Reposted from the web

Summary: Tehran — Golestan Palace, Qajar History and Islamic Art is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: Golestan Palace (Kākh-e Golestān) means Garden Palace. The word Gol in the name is the same as the name Guli that we are familiar with. The account keeps its focus on Tehran Travel, Golestan Palace, Qajar History while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.

Golestan Palace (Kākh-e Golestān) means Garden Palace. The word Gol in the name is the same as the name Guli that we are familiar with. Located in Tehran, the capital of Iran, it was the royal palace of the Qajar dynasty and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2013.

Golestan Palace was first called the Tehran Citadel (Arg). It was built during the reign of Tahmasp I (reigned 1524-1576) of the Persian Safavid dynasty and was rebuilt during the reign of Karim Khan (reigned 1750-1779) of the Zand dynasty. After Agha Mohammad Khan (reigned 1789-1797) of the Qajar dynasty made Tehran his capital, he officially converted the Tehran Citadel into the Golestan Royal Palace. Haji Ab ol Hasan Mimar Navai rebuilt the palace again in 1865.

Between 1925 and 1945, Reza Shah (reigned 1925-1941) of the Pahlavi dynasty ordered the demolition of most of the Golestan Palace buildings for modern urban development. Modern-style commercial buildings were built there one after another between the 1950s and 1960s.

Karim Khani Nook

Karim Khani Nook was built in 1759 by Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty. It is a terrace featuring a marble throne. There used to be a pool with a fountain in the middle of the terrace. Water flowed into the pond from underground water channels (Qanat) and then flowed to other parts of the palace. Nasser ed Din Shah (reigned 1848-1896) of the Qajar dynasty loved this place. People say he often sat here quietly smoking a water pipe. Today, the marble tombstone of Nasser ed Din Shah stands here, and his portrait is also on the walls of the building.

















Negar Khane Gallery

In 1872, during his second visit to Europe, Nasser ed Din Shah was deeply impressed by the artifacts displayed in European museums. After returning to Tehran, he set out to create a museum hall in the Kakh-e Asli area of the palace to display paintings, jewelry, and other royal artifacts.

Today, most of the Qajar dynasty collection has been scattered among various museums in Tehran, but many paintings are still kept in Golestan Palace. The southern gallery now houses paintings by early Qajar dynasty masters, including Mirza Baba, Mehr Ali Afshar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Ab ol Hassan Sani. The northern gallery was the home of the royal guard during the Pahlavi period. It underwent a major renovation in 1995 and now displays paintings by late Qajar dynasty masters, including Mahmoud Khan Saba, Mohammad Gafari Kashani, Mehri, and Mosa Momayez.







The harem of Nasser ed Din Shah.



Nasser ed Din Shah hunting, painted in 1884.



Servants in the court of Nasser ed Din Shah, painted in 1881.



Golestan Palace, painted in 1885.



Interior of Golestan Palace, painted in 1864.



Celebration of the 30th anniversary of Nasser ed Din Shah's reign, painted in 1878.



Physician Mirza Abolfazl Tabib Kashani taking a patient's pulse, painted in 1859.



Qajar dynasty prince Abdol-Samad Mirza.



Mohammad Ghasem Khan and Mohammad Hossein, painted in 1891. The former was the Qajar dynasty ambassador to Russia.



Painted in 1895.





The Shia holy city of Karbala, painted in 1902.



Portraits of the Qajar dynasty royal family.







Makhsus Museum

The Makhsus Museum (Mouze-ye Makhsous) preserves copperware, silverware, and weapons gifted to the Qajar dynasty by European kings.







Main Building

East of the museum is the main building (Kakh-e Asli) of Golestan Palace. In front of the main building is a 118-meter-long pool containing 15 fountains. Historical photos show that the pool was once surrounded by bronze statues of boys holding torches and animals, but they were all removed during the Pahlavi dynasty.





On both sides of the entrance is a pair of brass roaring lions symbolizing power.





After entering the main entrance, there is a staircase (Sar sara) with 22 steps, decorated with mirrors in geometric patterns.





The column bases on the second floor of the main building are covered with colorful tiles, including portraits of past Iranian kings, hunting scenes, coronation ceremonies, some legends and religious stories, and animal figures imitating Persepolis. These tiles once belonged to the Khabgah sleeping quarters and the Haram Khaneh buildings. After these two buildings were demolished, the tiles were moved to the second floor of the main building.













Reception Hall

The Reception Hall (Talar-e Salam), also called the Coronation Hall (Talar-e Taj Gozaari) or the Museum Hall, is where five Qajar dynasty kings and the second Pahlavi king were crowned. Talar-e Salam is the grandest hall in the main building. It is 43 meters long and 20 meters wide, with 20 arches along the sides and beautiful mosaics on the floor. Qajar king Naser al-Din Shah, who reigned from 1848 to 1896, used this space to receive various envoys and guests from European courts. At that time, the hall displayed various Iranian and European paintings and royal jewels. These royal jewels are now kept at the Royal Jewelry Museum in the Central Bank of Iran.











The Talar-e Adj hall is the room where gifts sent to Naser al-Din Shah from various countries were kept. During the Pahlavi dynasty, this space became a reception hall for hosting court banquets, and the interior decorations were renovated.





Mirror Hall

The Mirror Hall (Talar-e Ayineh) is the smallest but most dazzling room in the main building. The gorgeous interior decorations look especially bright reflected in the many mirrors. This room once held the Persian Peacock Throne (Takht-e Tavoos) and the Kiani Crown (Taj-e Kiani) until they were moved to the Royal Jewelry Museum at the Central Bank of Iran in 1980.



















Talar-e Zoruf

Talar-e Zoruf is a room dedicated to displaying porcelain gifted to the Qajar dynasty by European monarchs like Napoleon, Queen Victoria of England, and Tsars Nicholas I and Alexander III. It was renovated during the Pahlavi dynasty. view all

Reposted from the web

Summary: This travel note introduces Ashura in Tehran: a Muslim Travel Note on Faith, Rituals and City Life. I went to Tehran during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in 2019, just in time for the various activities of Ashura, and truly felt the warmth of the Iranian people. It is useful for readers interested in Tehran Travel, Ashura, Muslim Culture.

I went to Tehran during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday in 2019, just in time for the various activities of Ashura, and truly felt the warmth of the Iranian people.

Ashura originally means 'the tenth,' and the Day of Ashura refers to the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar (Muharram). On the Day of Ashura in 680 AD, Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, refused to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad Caliphate. While leading his family and followers from Mecca to Kufa, they were attacked by the Umayyad army, and Imam Hussein and all 72 of his companions were killed. Since then, Shia Muslims around the world have held activities every year during the month of Muharram to mourn Imam Hussein and his 72 companions, gradually forming the important Shia festival of Ashura.

During Ashura, Shia Muslims perform Azadari (mourning) rituals, including memorial services (majalis al-ta'ziya), mourning processions (al-mawakib al-husayniyya), theatrical performances (shabih), and flagellation (tatbir). Some Shia Muslims believe that participating in Ashura can cleanse their sins, and there is a saying that 'a tear shed for Hussein washes away a hundred sins.'

Grand Bazaar

On ordinary days, the Tehran Grand Bazaar is a massive wholesale market selling small commodities from Yiwu, but it takes on a different look during Ashura. As soon as you reach the entrance, people are handing out free honey water, tea, and various snacks; sugar cubes are held in the mouth while sipping tea.



















During Ashura, stalls are set up all over Tehran to provide free tea, drinks, and food, and an area near the north gate of the Grand Bazaar is specifically set aside for preparing drinks. A staff member, an older man, kindly invited me into the drink preparation area, offered me tea, and let me take photos.















This area is for distributing food for free.





Walking further into the Grand Bazaar, you can see processions performing the Ashura mourning march (al-mawakib al-husayniyya), where everyone mourns together for Imam Hussein and his 72 companions who were killed by the Umayyad army on the Day of Ashura, singing rhythmically together.



During the procession, the group stops intermittently, and one person delivers a eulogy for Imam Hussein, while everyone cries and wails along, with many people weeping bitterly.











In addition to the singing, various flags are also very eye-catching.





This is a procession composed of hundreds or thousands of people holding hands, which is very spectacular.



Outside the Grand Bazaar, there are also shops specifically selling Ashura flags.





The area outside the north gate of the Grand Bazaar has been turned into a venue for performing Ta'zieh opera. Ta'zieh opera performance is an important part of Ashura activities. During the month of Muharram, numerous venues for performing Ta'zieh opera are set up in various squares in Tehran, and there are many spectators.

Ta'zieh opera formed in Iran in the late 17th century and is a type of traditional Persian theater; this form of expression can be traced back to the pre-Islamic era. During Ashura, Shia Muslims use Ta'zieh opera to recreate the scene of the Battle of Karbala on the Day of Ashura in 680 AD, when Imam Hussein and his 72 companions were all killed by the Umayyad army.

In the opera, the villains are the rulers of the Umayyad dynasty, and they wear red. The heroes are Imam Hussein and his family and companions; the male characters among them wear green, and change to white when they are about to die. All female characters are played by male actors dressed in all black. If a person walks in circles around the stage, it means they are on a long journey, usually between Mecca and Karbala.







While watching the performance, you can eat honey cake and drink honey water freely.













Ashura memorial service (majalis al-ta'ziya) at Parvaz Park

I attended an Ashura memorial service (majalis al-ta'ziya) at Parvaz Park in Tehran and experienced a wonderful Iranian Shia musical performance.

In the afternoon, tea stalls were already set up in the square, and Iranian black tea was available for free. Then, accompanied by the Ney (flute), the lead singer began to sing soothing songs. Amidst the singing, a bonfire was lit in the square, and baskets nearby were filled with various fragrant fruits. After a few soothing songs, a percussion ensemble consisting of drums and cymbals walked onto the stage while playing. The rhythm of the songs began to become more and more passionate, the atmosphere grew more intense, and it reached a climax accompanied by the sound of horns.





















During the singing, a group of actors in costumes walked slowly toward the stage, led by two boys holding incense.





When they reached the stage, they began to perform the Ta'zieh play.



Tajrish Bazaar

At the end of Tajrish Bazaar in the north of Tehran, there is a Tekyeh. In the Shia tradition, a Tekyeh generally refers to a place specifically for commemorating Imam Hussein, especially for performing Ta'zieh opera during the month of Muharram. Tajrish Tekyeh can be traced back to the Qajar dynasty 220 years ago. It is a very old Tekyeh in Tehran, and the current layout is also very traditional, although the wooden pillars have been replaced by metal ones.









Outside the venue, there are some shops selling Shia supplies. The picture below shows the whips used during the flagellation (tatbir) ritual on Ashura, which recreates the scene of the Umayyad army whipping Imam Hussein's family. This ritual used to involve intense self-harm, but later, the Supreme Leader of Iran's Shia, Khamenei, publicly stated that during Ashura: 'Any act that harms the body is Haram (forbidden).' Therefore, you no longer see cases of self-harm during the festival in Tehran.



The red hat represents the villainous Umayyad dynasty, and the green hat represents the heroic Imam Hussein.





The lump of clay is called a Turbah, which symbolizes the earth; Shia Muslims must place their foreheads on it during prayer.





Turning out of Tajrish Bazaar, you reach the most important Shia shrine and mosque in northern Tehran, Imamzadeh Saleh, which houses the tomb of Saleh, the son of Musa al-Kadhim, the seventh Imam of the Twelver Shia. Today, the large wooden box inside the mausoleum dates back to the late Safavid dynasty to the Afsharid dynasty in the 18th century.















During the month of Muharram, Ta'zieh opera is also performed in the courtyard of Imamzadeh Saleh.





At the place where drinks are distributed for free at the entrance of Imamzadeh Saleh shrine and mosque, Khakshir (seeds of the Flixweed plant) is a very common drink in Iran during the summer to relieve heat and quench thirst.









Then, next to it, you can also see places selling various Shia supplies. view all