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Khatamkari

2019/10/06/1 Comment/in Architrcture , Art and Handicraft, Isfahan /by Iran Tourism

Khatamkari literally means decorating objects’ surfaces with small pieces like tiles and it is one of the Persian arts wherein the surface of wooden or metallic articles is decorated with pieces of wood, bone and metal cut in a variety of shapes and designs.

This art, to some extent, has existed in Iran from long ago. Inlaid articles in the Safavid era took on a special significance, as artists used this art on doors, windows, mirror frames, Qur’an boxes, pen and pen holders, lanterns and tombs.

Also, in some royal buildings, doors and various items have been inlaid. The inlaid-ornamented rooms in Sa’dabad and Marble Palace in Tehran are among masterpieces of this art.

Incorporating techniques from China and improving it with Persian know-how, this craft existed for more than 700 years and is still practiced in Shiraz and Isfahan.

How to do it

Gold, silver and etc. can be used for collector coins. These rods are first assembled into triangular beams with geometric patterns, and then these are assembled again and glued into bundles in a strict order to form a cylinder of about 70cm, whose edge shows the unity of the base of the final decoration.

These cylinders are then sheared in shorter cylinders, then compressed and dried between two wooden plates, before undergoing a final cut that makes slices of about 1 mm in thickness. The latter are then ready to be plated and glued on the support object to be decorated before being lacquered. They can be preheated to soften them, if the object is curved, so that they can perfectly marry the curves. The decorated objects are: boxes, chess or backgammon, frames, or even musical instruments.

The Khatam technique can also be applied to the famous Persian miniatures, thus creating true works of art.

Persian Pottery

2019/10/04/1 Comment/in Architrcture , Art and Handicraft, Gilan, Lorestan, Mazandaran /by Iran Tourism

Persian Pottery

Iranian pottery production presents a continuous history from the beginning of Iranian history until the present day. In Iran pottery manufacture has a long and brilliant history. Due to the special geographical position of the country, being at the crossroads of ancient civilizations and on important caravan routes, almost every part of Iran was, at times, involved in pottery making. Yet, recent excavations and archaeological research revealed that there were four major pottery-manufacturing areas in the Iranian plateau. These included the western part of the country, namely the area west of the Zagros Mountains (Lorestan), and the area south of the Caspian Sea (Gilan and Mazandaran provinces).

One of the earliest known and excavated prehistoric sites that produced pottery is Ganj Darreh Tappeh in the Kermanshah region. Another great discovery was made south of the Caspian Sea in a cave, in the so-called Kamarband, (Belt cave) near present day Behshahr.

With the invention and the introduction of the potter’s wheel, it became possible to produce better quality and symmetrically-shaped vessels; the number of pottery types made was greatly increased as well. The decoration of these objects was made with much greater care and artistic skill, and the designs used were greatly enriched and carefully selected.

In general the history of Iranian-Islamic pottery can be divided into three main periods Post-Sassanian or Early Islamic Period; Middle Islamic Period; Later Islamic Period.

In these three periods, which lasted for more than a thousand years, numerous pottery centers were established, which produced innumerable types of wares.

Currently, pottery art is popular in traditional and industrial ways in Iran, and its main centers are: Laljin, Hamedan, Meybod, Yazd, Kalporgan, Minab, Gilan, Gonabad, Shahreza and etc.

Laljin

Laljin is known as the Middle East pottery and ceramic works. 80 percent of the population of the city of Laljin is engaged in pottery and ceramic works.

Local Costume and Food of Khorasan People

2019/10/02/1 Comment/in North Khorasan, Other, Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan /by Iran Tourism

Local Costume of Khorasaan People

In Great Khorasaan province which is divided into 3 parts, different people are living such as Turkoman, Kurd, Balouch and etc.

Balouch people are settled in southern and eastern parts of Khorasaan Razavi and wear their own costume which is decorated with needlework.

Turkoman people live in northern parts of Khorasaan Razavi. The most important part of Turkoman women’s wear is a red dress called “Chavak”. For men this long dress is called “doon” and it’s the major part of their clothing. There are two types of hats called “Boorik” with needlework and “Talpak” with long wool. In Ghouchan, Dargaz and Kalaat, Turkish and Kurdish people wear their own costume. Kurdish men’s wear are similar to the ones in Kurdistan.

In Kermanj, women wear “Shilvaar” which is a corrugated skirt with detailed fringe.

The main women’s wear in Khorasaan is “Shalite”. A layered and corrugated skirt with vest and scarf.

Finally, when we talk about Khorasaan Costume, we all remember the bust, white pants and turban which people wear during a dance called “Choub Baazi”.

Khorasaan Local Food

One of the most amazing parts of traveling to a new province is tasting its local food that can get us familiar with their taste. Great Khorasaan province has its own local food like Kome joush, Khorasaan lentils halim, saateri polo,reshteh suzmeh, ghorouto, Neyshabour oatmeal soup, tougi sardaaghi and etc.

Natural Attractions In Iran

2019/05/01/0 Comments/in Amol, Hamadan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Isfahan, Isfahan, Mazandaran, Natural Attractions, Qeshm Island, Sari /by Iran Tourism

For those who crave to visit Iran whose historical monuments are not satisfactory enough, the numerous awe-inspiring landscapes surrounding Iran ranging from mountains to deserts, to forests and caves offer travelers a fantastic and memorable experience. In the following, you will find a glimpse over the most wonderful ones.

Alisadr Cave:

Ali Sadr Cave originally called Ali Saadr (meaning cold) is the world’s largest water cave which attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is located in Ali Sadr Kabudarahang County about 100 kilometers north of Hamadan, western Iran.

Chahkooh Canyon:

In the Northwestern part of Qeshm Island, Chahkooh Canyon (Mountain of Wells) is located 15km away from Tabl Village. The Chahkooh Canyon is known as The Great Canyon of The Middle-East and is inscribed as a UNESCO Global Geopark site. This Geosite is an exceptional example of erosion through rainstorm water.

Mount Damavand:

Mount Damavand is known as the highest mountain in Iran and the highest volcano in the Middle East. It is located in the central part of the Alborz mountain range (central Alborz), and in the south of the Caspian Sea, in the Larijan district of Amol.

Varzaneh Desert:

Varzaneh Desert is one of the beauty deserts of the eastern part of Isfahan and the central part of Iran. At the heart of this desert, sandy hills make a wonderful view that wind beautifully crafted them in various shapes, including longitudinal hills, crests and sandy pyramids.

Hormuz Island:

Hormuz, mostly barren, hilly island of Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, 8 km off the coast. The population may decline by half in summer through migration. Hormuz village is the only permanent settlement. Resources include red ochre for export.

Badab Soort Springs:

Badab Soort has become the world’s second largest Spring Saline water. Badab Soort’s springs are two distinct mineral springs with different natural characteristics, located at 1,840 metres above sea level. The first spring contains very salty water that gathers in a small natural pool. Its water is considered to have medicinal properties, especially as a cure for rheumatism and some types of skin diseases and skin conditions. The second spring has a sour taste and is predominately orange mainly due to the large iron oxide sediments at its outlet.