Salmiya

I have already reported on the beautifully restored John Gayer-Anderson house in the vicinity of the ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo. It was merged with another mansion from the 16th century, the House of the Cretan, by the British army doctor, who decorated both with furniture and collectables from all over the Middle East. So, it might not be original (although the harīm , pictured in the posting on the ibn Tulun mosque , looks pretty original) but rather represents the more or less colonial attitude of a member of the occupying force. No wonder, the house was even featured in a James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). Other great mansions I visited in Islamic Cairo include Beit Zainab al Khatoun close to the Azhad mosque and the wonderful Beit al Suhani from Ottoman and Mamluk periods, respectively. A remarkably self-confident female student of Antiquities took me around and explained to me the different rooms, their functions in hot summer and cold winter and beautiful decorations,...

Kashan at the border of Iran’s Dasht-e Kavir, is a very relaxed city in Central Iran. It harbors one of Iran’s (and in fact the world’s) oldest settlements at Tappeh-ye Seyalk . There are tree alleys which invite for extended walks through the city. Fin garden is one of Irans finest parks, a real imagination of paradise (a Persian word). Main activities of business and communication are done, as usual in Iran, in the bazaar. Its beautiful domed roof is rather famous and was built in the Qajar period. Here, ancient caravanserais and mosques, old and new goods, and the famous Kashan carpets can be discovered. The old Sultan Mir Ahmed Hamam is now a relaxing tea house. Kashan’s main attractions are a number of renovated mansions from the Qajar period in the 19th century. These traditional houses are hidden behind high mud-brick walls and not visible from the streets at all. They were the home of wealthy merchants and carpet dealers. Iran seems to spend a lot of money and effort to preserv...