Iran - The End

Thursday, 8 April 2010

It is our last full day in Iran. Tomorrow in the early morning, I cannot wait to get on the Turkish Airlines plane, take off my headscarf and coat, let my hair out and go back to freedom.

We are in Qom right now. It is one of the most religious cities in Iran and our last stop here. On our way from Isfahan to Qom, in the scorching desert heat we stopped by Abyaneh and Keshan.

Abyaneh is promoted as a historical Iranian village, which used to be Zoroastra (now Muslim). It consists of red mud and brick village houses, clean streets and a fire temple. 

It doesn't really have much particularity or beauty. The only difference is that the village women, different than in other parts of Iran (all women wear trousers) wear skirts only a little longer than their knees and cover their head with the same red and flowery scarf. But the biggest difference is that it is possible to see the women's legs.

Our later stop, Keshan was firstly disappointing because the new parts of the city have suffered from ugly and uncontrolled concrete urbanism, which is not very different than any town in Eastern Anatolia. It is of course very dry and hot. Our first stop here was the Phin Gardens built by the Safavids. 

In these green gardens, the Safavids and the Kachars built kiosk houses. 

Then we went to the old Keshan area. Old Keshan has more character.  

Houses and buildings are again made of mud and bricks. It has a strong Central Asia feel to it. The architecture and tiles of the Agha Bogorz Mosque are very interesting and nice. 

I imagine that the mosques in Uzbekistan are like this. Then we visited the (old) house called Tovbe Tovbe belonging to a rich Keshan family. The house is no different than a palace (especially the Safavid palaces we have seen earlier).

Qom is a city just like any other. Besides the fact that it is very religious and that the tombs of certain imams who are important for Shiites are here, it has no character. It is a concrete jungle and a crowded city. But the features of the people and the eyes look more like Turkmens and Central Asians.

Let's see where our next destination is and whether I will live to write about it...
All photos, Copyright Travelogueress

Iran Part V – Sleepless in Isfahan

Wednesday, 7 April 2010

Last night, the dinner we ate or I should say couldn't eat (of course it was chicken again) was terrible. I had put out everything that was in my mouth. I never do this sort of behaviour. On our way from the restaurant to the hotel, I kept on complaining about the inedibility of the food. When we reached the hotel, I suddenly had mental clarity.

How can I complain about food? There are so many people in the world who can’t find this and die of hunger. I felt very guilty for complaining. I couldn't sleep at night for 3-4 hours. I contemplated a lot. At first, I couldn't believe that I was in Iran, in Isfahan. God is so generous to me. God doesn't let me go without food, water, family, love, home, work and to top it all realises all my childhood dreams and wishes (except for [...] but there is a reason for that). And all I do is to complain. I am actually so lucky. God's hand is always on me thankfully. God is always so generous and gracious to me. There must be a reason for this.

If God is showing me his/her love, generosity and graciousness so clearly, gifting me with my childhood dreams like travelling our planet, engraving the love of nature and animals by talking to me through my mother, showing me love and graciousness through F., making me feel hope, magic, [...], all beauty concerning the humanity and all his/her emotions in an exploding intensity through [...], God is actually speaking to me very clearly.

There is no hurdle or middleman between us. There isn't for anyone actually. We can directly talk and communicate with God. This is the most beautiful and gracious king: King of the Universe, our creator. S/he created us not as servants but workers, for a reason and with a responsibility. The conclusion I reached in my insomnia last night was this: If God is so generous, gracious and full of love for me, then this is also my duty.

I may not be a big, famous, rich leader. This has no importance. All I need to do is to give love, graciousness and generosity to all creatures that come my way during my lifetime. That's it! Not everyone has to be famous or a leader. There is need for workers as well. Without the workers, there is no completion or production. So I am also a worker. God's worker. [...] wasn't [...] but like Ataturk, God [...] also sent to this planet and life with a special duty. I am a soldier of love. I am a worker of love. And I believe that if in this world we spread love, graciousness, generosity, kindness and smiles as much as possible, we can solve even the most difficult problems.

For me, God is actually love; love is god. Creator = (equals) Love. At this age, I know with certainty. There is no stronger power than love. This power can create and it can destroy. It is an incredible strength. Hence, love is God.

If the Creator is love, then I thought about the equivalent and the meaning of the verb to create. I tried to reach a solution with a mathematical logic. If the word creator is love, the verb to create is to love. So why did God create us? Because s/he loved us. The Creator is the King of the Universe. We were created to complete the whole of the universe. Hence, to create = to love = to complete = to be (because we are when we are whole, we are, I am).

Therefore, God said be = said I create = said I love you. To tell another person (or something) I love you, is actually to tell "I am because you are," your existence is important or "for me to be whole, you are important" (for me to be me, you are [you]).

So, I love [...], F. my family, nature, our planet, the Creator because for me to be me, they were created (of course the Creator wasn't created). We are all part of a chain, a whole. A chain of love!

...

We completed our morning tour; we are resting in our hotel before we start our midday tour. Even though not as much as Shiraz, the heat strengthens in midday. It becomes particularly tiring because I have to wear a coat and a headscarf.

This morning, we saw the Jewish neighbourhood (the first to start settlement in Isfahan were the Jewish), 

shaking minarets, 

the Zoroastra Fire Temple (the Zoroastra believe in one god and do not worship fire. 

They only use fire as they worship god) called Atasgah (like "ates" (fire) in Turkish), the Siyesepol bridge with 32 passages (Allahverdi Han) 

and the Armenian Vank Cathedral.

Shah Abbas the First asked Armenians to settle in Isfahan for economic gains in the 17th century. The richest group in the city are the Armenians. Inside the Cathedral and the decorations look very similar to Safavid mosques besides the depictions of Jesus Christ and the Bible. There is a monument in the courtyard of the cathedral for the so-called genocide; next to the monument, there are lots of photographs and posters full of propaganda and accusing Turkey. [...] The cathedral's museum is very rich and interesting. 

It is possible to see the tiniest book in the world, a prophet Abraham portrait drawn by Rembrandt and a piece of hair on which an Armenian sentence is written with a diamond pen. There are of course also articles, videos and interviews about the so-called genocide.

We visited the Juma Mosque, which is in the oldest town centre of Isfahan constructed by the Selchuks. The mosque built on an old Zoroastra fire temple carries layers from different periods and marks from different kingdoms. 

The Selchuks, Safavids, Ilhans and Kachars are included in this. The combination of the art of all these periods, cultures and kingdoms created one of the most beautiful examples of Islamic art. 

It is worth visiting Isfahan just to see the Juma Mosque, the Blue Mosque (now called the Imam Mosque) and the Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque nearby.

Interestingly, aesthetics play a major role on human psychology, impressions and observations. If we never came to Isfahan, my thoughts and impressions about Iran would have been very different than what they are now.

...

After a short nap, we went to a second Safavid palace: Hasht Beshast (8 Heavens). 

Another name for this palace is the Nightingale Palace because it is situated in a garden with plenty of nightingales. Before the palace, I have to say that the garden (I should actually say park) is really very green, smells beautiful and is full of colourful flowers.

Isfahan's garden and parks really deserve their reputation. 

Unfortunately, not much has survived to this day from this palace either due to time and damages but it is not difficult to picture what a wonder it was at its heyday. It appears that like the Tulip Period of the Ottomans, the Safavids lost their power with time due to their devotion to pleasure, gardens and beauty.

Tonight, we decided to have a fast-food meal not to try our chances again with the Iranian food. The Iranians are very respectful but it seems that they do not care much about helping the tourists or being friendly. Since it is not easy to come across a smiley face, we were psychologically drawn to the first corner buffet we saw with a smiley teenager in it. The pizza we had looked and tasted nothing like a pizza but at least, thankfully we got to eat something without saffron and chicken.

As for the Iranians, as I wrote earlier, they are respectful but distant. They are either shy or wary of foreigners. Who knows? But as a nation, they are introverted. Their facial features are no different than statues and figures seen in Persepolis. So it seems like their facial features haven't changed in thousands of years. I am no genetics engineer but it seems like they didn't mix much with the other nations, societies and races who have passed through these lands in their thousands of years old past. For example, our guide today told us that the Armenians never marry with the Iranians. Of course in every country, minorities tend to stay together and don't mix with the rest but this seems like a very shy and introverted society to me.

Tonight is our last night in Isfahan. We will start our journey toward Qom in the morning. God willing, we will stop by Abyaneh and Keshan. After spending a few hours in Qom, we will get on our Istanbul plane on Friday morning. I can't wait!

All photos, Copyright Travelogueress

Iran Part IV- Isfahan

Tuesday, 6 April 2010

I finally found the images I had developed in my head about Iran by reading about this region of the world and the country in Isfahan today. The real Iran is Isfahan. I wish there were direct international flights to Isfahan, so that we wouldn't have to waste time in places like Teheran with no character.

Isfahan gets its name from an Arabic word, "sepihan"; because in the past, this was a city where they used to breed beautiful horses and train horse riders. Today, Isfahan is the city of green gardens. It really is. 

Its climate and weather are nice. It is a nice, habitable city. It is quite orderly and clean. It is full with the refined artwork and architecture left behind by the Safavids. The Selcuks also had a lot of contributions in Isfahan.

The artworks were mostly damaged during the Kachars and the revolution. During the revolution, people took their anger and hatred against the kingdoms by damaging and breaking the artwork in the Safavid palaces. Pity. After the revolution, the names of most monuments and squares were changed to "imam."

In this country, they care more about what the imams say rather than God and the prophets. They don't pray in the mosques. They only pray there on Fridays. 

Since the time we arrived in Iran, we only heard the call for prayer twice or three times. It is very strange that they are so obsessed about what women wear whilst they don't follow religious practices.

Anyway, what's important is the architecture of the mosques in Isfahan, the intensity of the blue in all the tiles and paintings, acoustics that they could achieve, musical sound systems and even the animal figures they used on the tiles in the mosques (even though it is against Islamic art). 

They really paid a lot of attention to refined motives and ornaments. 

In the Safavid period, they even built an easily climbable minaret for a blind imam so that women who didn't want to cover their head could pray. How times have changed...The floors of the mosques are not even carpeted. Brick is heavily used in Iranian architecture. 

Even these mosques have been constructed with brick and the bricks have been covered with tiles.

The river stemming from the mountains cools the city and gives a different atmosphere. It makes it a green city. There are 3-4 bridges on the river. The Hajou Bridge has 3 different pavillions. The Shah had a special part from where he could watch the rowing tournaments.

The Safavid King, Shah Abbas the First's (the one who created the Shiite sect in Iran) 40 Column Palace is one the three palaces which have survived to this day in Isfahan. Most works have been stolen, disappeared or damaged. 

But it is possible to see interesting mural paintings and decorations here. There are decorations which align with the fairytales and mythologies I have read as a child and the Persia I imaged. 

 

In these images, it is possible to see that the Safavid kings used to serve wine for their foreign guests. 

It is also possible to see miniatures in this palace which depict the daily life of the time. There were also Dutch and English artists in the Shah's palace. 

These artists painted images of the European life, kings, princes and princesses on the walls of the palace and also on the walls of the Ali Kapu Palace on the Naksh-i Jihan Square. Finally I found a place I like in Iran: Isfahan! I guess it is possible to say that Iran's Istanbul is Isfahan.

Interestingly, no one ever mentioned the famous Persian poet Omer Hayyam so far. Is it because of his penchant for wine? We did have a disappointment in Iran though; the food. Since the time we arrived in Iran, we could not find a tasty dish. We are either unlucky or the Iranian cuisine is nothing but a lie and it has no taste or richness. There is a particular lack of variety in vegetables and fruit. My dear country Turkey! Forget oil or gas, my country's green richness, soil and water is enough!

All photos, Copyright Travelogueress