My 12 day stay in Isfahan - Day 4 (morning cont.) - Isfahan - UNESCO designated site - Chehel Sotoun Palace - The 30th of November 2017

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I had been to Chehel Sotoun Palace in 2014 and it is precisely because I felt I hadn't had enough time to thoroughly look at the paintings on its interior walls, once we spent a lot of time admiring the exterior decoration, that I decided to go back.

Reflection of the columned porch in the water pool is what is believed to have led to the impressive visual effect, whose name it holds onto Chehelsotoon (forty columns). Half of the pool is situated in front of the building, though its other half extends behind it. In the middle of the porch there is a marble basin with four lions at each corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Used for Shah Abbas II entertainement and receptions the palace has many frescoes and paintings on ceramic depicting the battle of Chaldiran against the Ottoman Sultan Selim I, the reception of an Uzbek King in 1646, the battle of Taher-Abad and Nader Shah's victory against the Indian army at Karnal. Aesthetic compositions in the traditional miniature style celebrating the joy of love complete the beautiful ensemble of painted walls which together with the ceiling artwork had me utterly mesmerised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had never been to the back part of the building, which despite not being as beautifully decorated as the front part was nevertheless worth the look particularly because of some of its frescoes.

I sat in the Palace's garden for a while as I finished the visit. I had been to Isfahan for just three full days but was beginning to "feel" Iranian, in regards to the importance of the gardens and parks.

 

 

My 12 day stay in Isfahan - Day 4 (morning) - Isfahan - Honar Garden - garden honouring prominent Iranian people of the past - The 30th of November 2017

I got up fairly early in the morning so as to revisit the Chehel Sotoun Palace. As I walked along the Ali Baba alley I came across a structure I had seen somewhere before and whose meaning I had no clue about until Saba told me that these were funerary  information structures normally placed outside the house of the decease to let neighbours know of the event. 

The Naghsh Jahan Square had become a compulsory stopping point in any of my walking trajectories. No matter where I headed I ended up always passing by it and if repetitive trajectories might have been a nuisance in any other circumstance this wasn't. Whether it was the light or the time of the day the square always had an impact on me as if I was looking at it for the first time ever.

 

 

Between the square and Chehel Sotoun Palace I came across a fairly small yet "meaningful" garden with several stautes of many prominent figures of the past. I took the time to read the short biographies of them all and wondered why we didn't pay equal honour to the ones who had in some sort of way contributed to the development of my home country. Maybe we should learn what "respecting" others is about in the West ...

 

 

My 12 day stay in Isfahan - Day 3 (late afternoon and evening) - Kashan - The Imamzadeh-ye Sultan Mir Ahmad shrine and mausoleum; stopovers on the way back to Isfahan - The 29th of November 2017

Before heading back to Isfahan Mohammad stopped briefly at the Imamzadeh-ye Sultan Mir Ahmad shrine and mausoleum which I just looked at from the outside.

It wasn't until we stopped outside Kashan overlooking one of the neighbouring hills that I confirmed once more Iranians' love of  nature and fresh air. Several vehicles were stopped where Mohammad stopped his, so as to have some tea, cut up pieces of fruit and cucumber, as well as nuts of various sorts whilst admiring the faint sun set.

Just before approaching Isfahan we stopped one more time - at an old Caravanserai, which has been turned into a market-like ensemble comprising a few stalls that sell a wide variety of local products, from food to handicrafted goods. Despite being quite dark by then I enjoyed the strolling around that ended up at the local restaurant within the premises of the huge compound.

By the time I reached my "new home" I was tired though I still managed to join Saba in the kitchen and make yet another local cuisine plate that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It had been a long day but thanks to Mohammad I must confess it was a very rich experience, culturally speaking.