Beryan, Iranian Food
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While travelling to Iran and especially Isfahan, it is highly suggested to taste its famous dish i.e. Beryan, almost all the tourists who visit Isfahan will taste this unique and nourishing food.

Although most of the Iranian call it “Beryani”, its correct name is Beryan and only the noble people of the Isfahan know it, the word “Beryani” is in fact the place wherein Beryan is cooked and sold. The Beryani store is a separate place which exclusively sells Beryan. The importance of Beryan among Isfahani people can be seen in the facts that it is a dish which is only cooked in Isfahan and in a separate place and usually it is not cooked along with other foods.

Beryan, Iranian Food
Photo by www.beryaniazam.com

Beryan is mixture of lamb meat, white liver, kidney, onion and seasonings, the obtained paste is put in a non-stick container and then in the oven. While preparing it to be served, its own appetizer i.e. Beryan broth is added to it along with cinnamon and black pepper. Also, some curd and chopped bread are added to the broth of cooked meat and is served. As Beryan is a fatty and heavy food which needs long time to be digested, it is mostly served in lunch.

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Khatam
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Khatam is a noble and antique handicraft of Iran which is the art of decorating surfaces of the objects with small triangles made of ceramics. Its various designs consist of regular geometric shapes. These geometric shapes are formed through putting the small triangles next to each other. The triangles are made of various kinds of wood, metal and bone. The more delicate and tinier are the triangles, the more valuable the Khatam would be. In the plan of a Khatam, the smallest geometric unit consists of at least three triangles and the biggest one consists of at most four triangles. The value of Khatam is determined by the attention and care which is paid by the master who prepares it, the elegance which can be perceived only through a sensitive look.

Khatam
Photo by Anna Rogal/ Shutterstock

On the other hand, various woods like ebony, walnut tree, jujube, betel, cypress and pine and other objects like shell, special kind of yarn, glue and solvent are used in making Khatam. Khatam was previously used to decorate the tombs, doors of religious and non-religious buildings, rostrums, rehal of Holy Quran, chairs, tables and other objects like mirrors but today it is mostly used on decorative objects.

Khatam
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Some of the Iranian Khatam works remained from various historical eras can be seen in some buildings like Atiq Mosque of Shiraz and doors of Mirror Hall in Golestan Palace in Tehran. There are also some other works which are kept in Iran National Museum.

Khatam
Photo by Aleksandar Todorovic / Shutterstock

Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran are the most important centers of making and selling Khatam.

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In today’s global community, the Iranian carpet has a worthy position to declare Iran to others. Iranian carpet is a fluffy mat which is woven using silk, cotton, wool and coat according to the traditions and rituals of each region of Iran.

Many of the archeologists believe that the oldest carpet of the world which is called Pazyryk and now is kept in The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg with the antiquity of about 400 years B.C. is an Iranian carpet woven in Achaemenid Empire (330-550 B.C.). Although there is not any salient sample from Sasanian Empire (224-650 A. D.), based on the proofs it can be said that Iranian carpet was globally valid and famous in this era. In this regard, the most obvious sample is the famous carpet of Baharestan which has been mentioned in different historical sources. Many of the travelers who visited Iran in Islamic period have pointed out to the carpets of different regions of Iran and finally, in Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722 A. D.) the Iranian carpet was promoted from a rural art/ industry to a national activity and turned into a prominent part of Iran economy.

From the Safavid Dynasty onwards, the valuable samples of the Iranian carpet can be observed in different museums of the world, for example the Ardabil carpet which was woven for the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, the great ancestor of the Safavid, it is kept in Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  In this period, Kashan dealt with many orders due to goodness and elegance of the carpets which were produced there and manufacture of brocaded carpets woven with gold and silver threads was flourished upon the orders of other countries specially Poland.

In Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925 A. D.) and by the boom of European markets, a lot of carpet-weaving workshops were established in different cities of Iran like Tabriz, Kerman, Mashhad, Kashan and other cities and the Iranian carpets were exported to the Europe. On the whole it must be said that the most prominent centers of carpet weaving in Iran were Isfahan, Tabriz, Ardebil, Qom, Kashan, Nain, Kerman, Yazd, Mashhad and Hamedan from the past. It is worth mentioning that in 2010 the skill of carpet weaving of Fars and Kashan were globally registered as the spiritual heritage by UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Besides, in 2015 Tabriz was known as global city of handmade carpet.

Designs in Iranian Carpets

In addition to its decorative aspect, designs of the Iranian carpets attempt to reflect Iranian identity, beliefs and goals. These designs were divided into 3 general patterns: plant designs, animal designs and human designs from among them, plant designs are the most frequent ones used in Iranian carpets. The most important plant designs in Iranian traditional arts including carpet design are Eslimi (Arabesque) and Khatai (Floral).

Eslimi: Eslimi is derived from the word “Islamic” and points out to the interwoven lines of plants with spiral foliage. Although there are proofs which show the use of eslimi designs before the history, using it developed in Islamic period, especially in Safavid Dynasty. The base of eslimi design is nature, stems and leaves. Eslimi is a design consisting of rotational arcs, stems, ties and branches and has different types.

Khatai: it is basically a design with main and perpetuated form of flower bush, leaf or blossom. In khatai design, fewer broken lines can be observed and are mostly curved, they connect flowers to each other through proportionate tortuosity. As these lines picture the branches of tree, the more they get far from the main body, the narrower they will be. The most important khatai flowers are Shah Abbasi and Botteh.

• Shah Abbasi: a design in carpet which was soared in Safavid Dynasty. The main feature of Shah Abbasi flower is the stem drawn at the end of flower and is used as 5, 7 and sometimes 12-petal flower. It is the most perfect type of khatai and its design is retrieved from lily and pomegranate flowers which was common in Iranian arts from the past, a typical example of using this design can be seen in Persepolis which was converted into Shah Abbasi flower through a lot of manipulations.
• Botteh: it is an abstract design and the Iranian believe it is retrieved from cypress tree  as it was a sacred tree in ancient Iran, its natural samples and not decorative ones can be observed in relief designs of Persepolis. Besides, cypress tree is a symbol of endurance and freedom among the Iranian and in this period Botteh design was used decoratively which was similar to the bent cypress and in its evolutionary stages, with respect to the artist’s taste and creativity of each region and cultural history of Iran, it is currently known as paisley.  Some individuals believe that Botteh is created from birds’ feather which was used by the Iranian kings on their hats.

Different Parts of Iranian Carpet Infographic
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Different Parts of Carpet

Selvedge of Carpet: it is the surrounding part of carpet which is usually designed and woven in a wide or narrow way. The selvedges lead to a special organization and beauty which are like a frame. An ordinary selvedge consists of three parts: one main selvedge and two subsidiary selvedges.

• Main Selvedge: the wide selvedge is located between narrow selvedges and forms the collection of carpet selvedges with them. Usually in wide selvedge, the motifs used in carpets are also applied. The pattern and design of this selvedge is commensurate with background of the carpet. In wide selvedge, different designs and inscriptions are used and characteristics of the carpet including name of carpet weaver, name of client, date and place of weaving are registered as well.
• Subsidiary Selvedge: it is located in two sides of main selvedge and is usually decorated with tiny geometric and floral designs.

Lachak: the four corners of the carpet are called lachak and if there is harmony between lachak and toranj with similar designs, the design of carpet is called lachak – toranj.

Toranj: the shape located in the center of carpet is called toranj. They are usually in the form of circle, diamond and oval. They are usually accompanied with sar-toranj which make the carpet more attractive. The dimensions of toranj are different in various carpets and their bigness or smallness depends on type and design of the carpet.

Sar-toranj: it is connected to the central toranj from top and bottom of the carpet. Many of the carpet designers call it “Shamseh” as well.

Katibeh (Inscription): in some carpets, there is a part between toranj and sar-toranj which is called katibeh, name of some individuals who are related to the design of carpet will be designed and registered in katibeh.

Zamineh (Background): different parts of the carpet such as flowers, branches, animals and geometric shapes are woven and registered on a background which specify the main color of the carpet.

Gelim Baaf: in order to preserve the durability of the carpet, its upper and lower parts are woven with chains which are called gelim baaf.

Risheh (Fringe): white threads woven to the width of both sides of the carpet.

Shirazeh (Binder): the longitudinal sides of the carpet which are sewed for more protection of the main part of the carpet.

What was explained above is related to the commonest design of the carpet in Iran i.e. lachak toranj (corner-medallion) but based on the classification of Iran carpet company, the main designs of the Iranian carpets are: designs of ancient works and Islamic buildings, Shah Abbasi, Eslimi, Afshan (overall flower), Eghtebaasy, Bandi, Bottheh, Derakhti (Tree), Turkmen (Bokhara), Shekargah (Hunting), Ghabi, Golfarang, Goldani (Vase), Mahi Dar Ham, Mehrabi (Prayer), Moharamat (Striped), Hendesi (geometric), ili and Talfighi (mingle).

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Tea is a plant that grows in the wild. Its origin is said to be eastern Asia. Drinking tea goes back to 2500 B.C., apparently. It has traveled from China to Japan and India before making its way to other parts of the world.

Historical evidence say tea entered Iran in the first centuries after the advent of Islam. It is said that the drink was used to cure certain diseases. Iranian physician and scientist Abu Reyhan Birouni has referred to tea in his book called Medical Pharmacology written in the 12th century. He has confirmed that the plant came from China.

An unknown English man and an Isfahani businessman called Haj Mohammad Hossein Esfahani were the pioneers who tried to grow tea in Iran. Their efforts, however, did not produce tangible results. Finally it was Haj Mohammad Mirza, known as Kashef-o-Saltaneh, who managed to do so. He was Iran’s consul in India under Mozaffar Addin Shah Qajar. Historical references tell us that in November 2, 1900, Kashef-o-Saltaneh brought the first tea sapling from India to Iran and began planting it in the northern Iranian city of Lahijan.

Planting and producing tea was an imported skill in the beginning but it was Iranized after a century and entered the traditional culture of agriculture in Iran.

Historical references tell us that in November 2, 1900, Kashef-o-Saltaneh brought the first tea sapling from India to Iran and began planting it in the northern Iranian city of Lahijan.

Based on historical sources, readying and drinking tea with special traditions, go back to several centuries before the plant was first grown in Iran. Back then, only a few rich families could afford the tea that was imported from countries like China and India. A German man called Olarius who had traveled to Iran in the 17th century says in his itinerary that people of Iran used to roll black dried leaves of tea in clean water and brew it before adding sugar to it and drinking it.

Iranian Tea and Rock Candy
Photo by JOAT/Shutterstock

It’s not clear when drinking tea became common among the rich and the noble. But it was likely coincident with the arrival of samovar in Iran. Chief Minister to Naseradin Shah Qajar, Amir Kabir, played a major role in turning tea into a common beverage. He received two tea sets as gifts from the French government and a Russian businessman in 1850. Then he gave an Isfahani craftsman the franchise to build samovars in Iran with government budget. The pieces needed to drink tea came into Iran too. The tea brew turned into a desirable thing because it was grown in Iran and therefore cheap. That’s how more people came to drink tea. In the beginning only the royal family, the rich and families of officials could drink tea. But imports increased and the plant was grown in Iran. That made tea a common drink and its consumption an almost daily practice among the public.

Drinking tea is desirable in all seasons; but it’s of especial joy in cold seasons in Iran. It’s part of Iranian people’s diet and they prefer to drink it when gathered together. Drinking tea with others has a special joy, but it’s a habit and a social etiquette in the Iranian culture too.

People usually drink tea with a sweet thing, mostly sugar cubes. But sugar, candy, traditional Iranian candies, natural sugars such as date, raisin, dried berries or different kinds of modern products such as biscuits and chocolates also accompany a cup of tea these days.

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Naqsh-e Jahan Square was laid out in 1602 CE under the reign of Shah Abbas I (1588 – 1699 CE), the fifth ruler of the Safavid in a vast garden with the same name.

At 160 meters wide and 560 meters long, Naqsh-e Jahan is one of the largest historic squares in the world surrounded by several prominent buildings. Ali Qapu Palace on the west side, The Shah Mosque on the south, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the eastern side, and Qeysarieh Grand Bazaar Gate at the north augments the glory of the square.

Plan of Naqsh e Jahan Square – Persia Advisor Travels
by Negar Ganji

Two hundred identical shops are open to the square on one side and to a bazaar behind that has surrounded the square. These shops generally sell local handicrafts and artworks. As Isfahan was a key spot along the Silk Road, goods from all the civilized nations of the world found their ways to the hands of expert merchants who knew how to make the best profits out of them.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square was the Safavid’s capital of culture, economy, religion, social power, government, and politics.

The Square was an arena for public ceremonies, festivities like Nowruz and military maneuvers besides sports like polo, the favorite sport of Safavid kings.

Gates of polo still remain in the two sides of the square. In the mid-seventeenth century, famous French travel writer Jean Chardin cherished Isfahan as, “the grandest and the most beautiful town in the whole of the east.”

To nicely sense the magnificence of Square, you should visit it in the late afternoon when the blue-tiled minarets and domes are lit up by the sunset rays, and local families have populated the square.

Ali Qapu

This grand palace is located on the western side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square, opposite to Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. The name Ali Qapu is derived from Persian Ali (meaning great) and Azerbaijani Qapu (meaning gate). At the time of Shah Abbas I, this palace was built mainly to entertain noble visitors and foreign ambassadors.

The forty-eight meters building consists of six floors is rich in naturalistic wall paintings by Reza Abbasi, famous Safavid painter, and his pupils. The ground floor consists of two halls for administrative affairs. The two spiral staircases in the corners of building continue to the sixth floor.

Its impressive elevated terrace featuring 18 slender wood pillars was built at the time of Shah Abbas II that provides a dominating and breathtaking perspective over the Square. A marble pool located in the middle of the terrace has its symmetry on the ceiling. The sixth floor is the most majestic place of Ali Qapu. The music hall is the largest room of the palace and its stunning stucco decoration having not only aesthetic value but also acoustic. The terrace was a great place for giving banquets to special guests while impressing them with live music performances.

Shah Mosque

The construction of this masterpiece of Persian architecture began in 1611 by order of Shah Abbas I and completed in 1629, at the last year of his reign. Although the portal was built to face the square, the mosque is oriented towards Mecca. This rotation took place through an angled corridor through which visitors encounter the main portal without realizing the change in the orientation.

The Mosque is surrounded with four iwans that is a rectangular hall surrounded by walls on three sides with one end entirely open. The main idea of iwan dates back to ancient Iran and hence the Shah Mosque holds a combination of the Persian and Islamic identity. The Mosque consists of the main yard, four iwans, a dome, a shabestan, two portal, two 48 meters minarets, and two religious schools.

The double-shelled 53 meters high dome with 14 meters spanning between the two layers is the most beautiful part of the mosque. The in-between span causes a loud echo when one makes a sound standing at the center of the dome. This habit has become an enjoyable activity for some of visitors. Seven-color tiles ornament the tomb with an inscription in Thuluth calligraphy. Inscriptions of Shah Mosque were mostly taken place by Alireza Abbasi, Mohammad Reza Emami, and Abdol-Baghi Tabrizi the best calligraphers of the country.

Suggested by Sheikh Bahayi two Madrasas (religious school) were erected in two sides of the Mosque in the time of Shah Suleiman I the eighth Safavid king.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque

Standing on the eastern side of Naghshe Jahan, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is the gem of the square with its mesmerizing cream color dome changed to pink in the sunset. The mosque was completed in 1619 and Shah Abbas I dedicated it to his father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah who was a Lebanese Shia scholar.

The function of minarets in Islam is to invite people to Namaz (prayer). However, as Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque was a private royal mosque, devised for the ladies of Safavid harem, it had neither a minaret nor a courtyard. Consequently, its size was smaller than Shah Mosque that was built for the public.

Similar to Shah Mosque, the main entrance of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is not in the direction of Qibla. Therefore, a twisting hallway (Pashneh) connects it to another entrance opens to the prayers’ chamber in Qibla direction.

Although this Mosque is much smaller than the Shah Mosque and has no iwans and yards, its intricate arabesque-patterned exterior and interior decorations and the finest construction materials are superior to the Shah Mosque. The portal contains detailed muqarnas that is stalactite-type stone carving used to decorate doorways.

The golden mosaics inside the dome mirror an extraordinary beauty. The peacock at the center of the tomb is a feature of this mosque and sunrays create a golden tail changed in the size and direction based on the sun position for the peacock.

Names of the twelve Shia Imams are stated around the Mihrab, and the surrounding inscription contains the names of Sheikh Lotfollah, Mohammad Reza Isfahani the architect, and Baqer Bana the calligrapher.

Qeysarieh Gate

Qeysarieh Bazaar was the most notable market in the Safavid era connected to the Atiq or Old Square that was the center of Isfahan during the reign of Seljuk dynasty. Built in 1620 CE, Qeysariyeh Gate is the entrance of Bazar located in the north of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square. The tiled symbol of Isfahan is seen above the portal that is similar to Sagittarius with human head, a body of tiger and dragon tail. Paintings on the portal drawn by Reza Abbasi show the hunting scene of Shah Abbas I on the left, his war with Uzbeks in the middle, and figures of European guests on the right.

Naqsh-e Jahan Square was globally registered in 1979.

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Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran
Photo by Alexandre Rotenberg / Sutterstock

Masjed-e Jameh of Isfahan is a museum of architecture since it embraces twelve centuries of Iranian mosque architecture. Even though the construction of the mosque is attributed to the 9th century CE, many believe that the mosque is built upon a pre-Islamic fire temple. This postulation is because of the excavation of a decorated Sassanid (224 – 650 CE) column base. When Islam was introduced to Iran, every Islamic art style left a trace on this mosque. Its majority of architecture and decorations were carried out by two major Iranian dynasties of Seljuk and Safavid.

Leveraging the four-iwans style of Sassanid palace architecture, the Jameh mosque of Isfahan underwent the first adaptation in the religious constructions. The four iwans called Sahib on the south, Dervish on the north, Ostad on the west, and Shagerd on the east sides of the mosque are all ornamented with Muqarnas (Stalactite vaulting) and Karbandi (a geometric decoration type).

Plan of Masjed-e Jameh of Isfahan – Persia Advisor Travels
by Negar Ganji

Decorated with stunning stucco, shabestan is close to the southern iwan and involves a forest of columns dating back to Daylamites (10th and 11th centuries CE). Unique in the time of Seljuk, the Nezam al-Molk dome was the prototype of double-shell ribbed domes that further enabled architects and artists to add further decorations to the dome. The iwan in front of the dome was decorated with large Muqarnas of 12th centuries CE and artworks of the ages of Qara Qoyunlu and Safavid dynasties. In the northern iwan, there is an elegant brick dome constructed by Taj al-Molk, another courtier of Malik Shah I and the rival of Nizam al-Molk.

The complex houses various mihrabs among which the most famous is the one with exquisite geometric and floral stucco design in the western iwan built under the command of Ilkhanid Sultan Uljeito. A Timurid Winter Hall with the application of alabaster skylight is situated next to the room of Uljeito.

Masjed-e Jameh of Isfahan was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2012.

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The history of the province dates back to the Elamite Empire (2700- 539 B.C.). According to the archaeological excavations in the mound of Sialk, Kashan city in Isfahan province was populated even before the Birth of Zoroaster (1500 B.C.). After the collapse of the Sassanid dynasty in 651 A.D., the Muslim Arabs invaded Isfahan, and years later, Mardavij, the founder of the Al-Ziyar (Ziyarid) dynasty (930-1090), seized and ruled over it. Isfahan was the capital of Al-Ziyar dynasty for a while until the Buyid dynasty (934-1062) took the throne. During the Seljuk Empire (1037-1194), Isfahan was mostly the capital of Iran but it fell into the hands of Mongols after their invasion to Iran in 1219. Isfahan flourished mostly during the Safavid period (1501-1736) and more especially during the reign of Shah Abbas I when the city was selected as the capital.

Isfahan province has many natural and historical attractions, especially from the Safavid period, attracting annually a large number of domestic and inbound tourists. The cities of Isfahan, Kashan, and Abyaneh are the most visited tourist destinations in the province.

Of its historical attractions registered as the UNESCO World Heritage sites include Naqsh-e Jahan square, Atiq Jame’ Mosque, Chehel Sotoun Garden, and Fin Garden. Besides, the Zayanderud River and its historical bridges are other attractions.

Golabgiri festival (extracting rose water) in Qamsar and Neasar and the carpet washing ritual in Mashhad Ardehal in Kashan are among the known cultural and religious attractions in the province.

Isfahan province has also long been considered one of the major centers of Iran’s fine artworks and handicrafts such that they are still produced there.

In December 2015, Isfahan was registered as the Creative City in UNESCO for its craft and folk art.

Carpet weaving, copper engraving, vitreous enamels, Khatam (similar to marquetry), tiling, turquoise dishes, printing on fabric (Kalamkari), Wood carving, and Silver making are the most prominent fine works in this province. The most famous eatable souvenirs of Isfahan are Gaz (a type of nougat) and Poolaki (a type of candy) made with various materials and in different shapes. Rosewater (Golab) of Qamsar and other herbal extracts are also among other souvenirs.

The most famous traditional cuisine of Isfahan is called Beryan that is a type of barbecued meat. Yogurt stew, Halim Shir (made with oat, wheat and milk cereal), Halim Bademjan (made with eggplant), Keledos, Ghaymeh Rizeh (meatballs), and Ash Shul Qalamkar (Hodge-Podge soup) are other native foods. The most prominent figures of this province include Sheikh Baha’i, Kamal al-Molk, Reza Abbasi, Jalil Shahnaz, and Sohrab Sepehri.

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