Garden of Paradise: Trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world grown in a masterful garden setting. The Persian garden is shaped like a Christian cross, with the highest point at the joining of the two lines, a palace sits just back from the center of the cross with a small back yard, long front yard. The garden angles downward in long narrow paths from the center, giving the impression that it goes on forever. In front of the palace is a large pool of water. One purpose of this is to provide moisture to the surrounding air which breezes in to the palace as natural air conditioning. We were given ample time to wander the grounds and feel that our honeymoon was starting among the filtered sunlight and butterflies.
Neighborhoods: More on the significance later, but our guide took us on a wandering tour through many neighborhoods. Narrow and dusty alleys with many children playing, saying "Hello, how are you?" in English on seeing me. I noticed all street the signs (painted on the walls) were in Farsi and was glad to have Nikoo nearby. Our guide pointed out some doors have separate male and female door knockers, each making a different sound. This allows the host to appropriately provide a male or female person to answer the door. I joked with our guide saying in America, a male would be sure to answer if a female knocked; he winked back and said "same here".
Religious school: more later
Bogh'ye Shah-e Cheragh: no cameras were allowed here. Built in the 14th century over the burial ground of the brother of Imam Reza (died 800AD). Awesome by any measure; 500 year old doors carved in silver and gold, mosaic mirror or colored tiling on all surfaces but the floor, inlayed in such a way to maximize the reflection as well as channel the light, wind and sound. Men and women visit here to pray, study or quietly converse. I felt deeply respectful at every moment and quietly wished to sit down in one of the circles and take up whatever study was at hand. Our guide was able to allow Nikoo to join me on the "men's side" for the tour; in general the genders are separated while inside.
Religious school and mosque (still looking for the name, era, etc.): This is an active school and we saw students scurrying between buildings. It has the most precious stained glass and I counted 36 large carpets covering the large class room. This building contains an interesting aspect of Persian culture. It contains a major "mistake". All of the columns are lotus flowers with alternating rotation, the last column is purposely rotating the wrong way. Our guide says this is an important message of humbleness before God, no one of us is perfect. Supposedly, most Persian carpets, and other items contain some purposeful flaw (Later in the trip I suggested this to the manager of a carpet factory, he looked at my like I was nuts, so I think the suggestion on carpets, at least, is false). Many of the wall tiles were paintings of different Christian churches, I would say 30 or so. This fact, and others I can draw on, show that Iran has been a place of, not only, religious tolerance, but open invitation and respect of other cultures.
The family that lived at and protected this school invited us to sit and talk. We did, and when fresh bread was delivered, they offered us some of this. As we left, I gifted the master (this is common) two Iranian paper bills (I forget the domination) - one was for his kind and poetic words to Nikoo and me, the other was for arduously wiping clean the sign that had read "Death to America". This notice, he says, was painted liberally throughout Iran just after the Revolution. See my commentary below on this subject. I was amazed how a family that had so little in terms of monetary possession was able to offer me so much.
Tomb of Sa'di: Pardon me if I do not remember everything about this great poet from our tour, I was in tears for much of the time. Overwhelmed, I owe a tribute to our guide for bringing Sa'di to life. When I have a chance to remember what he said about the philosophy and poetry of Sa'di, I will write it here. I did purchase Sa'di's last book "Golestan" of story and poetry.
Tomb of Hafez: Hafez (died 1389) is considered a greatest spokesman of Iranian culture. The tomb is solid marble about 8 feet by 2.5 square, set in a lovely courtyard with multiple ponds (or "hose") with small fountians. Hafez is widely read throughout the world. Nikoo has many of his works in Farsi, but much of his work is very difficult to read, and impossible to translate, so it will be tough going.
- On our own -
Alone in the Bazaar: The physical structure of a bazaar is normally a long hallway with shops on either side. They tend to run in groups by trade. So, one hall may house the metal workers, another one features spices. They surround public squares or are adjacent to a shrine, etc. The ceilings are normally clay brick in alternating dome shapes. The domes help to regulate the temperature inside. Some of the hallways we were in were built a thousand years ago.
400 year old fort in main square: This was under renovation, but man was it big. Right in the middle of the busy section of town, it is square, about 200 yards on each side and at least 70 feet tall. All of clay brick plus a massive round turret at each corner. It served as a jail once, and also as a defensive fort. I will get the details later.
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