IRANIAN SUMMER

The Benefits of Looking Up

Here is the ceiling of the Loṭf-Allāh Mosque in Esfahan, Iran. I arrived about fifteen minutes before the mosque closed for the day, and had the pleasure of being the only guest visiting at the time (this was often the case!). I took the opportunity to stare up into this design, soaring high above me, for awhile. The background that appears a creamy yellow changes with the light and time of day.

Palace of Darius - Persepolis, Iran

Detail of the Gate of Xeres

Persepolis, Iran

Surveillance Camera Watching Me

...as I look out over Persepolis.

In the Tent City of Persepolis

All that remain of the Shah's lavish 1971 party to commemorate 2500 of Persian rule are the skeletons of the tents used to host hundreds of high profile leaders from around the world. It is commonly said that this demonstration of opulence by the Shah helped lead to the events of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

In front of the great Sa'di's Tomb

The Persian Poet Sa'di (d. 1291) is buried under this shrine in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Golistan and Bustan are two of his most famous works.

Nasīr al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz

This mosque is often called the Rose Mosque because its windows often filter through pink light in the morning.

Ya Fatima!

In my study of material culture and Iranian Shi'ism, I kept my eyes open for religious evocations and imagery everywhere I went. The "ya Fatima" ("oh, Fatima!) sticker on the back of this old car caught my attention.

Bagh-e Narenjestan, Shiraz

This garden is located in Shiraz, Iran. It's tropical feel gave me a moment of respite in what was otherwise a dry summer.

Madrassa Khan

This old Islamic School is not open too often in Shiraz, Iran, so it was a treat to be able to visit inside. The old machinery, presumably for some sort of repairs, really took me by surprise here and made for a beautiful juxtaposition of mechanical and aesthetic beauty,

Atop the Abassi Hotel

In Esfahan, Iran - During my last night in Esfahan, before my VIP bus to Shiraz, I took myself out for a nice dinner to enjoy the view of Esfhan in a relaxing atmosphere. It was worth the $6!

Esfahan's Naqsh-e Jahān Square

This is taken from the vantage point of the lovely Ali Qapu Palace, overlooking one of the main squares of Esfahan. During Ramadan, every green inch of land was covered with families gathering for breaking the fast, but during the hot days it provided a lovely overlook of Safavid architecture and history!

The Tile Museum of Esfahan

Not really - but a friend mentioned that this madras could be called the tile museum of Esfahan due to its beautiful collection of tiles throughout. This Madrasa Chahar Bag is normally closed to visitors, but is open on certain holidays and occasionally on the weekends, I had the special opportunity to find the madrasa on an open day and enjoy it to the fullest.

The Flower of the 12 Imams

A friend related to the story that this flower, Caesalpinia Gilliesii or ابریشم مصری, is a symbol of the 12 Imams because it has 11 petals, and one is without a head (Imam Hussain) and the twelfth stem is lost in occultation.

Khaju Bridge, Esfahan

Unfortunately the Zayandeh River is all dried up, so a little of the ambiance of this 17th century Safavid built bridge is lost. In the past, dockside cafes lined the banks of the river, but now the bridge is still a beautiful place to take a stroll and take in the exemplary tile work that seems singular to this bridge.

Art in Action

An artist restores a Safavid fresco in the Chehel Sotoun palace. Many frescoes in the Safavid palaces of Esfahan were covered over in the Qajar era, so restoration practices are in full swing to recover/uncover the original murals and details in these palaces.

Ali Everywhere

A special area of the Takht-e Foolad Cemetery in Esfahan, Iran has a memorial to Sufis following Ali, and is a treasure trove of Ali pictures, poems and memorabilia. I couldn't get enough of the richness and creativity of these memorials.

Armenian Church - Esfahan

At the Vank Cathedral in Esfahan, built in the early 17th century, gold plate and rich images of Biblical stories adorn all the surfaces of the cathedral.

Vank Cathedral

Another image of the Armenian cathedral in Esfahan. Shah Abbas I brought many Armenians into his empire and settled them in this neighborhood in Esfahan during the early 17th century.

Si-o-seh Pol, Esfahan

This bridge over the now dried up Zayandeh River features 33 arches, thus the name Si-o Se (33 in Persian). It's the longest bridge over the river and also featured a lively social atmosphere until recent years with the drying of the river basin.

Lonely Boats

Perhaps the saddest picture I took in Iran, these boats sit in the river basin patiently waiting for the river to come back to life!

Storage Wars 1

I couldn't get over the carpets stored here in the Shah Mosque (called the Imam Mosque after the Iranian Revolution in 1979) !

So small from down here

Workers and administrators taking a survey of the Imam Mosque in Esfahan, Iran.

Tile Detail in Imam Mosque

Again, on the benefits of looking up in Iran… you can never get over how the tiles seem to stretch for days above you in a dizzying fashion. A beautiful site.

Who Brought the Beat?

Old meets new in this installation of a speaker system in the Imam Mosque, Esfahan. I didn't see any wires, so maybe we were bluetooth enabled!

Look Closely ...

And you can tell that the angles of the entrance to the Imam Mosque and the prayer hall itself face different directions. The entrance to the mosque faces the main square of Esfahan, while the mosque is oriented towards the direction of prayer, Mecca. It makes for an amazing aerial view, too!

Poetry in Tile

I have only barely begun to unwrap this poem, but yes - it's a calligraphic poem inscribed with tile. A true treasure!

Storage Wars 2

Another breathtaking portico and an astonishing use of storage space for extra tiles. Here, it's in the Jameh Mosque of Esfahan.

Kashan Gardens

Persian gardens are so exquisite they are about 11 listed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites. Here is one beautiful one in the city of Kashan. The artistic embellishments on the archways are from the Qajar period.

City Life in Qom

You may recognize this one, since it forms the background of the site. I caught this shot at sunset, when the city was just coming alive - during Ramadan the days can be slow but at dusk the city slowly comes to life.

Fatema Masume

This is hands down my favorite picture I took in Iran. Not only because I caught the shrine of Fatima Masume in its beautiful sunset glory, where the gold of the dome matched perfectly the gold in the sky - but because I snuck the photo through my chador without seeing the screen of my iPhone. I didn't see what a gem of a photo this was until I got to my hotel later to examine what I had been able to capture in a place where cameras aren't normally allowed.

To Market, To Market

Right outside of the Fatima Masume shrine, a string of bazaars line the square, while pilgrims come locally and from abroad to pay their respects.

In the Museum

Many of the shrines I visited had museum collections that consisted of pieces donated as vaqf. The caption is hard to to read here, but in English it just says "Qajar painting," while in Persian it describes the main figure as the Prophet Muhammad. Why this distinction will be the project of an upcoming conference proposal …

Farm Life

It wasn't all Islamic art and material culture!! A visit to Ferdowsi's tomb took me eventually to my friend's family farm to see fresh peas growing in the desert.

Dry soil, fresh land

The ground may be dry, but this was a fertile land supporting many diverse crops!

A pan of the beautiful farm ...

Ferdowsi -

The tomb of Ferdowsi was grand, with no less grand of a narrator inside the tomb that offered Old Persian performances of the Shahnameh to anyone who asked. Look for video soon!

View from atop Torbat Jam

Two minarets frame this panoramic view.

Lost in the Trees

The tomb of the great Sufi mystic and author Jami is located almost to the Afghan border in Iran, less than one hour from Herat. Here, you see Jami's tomb with a pistachio tree growing right out of it, breaking through the stones. They say it grew miraculously, without planting the seed …

Duck Face

There aren't many ducks that show up in Persian tile work - but there are a vast number of stories of why this duck showed up at Jami's tomb!

Tiled archway or Roller Coaster?

It's how I felt when I looked up at this tiled archway -just like if I were looking down a roller coaster and about to make the big drop!

The Tree in Full

A full shot of Jami's beautiful Pistachio Tree

Entrance to Torbat Jam

Come with Me

Fresh Pistachios and a welcoming experience at Torbat Jam

Art on Carpet

This is a woven silk carpet with a photo-realistic design! It's held in the carpet museum of the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran.

A Survey in Blue

Blue stacks of building facades in the Imam Reza Shrine - Mashhad, Iran

Umar Khayyam's Tomb

Looking up in the sky, it's fitting that Persian poet and mathematician's tomb would be outfitted with beautiful geometric patterns. His tomb is located in Nishabur, about one hour form Mashhad in Northeast Iran.

From Umar Khayyam

Another detail of the walls around Umar Khayyam's tomb

Tile Factory 1

I visited the Astan Qods Tile Factory just outside of Mashhad, Iran. While there, a camera crew came to document my visit. It was one of the highlights of my trip to see this amazing factory in action that provides tiles to all the major shrines in the region.

Tile Factory 2

An artisan hand paints each tile according to a specific pattern at the Astan Qods Tile Factory in Mashhad.

Tile Factory 3

The design of these tiles and shrines takes a lot of work, and is all done by hand, from the pouring of the tiles and crushing the materials to mixing the dyes and pouring the initial glazes. This is one of the last steps: laying out the design and drawing it for the next painter to take over.

Tile Factory 4

Here an artisan carefully guides the hardened tiles by hand into a machine that will cut the tiles to fit perfectly in their place.

Tile Factory 5

A woman cuts and finishes tiles before they are sent to another part of the factory. In general, there were only 1-3 people working at each station of the assembly line.

Entering the Ta'zieh Ceremony

I had the opportunity to attend a ta'zieh ceremony, certainly not on the tourist circuit for visitors to Iran. A ta'zieh is often translated as a "passion play" and usually focuses on the martyrdom of Hassan and Hussain at Karbala, but can focus on other religious events as well. The entrance to the ceremony, a non-permanent structure, was this great mosque facade. I hyper edited with HDR so that the details could be better seen in this night scene.

Outer Courtyard at Imam Reza Shrine

Another favorite photo from this summer - I love the backlighting effect on the woman to the left and the man on the right.

Hijab Required

A poster hangs in a courtyard of the Imam Reza shrine, encouraging women in the benefits of wearing good Hijab.

Imam Reza Shrine - Great Courtyard

View of an expansive Imam Reza courtyard in the shrine complex

The Ahl Al-Bayt Carpet

Another beauty from the vaqf collection in the museum of the Imam Reza Shrine, this carpet is woven silk and features all the names of the family of the Prophet Muhammad in detailed script and embellishment.

VIP Auditorium Visit

The Imam Reza complex has at least two museums, a library, as well as a large auditorium, pictured here. The hall holds 761 seats - because if you add the numbers together, you get 14, the number in the ahl al bayt.

Mirrored Hall - Imam Reza Shrine

In another under the chador shot, I got this one within the main chamber of the Imam Reza Shrine

Iwan at the Goharshad Mosque

Within the Imam Reza complex, work and improvements are always in progress. Here I got a brief glimpse when they opened the barriers to let new construction vehicles in to see the renovations on the beautiful Goharshad Mosque.

Panoramic View at Imam Reza Shrine

Here you can get an idea of how big this shrine complex is!

Miniaturists - Old Meets New

A visit to one of the artists' workshops within the Astan Quds Foundation yielded insight into artists working in the traditional arts. THis is a Persian miniature in progress.

Ya Mahdi!

My first day in Mashhad was the 12th imam's birthday. He is the hidden imam, but Muslims celebrated his birthday with chia and sesame drinks on the streets and the city of Mashhad was decorated with many posters and signs dedicated to the Mahdi.

ZamZam

Pretty bold/great name for a water and soft drink company - the reference of Zam Zam refers to a miraculous well located near Mecca.

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From the Very North of Tehran

View from the balcony of a friend's house and one of the most northern places in the city of Tehran

Niavaran Palace

At the last shah's palace, there's a great art collection, and plenty of places to see to occupy at least half a day. The one pictured here is the Crown Prince's palace

Picasso in Iran

Shabanu Farah Diba amassed an extensive collection of contemporary art and classical pieces. Some are held in the Niavaran Palace complex and many are unfortunately locked away and hidden from the public. There are many pieces grander than this Picasso, but it's the best shot I could offer from this museum visit.

Iranian Sours

Sour dried fruits are a common treat in Iran - here is an especially beautiful display of them around the Darband area in Northern Tehran

Mirrored Pillars

A gorgeous entryway in the Golestan Palace in Tehran

View of the Golestan Palace

Mirrored Detail in Golestan Palace

The reflection of stained glass in the ample mirrored rooms of Iran's palaces were always a special visual treat.

Mirrors and Light

Mirrored Room in Golestan Palace

Ivory Bed from the Qajar Period

Located in the Golestan Palace, Tehran

Azadi Square at Sunset

Qur'an Gate by night - Shiraz, Iran