That's a piece of Persian Art !

The handmade carpet of Golestan palace, Tehran

Persian Kilim and Rugs

In the small town of Torghabeh, you can easily see the Persian rugs in many handicraft stores.

In a Traditional Persian Tea House

All the appliances are old and antique. A brazen samovar, lanterns, tea pots...

Sounds you live in the history at this tea house!

Stony Pots

These stony Pots are so popular in Iran and you can find the best ones in Mashhad. Now people do not use them much, but buy as a handicraft. Many years ago, they has been used for cooking specially to cook broth.

Looti Style

This is a style that some Iranian Men used to wear about 40-50 years ago. I am not sure, but I think they were called "Looti" men. They were generous and jealous.

The Painting on the Tile

Not as much beautiful and artistic as the original one, but nice! This is an Iranian painting style.

Iran ; The Other explanation of Art

Today, I want to show you some Persian handicrafts. They are special made in cities like Isfahan but you can find them in the big towns such as Mashhad. I took these photos from a big store in Torghabeh- Mashhad.

Metal works (Qalam-zani)

Mina-Kari

Khatam-kari

Happy New Year !

Haft Sîn or the seven 'S's is a major tradition of Nowruz, the traditional Iranian new year. It has a complex history and there are indication referring to Kayanids mentioning that (šahd, šir, šarāb, šikkar-e nāb, šamʿ, šamšād, šāya”) literally (honey, milk, wine, pure sugar, a candle, branches of box-tree, and fruits) has been the seven S's on the Nowruz table. Today the haft sin table includes seven items specifically starting with the letter S or Sîn (س in the Persian alphabet). The items symbolically correspond to seven creations and holy immortals protecting them. Originally called Haft Chin, the Haft Sin has evolved over time, but has kept its symbolism. Traditionally, families attempt to set as beautiful a Haft Sîn table as they can, as it is not only of traditional and spiritual value, but also noticed by visitors during Nowruzi visitations and is a reflection of their good taste.

This is the 7 sin table that I set.

The Haft Sin items are:

sîb (سیب)- apples - symbolizing beauty and health

sabzeh(سبزه) - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth

lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)

samanu (سمنو)- a sweet pudding made from wheat germ - symbolizing affluence (The glass on the left)

senjed (سنجد)- the dried fruit of the ole aster tree - symbolizing love (The glass on the right)

Rose water for its magical cleansing powers (in that red rose-water bottle at middle)

sîr (سیر)- garlic - symbolizing medicine

The Holy Quran for Muslims

A mirror and decorated eggs, sometimes one for each member of the family (fertility)

I decorated and painted all eggs myself ;)

serkeh (سرکه)- vinegar - symbolizing age and patience

sekkeh (سکه)- coins (prosperity and wealth)

Divan of Hafez ( Hafez's poems book)

A glass with red and gold fish (life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving)

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In 4 hours, the New Year will be started. Yes, again we finished 1 year of our life with a complex of happy and sad times. Since I remember, it was a question for me that why God has created us? I ask myself this question at the end of per year and I am sorry that I do not have any answers yet.
For the New Year, I wish No War, No tears, No sad happening in the entire world. I hope all kind wishes come in true. Happy New Year!

Let's pray for a peace full World!

My dear friends, I am going to travel to Tehran tomorrow with a turned off cell phone and a closed lap top. With any lesson to study, any project to do. I am so tired and want to be a little relaxed. I'll update the blog on 27TH of March with many photos from other parts of Iran.

The Last Week of Year II

Last night was the traditional Persian celebration; Chahar-shanbe Suri. This is a unique and old celebration that Iranians have at the night last Wednesday of year. This custom was available in ancient Iran (Persia) and nowadays it is still alive. Since we were yet busy with our spring-cleaning yesterday and the last night of Mashhad was too cold and rainy, I stayed at home and could not take any photo from Chahar-shanbe Suri. If you like to know about this tradition please follow the link above.

Now Let's see the series II of my photos from The Last Week of Year!

The Last Week of Year I

We have just 3 days to finish the year 1387. Every things show us the spring. I can feel the smell of flowers well. People are busy with their shopping these days as they seem so happy and hopeful with all their life's difficulties. A week before Nowruz we have "Beneficence Celebration". Iran's government builds many stations in streets to collect people's charities for poor families. This is the best way that we can divide all our joys with others.
Today morning, I went out with my mom to shop since 8:00 Am and it was so enjoyable to take photo for me. I always loved the last week of the year, the lovely city of the last week is a different one and I am sure that such city is just in IRAN. I wish you could be here and feel the smell of LOVE and PEACE here.

Sabzeh , one of 7 sin 's (or 7 "S") Elements - wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish - symbolizing rebirth

Different types of Sabzeh and flower for 7 sin table

Sonbol- the fragrant hyacinth flower , another elements of 7 sin that symbolizing the coming of spring

In the confectionery, people buy their favorite sweet such as traditional Iranian pastries like baghlava for new year and their gusts (this is a custom that people have gathering parties with their relatives in the new year). The number 88 shows the year 1388.

I could see the 7 sin sets in all sores today, like this antique one

Municipality tries to clean all parts of the city and paint the equipments

In the traditional way, Iranians have roast fish with steamed rice & vegetables for the first dinner of New Year

And we bought fish & fresh vegetables, too.

I will post more photos on my next update. I offer you do not miss my these days post ;)

The Art Of Tile Working

"H" for Hand

Mysterious Rhythm

A mysterious rythm among these pots attracted me to take this shot!

The Blue Heart

We always suppose that a heart must be Red, but I dot think so.I like this blue heart. It seems there is a strong love between the couple in this BLUE heart!

Shah Abbas-e-Safavi

Thees are 3 same handicraft plates we have in our house.My dad bought them many years ago.The man you see at the center of these plates is "Shah Abbas-e-Safavi".

Shāh ‘Abbās the Great (born January 27, 1571; died January 19, 1629) was Shah of Iran, and the most eminent ruler of the Safavid Dynasty of the Persian Empire. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad.Iranians always proud of him.

Click here if you like to know more about him!

Persian Woman in My Painting

Oh,See what I've found!

I drew it about 5 years ago when I was a high school student.A Persian woman is in my work that I did it with poster color on a piece of tile!

I miss that days...

Persian Carpet Store

The art of carpet weaving existed in Iran in ancient times, according to evidences and in the opinion of scientists. An example of such evidences is the 2500-year-old Pazyryk carpet dating back to 500 B.C., during the Achaemenid period.
The first documented evidence on the existence of Persian carpets came from Chinese texts dating back to the Sassanid period (224 - 641 CE).

This art underwent many changes in various eras of the Iranian history to an extent that it passed an upward trend before the Islamic era until the Mongols invasion of Iran. After the invasion, the art began to grow again during the reign of the Mongol dynasties of Timurid and Ilkhanid.

With the passage of time, the materials used in carpets, including wool, silk and cotton, decay. Therefore archeologists are rarely able to make any particularly useful discoveries during archaeological excavations. What has remained from early times as evidence of carpet-weaving is nothing more than a few pieces of worn-out carpets. Such fragments do not help very much in recognizing the carpet-weaving characteristics of pre-Seljuk period (13th and 14th centuries AD) in Persia.
Reference : Wikipedia

In the past posts,You saw one kind of Persian carpet in my photo.Now in today's picture you can also see a Persian carpet store.There are many big carpet shops here in Mashhad which sell the most luxurious and expensive carpets.If you want to know more , please click here.

Iranian Hand-made Carpet

Have you ever heard anything about Iranian Handmade Carpets?I am sure you know that how much it is famous in the world.
We have many different kinds of carpets such as Short-napped coarse (Gelim in Farsi),Coarse loosely-woven (Jajim in Farsi),Silken Carpets and etc.The most beautiful and expensive Carpets are made in Kashan,kerman and Tabriz cities.Mashhad carpets are also popular.
In this Photo you can see a very nice silken Gelim.I like its designing.To me, there is a mystery in it that I could not discover it yet ! Notice to the Roosters styles,It may tell a story!

Persian rugs and the concept of heaven

Wooooo!! Don't you like to sit on a flying rug and go to the heavens? It seems there are some flying rugs for sell. There are lots of these rugs in Shandiz, near Mashhad. Their design and colors are really lovely. We have two of them in our home. When we go out for picnic or any where to enjoy the nature, we bring our rugs and put them on the ground and enjoy sitting and lying on them (see the following photo, this is our rug, isn't it beautiful?). There is a deep cultural concept in Persian rugs. In the old times, people imagined the heaven and painted it on the rugs. They liked to live, to walk, to sit and to lie in the heaven. So they made their rugs like their imaginations of heaven.

Location: Shandiz main street, Shandiz, Mashhad

Rugs and Trees

Rugs are hung on the trees to get shown to the visitors.

Location: Shandiz main street, Shandiz, Mashhad