Blog 9: Arriving in Esfahan and Bazaar Addictions

May 10-14^th

Blog 9: ARRIVING IN ESFAHAN & BAZAAR ADDICTIONS

Esfahan, population of 1.7 million, is the third largest Iranian city and is bisected by the Zayandeh River. It is the most religiously and culturally diverse city in Iran where we are able to visit the sacred places of Zoroastirans, Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a beautiful city that has been compared to Florence. The first night after dinner at the Abbisi Hotel, John, Zanny and I walk to the 33 arches illuminated bridge (Siospol) built in 1603. 

Esfahan Bridges

Siospol 33 Arches Bridge

We meet many friendly people who like in Tehran and Shiraz stop to talk with us and ask to have pictures taken with them. 

This pedestrian bridge feels romantic and peaceful and I reluctantly return to the hotel.  The next day we return to see this bridge in daytime and are still amazed by its beauty and the friendliness of the people. We learn that 33 is an important Iranian number as it represents 33 ways to go to heaven and is the number of beads on the light green prayer beads. 

Khaju 24 Arches Bridge 

 Walking over a 2^nd  Khaju Bridge built in the 1660’s with 24 arches again many people ask us to take “selfy” pictures with them. I laugh as in one case a woman dressed in a black chador was taking a picture of us with her I-pad while her husband was videotaping her taking a picture of us!  I wonder about a new psychological diagnosis called, “selfie picture-taking addiction”.  I am completely amazed by how virtually all the young people are taking pictures of themselves. What is the meaning of this?

Lion eating head of person

Women taking a selfie pictures

A handsome young man asks to take a selfie picture with me and John takes a picture of us! 

  
Often people ask us about America, Trump, and Obama. Skip tells one person that if Trump is president he will move to Esfahan.   I tell them I will move to Canada and that I am Canadian. 

People sitting under the 24 arch bridge

Our 3^rd  historic 17^th century bridge (Shahrestan) is the oldest in Esfahan.  Here I take a picture of this beautiful bridge with its fantastic reflection in the river.

Shahrestan Bridge 

It is a quiet reflective moment and clearly not the bridge where romantic Iranian couples and groups of young students are hanging out or wanting to have pictures taken. I think it is the most beautiful picture of all, especially without people in it.

Shiraz Bagh-e Nazarbizaar (Bazaar)

Ceramics

I know from prior experience traveling with Zanny in Burma/Myanmar that she has the same shopping fever and love of wandering in bazaars as I do. After leaving Tehran we were both feeling deprived of not having any bazaar time there so in Shiraz we lobbied for seeing the Shiraz Bagh-e Nazarbizaar while John and Skip take naps.  We are eager to be unleashed from our guide and husbands, as lovely as they are, but Amin is reluctant to let us enter the bazaar alone and thinks we will get lost, or buy something of “low quality”. He doesn’t seem to worry about the possibility of pickpockets as the penalty for this in Iran is high.  We enter this very large, late 18^th century bazaar that definitely feels like a rabbit warren (and I’m sure I would have gotten lost), yet it has an intimate, relaxed, friendly and quiet atmosphere with very little sales pitch or pressure. 

I am fascinated watching the Iranian women dressed in black buying bright colored and glittery fabrics. Others are choosing what shade of black to buy.

Shades of Black

Danny buys purse

Buying cosmetics 

A Rush to Buy Jewelry

Clothing Options 

This is such a different experience from other Middle East bazaars I have traveled in such as in Jerusalem or Istanbul where it was crowded, loud and intense with vendors only interest being to sell us something and then their disappointment or anger when we don’t. 

Nougat

Here Iranian vendors smile at us and stop to ask where we are from, or to answer a question we have about how something is made, or to offer us a date or nougat. They seem pleased when we say we are American, welcome us and thank us for coming even when we don’t buy anything. Again they seem willing and even pleased to be asked to have pictures taken of them and sometimes ask to have pictures taken of us with them on their own I-phones. I love taking pictures of people but worry that my picture taking frenzy seems irritating or disrespectful to them. However, I experience no resistance or discomfort and this seems to reinforce my picture taking addiction.  

We stop for some special kind of ice cream, which is called faludeh-Shiraz style, which is not made of milk and looks like spaghetti. 

Faludeh..Shiraz Style 

Zanny haggles a little for some small painted boxes and I buy some pencils for Seth’s rehearsal dinner.

Later in the day we return to the bazaar with John and Skip, as they want to see some of it. John checks out the saffron and negotiates a price.  Both John and Skip sniff to check quality. I wonder what they are going to make with this? 

Saffron 

Spices

The spice market is amazing.  

tobacco 

Skip buys Zanny a mother's day present of a beautiful painted perfume bottle. We take Skip and John to the same ice cream store that we sampled earlier in the day. 

Skip and John now enjoy faludeh

 Zanny buys bread and we snack on it.  It tastes great when hot but when old like a bath mat (and looks like one). 

 John and Skip gravitate immediately towards the carpets that are 5% the price of those we have seen earlier in the fancier store where we bought our “high quality” carpet. I wonder if we have paid too much for our carpets. Moreover, there are so many carpets in so many stores I wonder whether there are enough homes to house all these carpets.  In truth I find it difficult to tell the difference between a high quality and low quality carpet, even though I know enough to ask about the number of knots per square inch, or whether it is old or new, or if it has natural or chemical dyes, or uses any silk, or if the silk is from Iran or China, or to check whether the rug’s fringes or tassels are secure. I even understand that machine rugs will look perfect whereas hand made rugs will look uneven and irregular in places.  Nonetheless I understand just as I have never become a connoisseur of fine wine and can easily be fooled by cheap wine, so can I be taken in by a lovely salesman who takes the time to show me many rugs, ply me with tea and nougats and tell me he can find exactly what I want.

We find an interesting out of way section of the bazaar where nomadic women dressed entirely in black are sewing special dresses for weddings. We watch as a seamstress repairs the hole in the seat of John’s pants and then irons them. It takes 20 minutes and she charges $3. We watch in fascination as various women come in to have dresses made for them.

Small Market 

Picnic Stop 

On the 8-hour drive to Esfahan we stop for lunch at a small market that has a mosque attached to it. John has to tear himself away from listening to Elgar. 

Clearly this place does not satisfy our bazaar needs but does satisfy our needs to meet Iranian people.  Many small groups of families have also stopped at this oasis, put down their carpets, taken off their shoes and are having picnics.  I begin to learn about the Iranian people's love for picnics.

We too put down our carpet for a picnic. One of the families comes over and shares some nuts and candies with us ~ again the generosity and friendliness of the people impresses me.

Esfahan Bazaar 

Entrance to Bazaar at North End of Imam Square

On the second day in Esfahan we go to Maydan-e Imam Square that has an immense open space that is said to be three times the size of St Mark’s Square in Venice. It has a visually breathtaking view of lawns, fountains, a large beautiful dome, tiled Royal Palace entrance, children playing and even horse drawn carriages (as well as golf carts). Many families are sitting around on carpets having picnics and enjoying this beautiful place. Amin tells us the Shahs used to watch polo matches and military exercises on this lawn.  

The north end is the entrance to the bazaar where Amin, John and Skip plan to visit the carpet store while Zanny and I wander in the bazaar. However, we were all readily side tracked when we enter a store where a man is demonstrating block printing on cotton.  




Like the rug sellers we learn about the natural dyes used on these cottons, the quality of the fabric and complexity of the design. 

We are shown certificates authenticating the quality of these tablecloths and the reason for the higher prices compared those in the market.  As expected John and I end up buying several runners and tablecloths while Zanny and Skip are able to abstain. This fabric reminds me of our hippie days.

The third day in Esfahan we are back again in this bazaar and this time visit a store at which a painter demonstrates miniature painting, a specialty in Iran.  He uses a paintbrush made from cat hair (and sometimes pigeon hair) and skillfully draws a tiny black and white picture of a famous poet on a small piece of camel bone. 


 

The dye is made from carbon and honey for the drawings and the artist explains how it can take 12 days to do a picture. We view his miniature pictures that range from $250 to $5,000 dollars.  He reminds us that the price of the picture is not about the size of the picture rather it about the quality of the drawing. During this demonstration we are given nougat but despite the loveliness of this man and the nougat this time no sales are made.  

Ceramic Tile Work 

Late afternoon on this day when John, Skip and Amin go back to the carpet store, Zanny and I spend more than 2 hours again wandering through this large bazaar looking at ceramics, metal work, and tasting dates and nougat.  

This time we are completely untethered, as Amin seems to think we won’t get lost because the market is really just a square design surrounding the large park space and not a rabbit warren.  I particularly love watching Iranian women buying cosmetics, or three-quarter length colorful coats, or haggling over spices or fabric.  

In some stores we see men hammering copper and metal to make gorgeous pot designs.  
Zanny barters for a large, lifelong lasting bottle of pomegranate paste for making one of the traditional Iranian dishes (chicken, walnut and pomegranate).  I wonder if she can get this across the border. 

She also buys spices from a lady sitting on the floor. 

On the fourth day in Esfahan we are back in the bazaar for lunch. Afterwards Zanny and I stay longer to buy nougat. We learn about how it is made from egg whites, sugar and the price of various boxes depends on the percentage of pistachios per piece of nougat.  We barter for a box of medium quality nougat at $3!

We see other Iranian women eating faleudah ice cream just as we had done earlier. Ice cream of various varieties seems to be a universal drug of happiness.