Iran - Andrew Burke [257]
JAMEH MOSQUE
The well-preserved Jameh Mosque (off Shohada Sq) is entered from both Shohada Sq and the bazaar. Its four lofty iwans (rectangular halls opening onto a courtyard) and shimmering blue tiles date from 1349 but were extensively modernised during the Safavid period and later. Interestingly, this mosque has no minaret. Instead there is a squat clock tower atop the main entrance (off Shohada Sq).
MOSHTARI-YE MOSHTAQ ALI SHAH
The attractive Moshtari-ye Moshtaq Ali Shah (Shohada Sq; 8am-noon & 2pm-sunset) is the mausoleum for Sufi mystic Moshtaq Ali Shah, and other Kerman notables. Moshtaq Ali Shah was renowned for his singing and ability with the setar (a four-stringed instrument), and is apparently responsible for adding the fourth string to the setar (which literally means ‘three strings’). He eventually fell so far out of favour with the local religious community that he was stoned in the Jameh Mosque. Most of what you see, including the prominent blue-and-white-tiled roofs, are from the late Qajar period.
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JAMEH MOSQUES
Although every Iranian town has several mosques, the most important one is the Masjed-e Jameh, or Congregational Mosque. This is where men gather for prayers at noon every Friday and where they will listen to the Friday prayer leader preach. In small towns he may be a simple imam (prayer leader) but in bigger towns he might be an hojattol-Eslam or even an ayatollah, a religious expert who may have studied the Quran for 20 years or more. Jameh also means ‘Friday’ and Westerners often refer to the Masjed-e Jameh as the ‘Friday Mosque’.
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IMAM MOSQUE
The expansive Imam Mosque (Imam Khomeini St) is worth a look specifically if you’re interested in the process of rehabilitating old buildings. Dating from the early Islamic period, the mosque has suffered considerable damage over the years, not least the destruction of a minaret during an earthquake in the 1970s. But the painstaking restoration goes on with the twin aims of uncovering and restoring early inscriptions while leaving no trace of the recent work. It’s quite a challenge. If you get chatting with the architects in charge they might (no guarantees here) let you take a look at the remains of a fine mihrab believed to date from the early Islamic period, locked away in the southwest corner. Also worth finding are the reliefs in the rooms high above the main iwan.
SANATI MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
This newly renovated museum ( 222 1882; Dr Shariati St; admission IR20,000; 9am-6pm Oct-May, 9am-noon & 3-8pm summer) is a pleasant surprise in a town that can otherwise feel a long way from modern cultural pursuits. In a Qajar-era building set around an attractive courtyard, the museum houses paintings, sculptures and stone inlays by famous local artist Sayyed Ali Akbar Sanati (1916–2006). It also has exhibitions by younger Iranian artists and even a bronze hand by Auguste Rodin. Not surprisingly, it’s a good place to meet open-minded young Kermanis.
MOAYEDI ICE STORE
The Safavid-era Moayedi Ice House (Abu Hamed St) is a well-preserved, conical adobe structure that was used to store ice. The ice store was, and in some part still is, surrounded by gardens. The gardens would fill with water during winter, and when the water froze the ice would be slid into the Moayedi. It was being transformed into a theatre when we passed and wasn’t open to the public.
KERMAN NATIONAL LIBRARY
The Kerman National Library (Shahid Qarani St; 7am-8pm) modestly bills itself as the ‘greatest informatic research center in the country’, but it’s the architecture – a forest of columns supporting vaulted ceilings – that is the real attraction. Built in 1929, the style is a harmonious variation on late-Qajar-era design that was purpose built as, wait for it, a textile factory! If only Manchester had been so blessed.
MUSEUM OF THE HOLY DEFENCE
The Museum of the Holy Defence (Felestin St; admission IR3000; 7am-12.30pm & 3.30-6pm) commemorates the eight-year Iran–Iraq War. Symbolism abounds, although much of it won’t be obvious