Iran - Andrew Burke [194]
Various reasons have been offered for closing these wonderful teahouses. Some cite the crackdown on the highly unhealthy qalyan. Others say the tobacco smoke was damaging the bridges, though given that people have been smoking in these stone places for centuries this seems unlikely. Others are convinced the rise of religious conservatives in the provincial government is to blame and the antismoking campaign is just a smokescreen – after all, they say, you can still smoke cigarettes almost anywhere. The result is that places where young men and women might get together and do dangerous things – like looking at each other – have been forced to close.
Whatever the reason, the city that likes to think of itself as the ‘Venice of the Middle East’ and (rightly) thinks it deserves a bigger share of international tourists, has lost some of its best attractions. With luck, the city will see to it that the teahouses are reopened – even without the qalyan.
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Shahrestan Bridge
This is the oldest of Esfahan’s bridges (Map). Most of the 11-arched stone and brick structure is believed to date from the 12th century, although the pillars themselves remain from a much earlier Sassanian bridge. Although it’s almost 4km east of Khaju Bridge, it’s a pleasant walk.
Jolfa: The Armenian Quarter
The Armenian quarter of Esfahan is Jolfa (Map). It dates from the time of Shah Abbas I, who transported this colony of Christians from the town of Jolfa (now on Iran’s northern border; Click here) en masse, and named the village ‘New Jolfa’. Abbas sought their skills as merchants, entrepreneurs and artists – a look at the walls of Vank Cathedral reveals what he was after. The Armenian Christians had their religious freedom respected, but they were restricted to this area across the river and kept away from the Islamic centres.
Today there are 13 Armenian churches and an old cemetery scattered around Jolfa, serving a Christian community of about 7000. It’s worth heading out here (it’s not far) in the afternoon, seeing the sights and staying around for dinner in the relatively liberal village atmosphere.
Vank Cathedral
Built between 1606 and 1655 with the encouragement of the Safavid rulers, Vank Cathedral (Kelisa-ye Vank; Map; 624 3471; Kelisa St; adult/student IR30,000/16,000; 8am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm, to 6.30pm summer) is the historic focal point of the Armenian church in Iran. The church’s exterior is unexciting, but the interior is richly decorated and shows the curious mixture of styles – Islamic tiles and designs alongside Christian imagery – that characterises most churches in Iran. The frescoes are truly magnificent, and sometimes wonderfully gruesome.
The attached Vank Cathedral museum contains, among other things, more than 700 handwritten books and a disturbing display covering the Armenian genocide in Turkey.
Other Churches
Of the other 12 churches in Jolfa only these two are open (sometimes). The frescoes on the walls and ceilings of the Church of Bethlehem (Kelisa-ye Bethlehem; Map; Nazar St; admission IR10,000), built in 1628, are arguably of a higher quality than those in Vank Cathedral. The interior of the high dome is decorated with swirling black motifs on a golden background, while the base is surrounded by paintings of Biblical scenes. The Church of St Mary (Kelisa-ye Maryam; Map; Jolfa Sq) is similarly decorated, though with less flair. If the churches are closed, as they often are, and door-knocking doesn’t work, ask for help at the cathedral.
Manar Jomban (Shaking Minarets)
The 14th-century tomb of Abu Abdullah, a revered dervish, is 7km west of central Esfahan in Kaladyn. The tomb is popularly known as Manar Jomban (Shaking Minarets; Map; Saremiyeh St; admission IR5000; 8.30am-1pm