The word hijab is often used, in the West, for the headscarf – but in Iran women over the age of 9 also need to cover their bum. The most common ways of doing this are with a manto or a chador. Manto are short or long coats: Many female Government employees wear long, loose …
Polo in Isfahan used to be a big thing. The maydan at the centre of today’s city was originally an out-of-town garden. Then when Shah Abbas visited in 1590, he ordered it levelled and spread with river sand, to convert it into a polo field. In 1595, a French steward called Pinçon saw how: “The King of Persia …
On the way into Natanz from Isfahan, don’t miss the Gonbad-i Bāz – the unique Safavid hawking pavilion built by Shah Abbas the First as “the greatest tribute ever paid to a single bird”. This unusual survival of a non-religious Safavid building is an octagonal domed tower perched on a conical mountain near Natanz. I …
Many travellers stop at Natanz to see the gorgeous Ilkhanid (early 14th century) façade. It’s only an hour or so from Isfahan, on the way to Kashan. But when I first went there, I was excited to see the ancient plane trees at the front of the Shrine. These have been suggested to have protected …
I just saw the V&A Fabric of India exhibition. It’s great: gorgeous colours, lots of short videos about how things are made … and several pieces that irresistibly reminded me of Persian textiles. You’ve just got time to go see for yourself – it ends 10 Jan There was a lovely handpainted floor spread from the …
Many travellers stop at Natanz on their way from Isfahan to Kashan. Of course, when you hear the word ‘Natanz’, most people think only of the Iranian nuclear enrichment controversy. But Natanz is also my most favourite small town in Iran, with some very special historic monuments. Please don’t miss seeing: the shrine; the monstrous …
Many travellers stop at Natanz to see the gorgeous Ilkhanid (early 14th century) façade. It’s one of the most spectacular sights in Iranian architecture, and it’s only an hour or so from Isfahan, on the way to Kashan. With its blend of glazed tile, stucco, and terra cotta it’s been described as a 3-D version …
We know relatively little about the life of Safavid women, but we do know something about the elegant Jahan Nama Palace. This Palace was designed for the royal women of Shah Abbas the Great. It’s name translates as “Reflection of the World”. Although they would have been hidden behind finely wrought, trellised windows, the Safavid women …
I know a little about Persian tents: like the impressive encampment of Shah Tahmasp – as described by the Venetian spy, Michele Membre in 1539. There were Persian tents “as far as a man could see, all well-ordered, with their streets” and so many horses and mules “that they couldnt be counted … all the plains were full …
Dodmore Cotton was the first accredited British ambassador to Shah Abbas the Great. Officially, the embassy was tasked with establishing formal trade and diplomatic relations between England and Persia. Unofficially, it aimed to resolve the diplomatic impasse following the public fisticuffs in London between Robert Sherley and Abbas’ 1625 ambassador to Europe, Naqd Ali Beg …