Iran - Andrew Burke [195]
Many buses (IR250, 20 minutes) going west along Baha’i St from near the corner of Chahar Bagh Abbasi St run past Manar Jomban; the man in the ticket booth will point you to the right one. Chartering a taxi for an hour to include the nearby Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan fire temple is another alternative (about IR40,000).
Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan
Dating from Sassanian times, the crumbling mud bricks of the Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan (Esfahan Fire Temple; off Map; Saremiyeh St; admission IR2000; 8.30am-5pm, to 6pm in summer) stare out over the Zayandeh River and the city from a low hill on its outskirts. The 10-minute scramble uphill is worth the effort on a clear day. It’s about 2km west from the Manar Jomban, along the same road.
Pigeon towers
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A SHAKE TOO FAR?
Ask guides why the shaking minarets shake and they are likely to embark on a lengthy explanation of vibration theory. Some who have studied a bit might even quote a geologists’ report suggesting the sandstone used in the minarets contains something called felspar, which dissolves over time, leaving stone flexible and liable to shake. The geologists say their theory is supported by the fact there are no historic references to the minarets shaking. There are, however, conflicting views. Another expert points out that other buildings in Esfahan were constructed from the same sandstone and yet show no propensity to shake.
Then again, there’s another theory. As the minarets are made of brick and timber, it seems more feasible that it’s the timber that bends and is the connection between the two minarets. It’s a theory supported by one traveller, who wrote: ‘Flexible stone – pull the other leg.’
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For centuries Esfahan relied on pigeons to supply guano as fertiliser for the city’s famous fields of watermelons. The guano was collected in almost 3000 squat, circular pigeon towers, each able to house about 14,000 birds. Today they are unused, made redundant by chemical fertiliser, but more than 700 of the mud-brick towers remain in the city’s environs.
The best place to see them is dotted along the Zayandeh River south of the Ateshkadeh. The 10km walk back into Esfahan makes a great afternoon, and you’re also likely to see locally made cloth being laid out to dry.
‘Half of the World’ Walking Tour
Esfahan is often described as ‘half of the world’, and this walking tour takes you through several of the city’s highlights. Starting at Imam Hossein Sq, walk north along Chahar Bagh Abbasi St and turn right (east) down quiet Golbahar St. Walk past the Russian Consulate and into a covered bazaar, then turn left (north) when you reach Hakim St, crossing under the bazaar roof. About 150m along you’ll come to the Hakim Mosque (1) on the right. The western entrance should be open, but if it’s not continue north and turn west along Hakim Alley to reach the northern entrance. This is Esfahan’s oldest mosque, but only the beautiful portal (beside the northern entrance) has survived from the Buyid-dynasty structure built about 1000 years ago. The dome beneath the southern iwan has an impressive echo and, if you climb the stairs in the southeastern corner, you’ll enjoy fine views over the rooftops of the bazaar.
Exiting through the northern entrance you’ll enter the narrow, attractive lanes around the bazaar. Continuing east on Hakim Lane, you’ll pass through the quieter alleys of the Bazar-e Bozorg (2; Click here), with vendors selling household goods and at least one male-dominated but charismatic little chaykhaneh (3). The bazaar veers northeast and becomes busier, with domestic goods shops, mosques, madrasehs, teahouses, banks, bathhouses and even the occasional garden.
At a fork the main bazaar veers right, but keep straight