elegant tiny tea house. Then we grabbed a large cheap suitcase we needed to stuff our Iranian treasures and came back to the hotel. We relaxed and sat in the garden till the lamps were lit for nightfall