Our next stop was the local bazaar where most of the nomads of the nearby/surrounding environs come to shop. It was dominated by bright, flashy fabrics and dresses that the nomadic women wear. Across the street from the bazaar was a madrasah that we visited. I got some gorgeous shots with my big camera, and guess I got carried away because I didn't take any with my cell phone, and therefore can't attach any pics of the madrasah below...
We then went for lunch in one of the best restaurants yet. The line of people waiting for tables got very long. Thankfully we arrived right before the crowds started to gather. Saturday is a holiday for the Shiite Muslims (Iran is predominately Shiite), so many people are traveling for the holiday. It is a festival of illumination, and so there are lights everywhere (similar to our Christmas lights). It makes the towns and mosques and monuments so pretty at night time.
After our lunch, we made our way to a handicraft bazaar via the old citadel in the middle of the town. Along the way, two young guys started chatting with me, wanting to practice their English and were very excited to be talking with an American. They both wanted pictures with me, so I decided I'd take a picture with my new Iranian buddies as well. One of them was wearing an amazing leather jacket...
At any rate, we eventually made it to the handicraft bazaar and had some free time to look around. I eventually bought two gorgeous pieces of lapis lazuli and something that I will fashion into a Christmas ornament.
We then went to a store which is also a gallery of Persian carpets. We learned all about the different types of Persian carpets and the different designs and meaning of the different designs. The gallery had museum-quality carpets and we all ended up buying carpets! The two I bought are absolutely gorgeous and are going to go perfectly with the ones I bought in Turkmenistan last year.
After all that shopping, we went to visit the Rose Mosque called that not because of the color of the mosque (as I thought when I first heard the name) but because of the subject of many of the mosaics on the walls of the mosque. Again, we made friends with the locals here and chatted with a guy from Iran who now lives in Orange County who was home visiting friends and family. The friendliness of the Iranian people never ceases to amaze me...
Our final stop of the day was the orange garden which was a courtyard of a large house with rows of orange trees and beautiful gardens. We also toured the house, which is a museum of sorts, getting lost in the walls and ceilings, that were adorned with mirror pieces and colored mirror pieces and arranged in the most spectacular mosaics.
We then made our way back to the hotel, where we had dinner. We are all very excited for tomorrow, as we are visiting Persepolis in the morning!!! Can't wait for another day in this wonderful country!
No comments:
Post a Comment