Half the World, Halfway across Iran - Esfahan

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So after all Erika’s blogs about Iran so far its time for me to say something. Iran really is one of the best countries we have visited and certainly one of the most surprising and interesting. It is not at all like I had imagined and the people are amazing. We are asked all the time what we think about Iran and what we thought/knew about Iran before we came. I am never sure how to answer as I did not have a fixed view or opinion and guessed that much that we are told in the west would be wrong, which was really why I wanted to come. I now know that Iran is a modern, highly civilised and developed country with diverse landscape, modern cities, and a highly educated, polite and hospitable population. Few people have wanted to talk to us about religion (as opposed to Turkey, Syria and Egypt) and women seem to have a largely equal role in society. Many of the strict laws we had expected have either been relaxed in the last decade or else are blatantly flouted by so many people that they have become almost meaningless. The ‘religious police’ do not seem to exist anymore; we have seen no sign of them at all.

In fact the longer we spend in the country the more ridiculous it seems that we were ever nervous or apprehensive about coming here, wrongly believing we would be under surveillance the entire time and that the authorities held such a tight grip. It seems like a joke. Yes it is a religious government and it is not exactly democratic, with a supreme leader who is unelected and a limited choice of 4 presidential candidates to vote for at election time, who are themselves handpicked by unelected officials. But then Britain has an unelected supreme leader/head of state who is also a religious leader (The Queen) and a basic choice between only 2 people/parties for prime minister and government at election times, who often have no clear difference in policy or opinion. Is our ‘democracy’ really so much better? In Iran both men and women can vote from the age of 15 so in some ways Iran is ahead of us……..

The west’s criticism of Iran is hard to fathom in terms of the democracy argument. Iran has a limited form of democracy which is far from ideal, but in this they are far ahead of neighbouring countries which receive no criticism from the West. Look only to Saudi Arabia; no democracy at all, beheadings and hand-chopping and women really are deprived equal rights there (contrary to what some may believe, none of these practices occur in Iran and never have done). Yet the USA supports and has good relationship with the Saudi royal family, no criticisms whatsoever. Jordan is another absolute rule country where women are invisible and yet it is a key western ally and receives millions in military aid and other funds. And without the support of the west the dictatorship in Egypt would have collapsed under enormous popular pressure years ago, probably to be replaced by a religious government which is what the majority there want. And when the Palestinians hold a free, fair and democratic election does the west rejoice in the spread of democracy to yet another corner of the Middle East? Does it ****. It refuses to recognise the democratically and popularly elected government of Hamas and then withdraws all aid-funding in an attempt to bankrupt it.
Iranian people are not stupid and it is this total hypocrisy which is the basis for any anti-western feeling that does exist. Not that there is any directed against normal people, we have been asked several times if “America good?” Some Iranians genuinely claim to love America and want to live there so they can be free. Most agree that the people of America are good, no problem, but that Bush and the government are very bad. They make the same distinction with Blair and the UK, and even with Sharon and Israel! They have nothing against the people of any of these countries, only their leaders. I doubt that many people in the west are so informed and hold such enlightened views about Iran, Syria or various other countries.

The system of government in Iran is not overwhelmingly popular though, and given the opportunity many Iranians, probably a vast majority, would see it changed. If Iran is left alone I am certain this will happen. The young generation want a different lifestyle than that which they are offered now, and they will be tomorrow’s leaders, change is therefore certain. Unless of course there is some kind of interference from outside, especially America and the west - nothing is more likely to make people close in and support their leaders, however unpopular they may be. If America tries to force its own brand of non-democracy on Iran it will be a massive disaster, worse even than what you see now in Iraq. Given time and left alone to sort itself out, Iran will become a more open and powerful nation, I have no doubt. The only thing which is currently preventing Iran from being more powerful economically is the ridiculous economic embargo placed on it by the USA and the uneven playing field it faces.

Aside from the lack of democracy the other strong idea we have in the west is that women are oppressed in Iran. I’m sure some Iranian women will agree, but you can find women in every country who will say the same! It is basically untrue and women seem to have a much better deal in Iran than in many of the other Middle Eastern countries we have visited. I had expected women to be either invisible or unseen before coming, as they are in large parts of rural Turkey and almost everywhere in Jordan. Failing this I thought that it would impossible for me, an unrelated man, to have a conversation or any kind of contact with Iranian women, not even to be able to make proper eye contact. This was basically the case in Syria and Egypt, excluding downtown Cairo, though even there when some Egyptian girls came and spoke to me they got hassled by some men nearby for doing so. I also figured Iranian women would be the most covered up of any in the Middle East. All completely wrong I am pleased to say; despite a law enforcing the hijab dress code many Iranian girls push things to the limit. They are always heavily made-up and wear their headscarves half hanging off the back of their heads, with beautifully styled hair on full display. Girls were more covered in Syria and Egypt where there is no law enforcing such things. And not only will they happily make eye contact, they will shake hands, talk to me and even, especially in Esfahan, openly flirt (all initiated by them I should point out). This is great because Iranian girls must definitely be some of the beautiful on the planet. By and large people choose their own partners and depending on how conservative the town is etc. it seems to be very easy for men and women to have open friendships and relationships. Though public displays of affection are not really on of course.

Right, I’m going to get off my soapbox and say something about our week in Esfahan, though you’re never far from politics in Iran…..

Now we had our visa extension we could breathe easier and relax about time a lot more. Also we were in one of the most fantastic cities in Iran to do so. Esfahan is a wonderful city and embodies how civilised Iran is. When we decided to come through Iran and head straight towards India, forsaking the Central Asian Silk Road, I was disappointed we would miss the marvels of Samarkand with its huge turquoise and gold domed mosques and madrasses. I needn’t have worried; if Samarkand eclipses Esfahan then it truly must be magical. The city seems to be a collection of elaborate, intricately decorated buildings, ranging from huge palaces set amidst lush, organised gardens, to the amazing mosques of ‘Nagshe Jahan’ (half the world) square. There is a beautiful river lined with parks and gardens which is criss-crossed by historic bridges, and the whole city is overwhelmingly green and beautiful. From the river you can see up to the jagged, brown desert hills around the city.

Esfahani people are trendy and beautiful too. The girls of Esfahan are some of the most beautiful in Iran and I was frankly amazed when on several occasions stunning Esfahani girls would come up and speak to us, but would only be looking and speaking to me, completely ignoring Erika. In other parts of the Middle East we had reverse experiences, especially in Egypt, with men speaking to Erika and ignoring me, for obvious reasons, so it was really interesting -especially for me! - to see this in Esfahan. And highly flattering too, especially when they would tell me I was handsome or beautiful!!. On one occasion 2 girls followed us down the street giggling until they plucked up enough courage to say they loved me, before running off giggling again. I was even winked at once!! This stuff never happens in Europe, girls this stunning don’t look at me twice. Frankly, I felt like I should live in Esfahan, or at least convert to Islam and get me 4 Esfahani girls as wives!! So going for a stroll in Esfahan was always a very pleasant experience, I always had a big grin on my face and a massively swollen ego.

The centre of Esfahan is dominated by Nagshe Jahan square, the second largest square in the world after Tiannamen. The square is really an enormous rectangle laid out with parks and fountains and surrounded by arched porticos into the bazaar. The Grand Bazaar dominates one end, facing down the length of the square towards the Imam Mosque or Masjed-e-Emam. To one side is an enormous palace, facing which is the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque. The Masjed-e-Emam really is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, with an enormous and intricately decorated entrance portal facing the square, behind which sits the massive turquoise dome. Inside the courtyard there are a further four iwans, or huge arched openings, all covered in turquoise and blue tiled mosaics, leading into different chambers of the mosque. The effect is awesome and it is clear that Persian architecture is supreme in the Middle East and the source of inspiration for many of the beautiful mosques and styles elsewhere. The architecture of the Masjed-e-Emam was considered so perfect that the architect and builders had to include deliberate but subtle mistakes (you can’t see them really) in order to show that they were not trying to match God in perfection! If you stand on a certain, well worn, stone under the dome and stamp your feet you here it echo loudly 7 times. Step once to the right or left and there is no echo at all.

Although we had wondered over the blue mosque in Istanbul, and Turkey really does have lovely mosques, I could see that the inspiration for these mosques had come from here, the origin of this kind of art and the most refined and intricate patterns were in Esfahan and Persia. The Sheikh Lotfollah mosque is smaller but no less beautiful, with a very different design and is unique in Iran, with a single indoor chamber rather then an open courtyard with the four iwans facing off it.

We also visited the Masjed-e-Jame, or Friday mosque, which is a truly enormous complex of different prayer halls and chambers, some of which are very ancient. Again there is a huge courtyard with raised prayer platforms facing onto the surrounding walls dominated by four huge iwans, all beautifully tiled in turquoise and blue mosaic patterns. Here though the view was unimpeded by shade screens so the effect was even more magnificent than in the Masjed-e-Emam. One of the domes here is considered to be mathematically perfect, the only one of its kind in the world. And it was built in the 1600’s and has withstood several earthquakes since then. It was here that I had my one and only conversion attempt whilst in Iran - while sitting on a prayer platform a young guy approached me and asked where I was from etc. He then asked if I was Muslim. When I said no he got excited and animatedly encouraged me to “coming Islam, coming Islam, Islam very good”. He asked what religion I was, I told him Christian, “Yes, Issa (Jesus) Christian very good, Islam very, very, very, very good, coming Islam?”…..

The bazaar has fascinating handicrafts and carpets, when you get tired of ancient mosques there are several palaces to wonder at, then there is the river, its lovely bridges and fantastic tea houses to sit in a while in the cool of the evenings. We spent longer than planned here partly because it was a holiday weekend and many of the mosques and palaces we wanted to visit were closed for 2 days. The national holidays were to commemorate the “Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic”, i.e. the death of Imam Khomeini. The following day is a holiday to commemorate his arrest prior to the Revolution. As a result an increasing number of banners, posters and enormous painted sheets of Khomeini started to appear everywhere. Frankly I could not see past the fact that there is an uncanny resemblance to the late great John Peel - check it out, Khomeini looks just like a bearded, grumpy John Peel?

While the mosques were closed we spent a couple of days lazing by the river meeting Esfahanis having picnics and celebrating the holidays - yes celebrating this particular holiday - and looking at the beautiful historic bridges which span the river. Many were built by Shah Abbas, who made Esfahan capital and also built the palaces and mosques.

We also visited the fire temple which is on a hill a bit out of the centre and has great views over the city. Esfahan is really very green and there are loads of fruit orchards very close to the centre which on Fridays are full of picnickers. The fire temple is really an ancient mud-brick ruin but the views were fantastic. We also visited the Armenian quarter and saw several churches which are built and decorated in a very similar style to the mosques. The only difference is the cross on top of the brick dome instead of a crescent.

We enjoyed resting in Esfahan a lot and met some really interesting people there. It was our first chance to sit still inside Iran and we even met some other backpackers in the hotel. We also met Somi one night by the river, a really interesting girl who works as chemical engineer at the oil refinery outside of the city. She told us Iran is a very feminist society overall, even the men are feminists. She also said that there are 72 different tribes in Iran - this is an Iranian saying referring to the numerous different attitudes and ways of life in the country, from religious conservatives to liberal reformists, the common tribe in Esfahan! She asked us our view of Iran compared to other countries in the region, particularly are they cleaner? We said truthfully that Iran is cleaner and tidier in general, with less litter and obvious pollution, and that the people are cleaner and more smartly dressed generally and more polite and well mannered. Oh and the showers are much better. She laughs and tells us this is because Iranians are Shia!!

She is very funny and jokes away all the time in perfect English, even telling us that Esfahanis are stingy! She is wearing conservative hijab, though not a chador, but says that Erika should not have to wear it as she is not Muslim, it should be a matter of personal choice. As we cross Si-o-Se bridge there is a man yelling over loudspeaker and political banners everywhere. We ask her what it’s about and she laughs, telling us it is a protest calling for women to wear their headscarves properly. I look around at the crowds of people out posing for the evening; the women all dressed very stylishly, made-up to the nines and with their scarves barely on their heads, and ask if there is much support. No, she laughs, just look at everyone. The message is clear; the conservative religious types have already lost here.

We also meet a guy called Masoud twice. He spots us with our bikes by the river and is really excited about our journey, vowing to buy a bike the next day, much to his wife’s obvious chagrin. They both sound American and it turns out they have just moved from LA back to Iran after some 20 years. We meet him again the next day testing out his brand new shiny mountain bike and a nearby family invite us, through him, to join their picnic. We spend 2 hours sat with the family chatting to them and Masoud, the family being as interested in his story as ours.

He is an American and also an Iranian, having left Iran after the revolution. He ended up owning a restaurant in LA and employed over 40 people but ‘started to have problems after 9-11’. No-one gave him any hassle as they don’t actually realise he is Iranian, but he had issues paying tax to such a regime. He is really funny and tells us that America and Iran have similar governments - they are both religious fanatics. Except he trusts the Iranians more and thinks they are more intelligent, tells us that Americans are the “dumbest people on the planet, nice people but really dumb and arrogant about it too”. Keen to contrast Iranians who are really open, hospitable and highly educated. Says he once showed some wealthy Californians a video of normal life and people in Iran and they couldn’t believe it, they have such warped idea what the country is like. Around us kids fly past on rollerblades and mountain bikes and people strut upand down the riverside posing, “except for the amount of clothing this could be LA in many ways, except here it’s safer and people are nicer”. He says if USA tries to attack Iran it will be a big mistake, that Iranian people want only peace and have never been aggressors, but if attacked then every man, woman and child will fight the Americans and they will easily win. “Even these trees will fight” he jokes. He doesn’t think it will happen though as “America only attacks crippled countries like Afghanistan and Iraq after a decade of sanctions”. Sanctions won’t work here because Iran produces so much of its own products, and the 25 year American embargo has not prevented massive economic growth. Talk turns to the bomb and they point to the hypocrisy of the USA and the rest having nukes and trying to stop anyone else having them. “They didn’t complain when Israel got them”. The family are loving this now and when the man returns with 2 boxes of gaz - an Esfahan speciality sweet made from nougat and pistachios - the old granny grabs one and waves it at the sky yelling in Persian. They all fall about in hysterics, apparently she is yelling “here it is, here’s the enriched Uranium, you can buy it for 2,000 rials”!! They laugh and laugh at this and we can’t help laughing too it is so funny watching them. They think it’s all a big joke and a load of made up nonsense by the Americans, and that Iran just won’t bend to their will to deny it or prove otherwise.

With the holidays over we can complete our tour of the mosques and palaces, and then its time to set off on the road again, towards the ancient desert city of Yazd - the centre for modern Zoroastrianism.

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Photos

Masjed-e-Emam
Dominates Nagshe-Jahan (Half the World) Square.

Persian Art
One of the giant frescos inside Chehel Sotun palace. I think this shows the Shah receiving a Royal delegation from India.

Khaju Bridge
Probably the most beautiful of Esfahan's historic bridges, but sadly the teahouse in the centre is now closed.

Heart Rending
The Ayatollah Khomeini. Or is it John Peel in disguise?

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
Also on Naghshe-Jahan square.

Magnificent Mosaics
Example of the amazing tilework on the Esfahan mosques.

Fire Temple
The remains of the ancient Zoroastrian fire temple, on ahilltop overlooking the centre of the city. Yes, all that greenery is the city centre!

The Zayandeh Rood
Esfahan's river - it is engineered to flow through the city to give maximum cooling effects, before flowing out into the desert to disappear inot the sands - like many rivers in Iran it never reaches the sea.

Si-o-Se Pol
Si-o-Se means 33 in Persian; the bridge is so named because thats how many arches it has.

Armenian Church
Disguised as a mosque - it even has the small tower that would once have been used to broadcast the Azan/Call to Prayer on a mosque.

Masjed-e-Jame
One of the four huge 'iwans' from the centre of the courtyard. Iran really does have the most beautiful mosques in the world.

Stamp of Approval
One of the many politically themed postage stamps in Iran. This ones remembers the USA's failed attempt to rescue the hostages from the embassy seige in Tehran, when a sandstorm caused their helicopters to crash.

Golestan -e-Shohada
'The Rosegarden of the Martyrs' - Esfahan's War Cemetry for the those killed during the war with Iraq. The faces of the dead really bring home the utter waste of this 8 year war, sponsored by the west.

More Mosaics
This time on Masjed-e-Jame

Imam Mosque
So good we had to show it twice.

Comments

[Austincher]

Thank you..
I am currently, endlessly a deskbound traveler. So I really just want to thank you for sharing your journey with me (and the world). I appreciate your commentary on your interactions with the Iranian people and for the food updates...two of my favorite aspects of travel. Keep on truckin' and thank you for the vicarious thrill of exploration.

[Dave & Shirl]

Imam Bayildi!!
Hello crazy bikers. We got quite worried when you said you were going into Iran and then there were no blogs for weeks, then suddenly we get deluged with several in just a few days. We still have another two to read before we catch up - spreading them out to spread the entertainment. You are doing a great deal to undermine our Western preconceptions about the Middle East, which is no bad thing. However, since our daughter always says that I (Dave) am the b*****d offspring of Bill Oddie and John Peel, I have to disagree with your suggestion of a striking resemblance between the Sainted Peel and the Holy Ayotollah! Hope things are still going OK. Looking forward to more missives from far-off lands!! By the way, Imam Bayildi is a favourite aubergine-based dish of ours. Let us know if you can translate the name - OK the Imam part is easy - what about the Bayildi? Love and Peace, Dave and Shirl

[Amir]

Greeting s to you, as an Iranian in exile, I would like to correct some of your observations on the political situation in my country. First, yes there are many religious police in Iran - they drove my father out of the country, and have persecuted my relatives in Iran, under the orders of the revolutionary guards, who in turn, take orders from the Supreme Leadership. When you compare this Supreme Leadership to your Queen, I have to laugh, then cry. Please wake up! Your Queen is a figurhead, with no real power, and certainly no veto in govenment matters. Please don't be naive. Yes, 15 year olds can vote, but 13 year old girls can marry! Recently, a 16 year-old Iranian girl was hanged for 'promiscuity'. Would this happen in your country? I understand you have fallen in love with Iran, it's no surprise, we are very friendly and hospitable people, but don't let that blind you to the reality of our government! They are murderers, dictators, and the day they are wiped out, whether by Iranians or America, I will praise God for the return of my homeland to its people.

[anonymous]

poor me poor me pure me a drink

[Okhtay]

I really loved this part of your blogging of Iran. About the political analysis of Iran I must say I seriously doubt that America wants a democratic powerful Iran. Maybe they say that in the media but the true nature of their policies should be obvious by their actions, that's for sure. America wants a way to keep the control of oil-rich middle east and a democratic powerful Iran would not help that. good luck again. p.s. I don't know if you answer any of these comments. But just in case my email address is Okhtay[at]psu[dot]edu

[okhtay]

another thing I should note is that the reason the girls are more open in Iran compared to other middle eastern countries is partially and ironically because of the hijab. As you know many families in Iran are still conservative even if not religious, and the hidjab dress core after the revolution helped the families to trust and let their girls participate more openly in the society and right now, as you might have known, more than 60% of the students in the universities are girls.