Khatam
Photo by Borna_Mirahmadian / Shutterstock

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
Photo by Artography / Shutterstock

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.

The post Khatam appeared first on Persia Advisor.

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.

The post Isfahan appeared first on Persia Advisor.