Esfahan Local Customs

This is a sign for the Ladies toilet (bathroom). Save this tip on your ‘Custom Travel Guide’ here on VT. Then, before you go to Iran, print it up so you can use it when the call of nature is greater than your language skills!

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A 'Dizzi' is also known as 'Abgousht'. This is a meat (usually beef), bean and potato stew. But it gets more interesting. It’s all cooked in a pot that is brought to your table. The juice is pored out into a separate bowl (pictured) and is like a kind of soup you eat with flat bread. Then the waiter puts a spoon into the small pot and sirs around furiously to make an almost sort of puree placed into a second bowl. I know the word is actually Persia, but I like to think it’s called a Dizzi because watching the waiter stirring can make your head spin. It tastes good and is almost 2 dishes in one.

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On weekends a lot of people are coming at the riverbanks to have a leisure time and even have a picnic. It can become very crowded as you can see from the photo, but it’s a fine occasion to observe how people from Esfahan enjoy their free time. The whole area is really wonderful: tree lined, view over the river and the bridges, lovely promenade to walk, or even pedal water bicycle for more fun!

It was very interesting to see that there are a lot of repair shops for old carpets. So if your precious iranian carpet is party damaged, these experienced workers will very patiently repair it by choosing carefully the matching color that's been missing on the carpet

This is a sign for the Mens toilet. Save this tip on your ‘Custom Travel Guide’ here on VT. Then, before you go to Iran, print it up so you can use it when the call of nature is greater than your language skills!

One of my Iranian friends told me “We sleep in oil”. Iran is the 2nd largest exporter in OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries). The numbers are staggering: Has the 2nd largest natural gas reserves in the world, 9% of all oil reserves. The price of gasoline/petrol is 38 U.S. CENTS PER GALLON! Or about 7 Euro cents a litre! It does not take much looking around to see, however, that Iran is not as wealthy as some of its Arab neighbours. In fact it has to import 50% of its petrol needs because it has such low refining capacity in the country. In fact, they are now rationing fuel!

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All over Iran you will see all kind of buildings decorated in beautiful tiles, especially in Esfahan around Imam Square. There you will find the most exquisite mosaic tiles, often with floral motifs or calligraphy, covering the walls of mosques and palaces. Iranian tile making had its greatest period in the 16th century, during the Safavid era. At that time they made tiles in two forms. Moarraq kashi are very small mosaic tiles put together, while haft rangi are larger with a painted surface (using seven colours). Using the larger painted tiles (mostly used inside buildings) was saving time when constructing new buildings.

Imam Khomeini Art Gallery

Inaugurated in May I996, this modem three-story gallery of the art loving people, artists, and artisans of Esfahan on Feiz Street to the south of Khaju Bridge occupies a total area of 1800 square meters. It is affiliated with the Institution for the Compilation and Dissemination of the Works of Imam Khomeini, the late founder and leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition to housing the works of the late Imam Khomeini, the gallery consists of an amphitheater for holding assemblies and screening plays in the basement, a book shop, a periodic gallery for the display of Iranian and foreign art works relating to Imam Khomeini, and a museum in the first floor for the preservation of his works, letters, personal belongings of him an his son Haj Ahmad, and some loose leaves of his manuscripts.