Salmiya

Bam was hit by an earthquake of the magnitude of 6.6 early in the morning of December 26, 2003. First, the death toll was assumed to be beyond 80'000, but the official number of casulaties was given as 56'000, and the latest estimates were about 26'000. See the official website of the movie Bam 6.6 here .

For the second time since 2006/07 I am spending Christmas and New Year in Iran. The last time, I joined a group of Kuwaiti pilgrims who visited the city of Mashhad on a pilgrimage to Imam Reza’s holy shrine. For me, it was a time of spirituality, good feelings, great Iranian and Kuwaiti hospitality, friendship, adventures, new insights in the semi-tribal life of the Baluchi people, and so much more. And, of course, an inevitable but failed attempt of an Iraqi Seyyed of converting me to Islam. I have reported about this wonderful, in fact even miraculous, journey to Khorasan in the northeastern corner of Iran somewhere else in my blog . The Astan-e Qods Razavi was, by the way, decorated and illuminated because of Eid-e Ghorban . That Saddam had been hanged in Baghdad early in the morning added, of course to the overall happiness of Kuwaitis, and Iranians as well. This year, I hope to participate in the Christmas mass in Esfahan’s marvelous Vank Cathedral in the Armenian Quarter. Among t...

Masjed-e Vakil , close to one of the entrances of the bazaar-e vakil , was built in 1773 by Shiraz’ wise and modest ruler Karim Khan. Most of its decoration, though, was added in the later Qajar period. It is one of Shiraz’ gems. The colors interchange between light blue, pink, red and yellow and floral motifs predominate. The mosque expresses a serene but cheerful, almost Mediterranean, atmosphere. The stained glass windows yield incredible plays of light in the alcoves and porches surrounding the courtyard.

Kurds are not only living in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and northwestern Iran. Shah Abbas I (d. 1629) had moved about 15’000 Kurds to the northeastern borders of Khorasan as protection against Uzbek and Turkoman invasions. As their folks in Kurdistan, these so-called Kordish people in northeastern Iran weave pile carpets, kilims and soumaks. The colorful carpets show typical geometric designs displaying octagons, hooked squares, and a star design, called naqsh-e setare (not in this piece), and knots are symmetric. So, it is no surprise to see characteristic colorful rugs and flat weaves of Kurds for example in the carpet bazaar in Mashhad. The kilim here (59 cm x 145 cm) is a nice example indicating different techniques of flat weave. When bought a couple of years ago, it was new. Four intensively orange major bands are separated by colorful stripes displaying arrow heads. They themselves are bordered by narrow black stripes with various, very delicate patterns of vines, zigzag bands, squar...

I was sitting in an airplane of Saudi Arabian Airline. It had turned out to be extremely difficult for me, the infidel, to get the visa for the, at least for foreigners, isolated country of Islam. Countless times I had to go to the Saudi Arabian consulate in Jabriah. I spent endless hours there and was usually treated in an unusual rude and impolite way. “The organizers will inform us if you are welcome!” I was told. “Come next week!” The organizers were the Saudi Arabian Association for Dental Research who had just started another attempt of organizing an annual meeting of the country’s dentists. Having lived and worked for a couple of years in Kuwait, I became more than curious to see whether they were interested in my research, too. Our Dean and my friend and colleague from Jordan wanted to accompany me. She also wanted to go to Makkah for Umrah , the lesser pilgrimage, but that was immediately declined by the authorities at the consulate. No way. Dhu al-Hijjah was coming soon, and...

In November 2006, I attended a conference in Shiraz. I met also my Esfahanian colleagues and friends there, and quickly the question arose, which city was actually nicer, Esfahan or Shiraz. Well, Esfahan is known as “ nesf-e jahan ”, literally “Half of the World”. I have featured the grandeur of the Safavid capital’s main square, the Naqsh-e Jahan , the parks and palaces , and the mysterious remains of the Seljuq capital , now Esfahan’s Old City, many times. Indeed, Esfahan is one of my favorite cities where I could imagine even to live for some time. It was of course a typical taroof , when I answered that anxious question: “If Esfahan is nesf-e jahan then Shiraz is certainly the other Half!” The former capital of the Zand dynasty with its surprisingly enlightened vakil (ruler) Karim Khan (d. 1779). The city of the great poets Sa’adi (b. 1184 CE) and Hafez (b. 1310 or 1337), who in fact inspired Goethe for his Westöstlicher Diwan . The city of nightingales and roses, paradise garden...

Temperatures in Yazd may rise in summer way beyond 40 centigrades, I was advised by my Iranian friend Shahram, our computer engineer at the Faculty, when I told him that I was planning to visit the city. Same as in Kuwait, but no air-condition! Well, there is even a stunning skyline in Yazd comprising hundreds of wind towers , or badgirs . As a typical desert city, air-conditioning has been essential since ancient times, and Yazd is, with its more than 3000 years of history according to UNESCO, one of the oldest cities in the world. The towers are made in a way that even the slightest breeze of air will be cooled down and directed to the living rooms below. Badgirs can be seen in all cities of the Persian Gulf coast, on both sides, Persian and Arabic. Even Kuwait sports some nice examples. In Sharq Market, stylized wind towers comprise an interesting element of its beautiful architecture. In a badgir , air is cooled down above a pool of water while the hot air is redirected upwards th...