A City of Millions, A Planet of Billions, A Soul on its Own - Haiku Poem by Nick Wong

This will be my last post; it is devoted to Tehran, the city in which I have spent the last 5 1/2 weeks. I have mixed feelings about Tehran, but it deserves an introduction of some sort.

Tehran is the capital city of Iran with an elevation of 2,952 to 6,003 feet (900 to 1,830 meters) and a population of over 15 million. It lies on the edge of the Alborze Mountains in the north of Iran.

    

Above and top two photos: Old Tehran.

The first mention of Tehran is by the 13^th century geographer Ahahab Oddin Abu Abdollah in his book Mojam Ol Boldan. He mentions Tehran as one of the villages around the city of Rey with rebellious inhabitants who disregard their governors and clash amongst themselves. Tehranis were also known for living in underground dwellings. The origins of the name Tehran remain unclear.

Rey Fire Temple dates back to 2000 years ago.

The city of Rey, on the other hand, was setteled over 7,000 years ago and was once an important Median city by the name of Rhaga. In the Old Persian inscriptions, the city appears as a province that was important to the Medes, especially the Achaemenid kings. The birthplace of Zoroaster (Zarathustra) is given as Rhaga in Middle Persian texts, yet modern scholars conclude that Zoroaster was born in Khorasan (eastern part of Iran). In 641 AD Rey became the last stand for Sassanid King Yazdgerd III during the Arab invasion. King Yazdgerd sent his last appeal to his people and then fled to Khorasan in eastern Iran. 

Rey resisted the Arab Invasion but was destroyed once captured by the Arabs. The Mongol attack of 1220 brought Rey to complete destruction. With the fall of Rey, Tehran started developing into a town of its own. By the time of Shah Tahmasb I of the Safavids in the 16^th century, ramparts were constructed around the town, and Tehran grew into a city.

Toopkhooneh Square, Tehran, 1911.

Tehran in the 1950s.

Agha Mohammad Khan, founder of the Qajar dynasty (1789-1797), established Tehran as his capital and royal buildings and dwellings were constructed.  However, after fifty years of Qajar rule, the city did not have more than 80,000 inhabitants within a walled citadel consisting of the neighborhoods of Udlajan, Chale Meydan, and Sangelaj. 

Tehran in the mid 20th Century.

Tehran in the 1960s.

By the time of Reza Shah Pahlavi in the 1020s and 1930s, the city was rebuilt and modernized. To do so, ancient buildings, city walls, and gates were demolished in 1937 in order to allow for easy movement of goods and vehicles through the city. 

Northern Tehran and the Alborz Mountains.

Above and Top: The Nature Bridge, or Poleh Tabiat, was
designed by Laila Araghian, a 25 year-old female
architect and completed in 2014. 

Tehran, the National Museum.

Tehran Metro.

Tehran at night.

Since the age of modernization, Tehran has grown to include all the surrounding villages into the metropolitan area. For example, once known as Vanak village, Vanak is now part of the northern section of Tehran. 

National Gate, Qajar period.

One of many contemporary residential buildings in Tehran.

Mount Tochal ski gondola lifts start from Velenjak in
Northern Tehran at 6,300 feet (1900 meters) and end
in the last station at 12,270 feet (3740 meters). 

Tehran has grown to reach the outskirts of the Alborz Mountains to the north and the edge of the desert in the south. To the west, Tehran has spread into the city of Karaj and to the east, it has reached the eastern villages and towns. Had it not been for the Alborz Mountains, Tehran would no doubt be on the shores of the Caspian Sea by now!

I'm just mad about saffron, A-saffron's mad about me - Donovan, Scottish singer and songwriter

I’m just mad about saffron

A-saffron’s mad about me

I’m-a just mad about saffron

She’s just mad about me

They call me mellow yellow (quite rightly)

They call me mellow yellow (quite rightly)

Iran produces 93% of the global production of the spice known as saffron. Saffron is a major ingredient in Iranian cooking and is derived from the plant crocus sativus, an autumn-flowering perennial plant. The crocus bulb produces up to four flowers which grow to 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm).

Harvesting saffron in Iran.

The saffron threads are nestled in the blossom of each flower. They are the vivid crimson receptive tip of the carpel. A carpel is one of the individual female reproductive organs in a flower. Not all crocuses are saffron producing, though. 

Harvesting saffron in Iran.

With only three strands of saffron in each crocus, it takes 4,500 flowers to make one ounce (28 grams) of saffron. Each strand has to be delicately hand picked. 

Removing each strand of saffron from the flower is a delicate and time consuming job.

Saffron crocuses only blossom in mid autumn and they have to be harvested quickly because shortly after the flowers open they begin to wilt.

A saffron farm in Iran.

Saffron can cost up to $315 per ounce. That’s roughly $5,000 a pound! The good news is that only a few strands are needed to flavor an entire meal. 

 

A saffron store in Tajrish Bazaar, north of Tehran.

Iranian saffron is the most intense in the world with the following grades: "sargol" (red stigma tips only which is the strongest grade), "pushal" or "pushali" (red stigmas plus some yellow style; this is a lower strength), "bunch" saffron (red stigmas plus large amount of yellow style, presented in a tiny bundle), and "konge" (yeloow style only, containing aroma but with very little, if any, coloring). 

 Saffron in grounded using a mortar and pestle.

Saffron was mentioned in detail in a 700 BC Assyrian botanical reference put together during Ashurbanipal’s rule. By 1000 BC, ancient Iranians were cultivating saffron in Derbana, Isfahan, and Khorasan. Saffron threads were woven into textiles, ritually offered to divinities, and used in a variety of personal uses such as dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. 

Persian saffron tea.

To cure depression, saffron threads were placed across beds or mixed with hot water to brew saffron tea. To this day in Iran, saffron tea is consumed to battle depression. Picking up from the ancient Iranians, Alexander the Macedonian used Persian saffron in his infusions, in his food, and in his bath. His troops followed the example of the Iranians and brought saffron-bathing to Greece.

Persian basmati rice with saffron, barberries, pistachios, and almonds.

Persian basmati rice with saffron, dill, and lima beans.

Eggplant stew with saffron.

Okra stew with saffron.

In my small night, ah! The wind has a date with the leaves of the trees - Forough Farrokhzad, Iranian Poet

Ancient Engineering III

Badgir/Windcatcher or Windtower

 

The badgir, or windtower, is a traditional Iranian air conditioning system that lowers the air temperature in buildings. Badgir is strictly an Iranian architectural element, used in conjunction with the qanat, to create natural ventilation in buildings in hot, dry climates.

Abarkooh badgirs, Fars Province.

Flow of the air into the building.

The flow of air through a badgir.

The Badgir is very resourceful and the way it works is simple but quite ingenious.  It is basically a brick tower built with either four or eight openings at the top, although it can also have one opening (less common). These vents are decorated in brick, mud plaster, or ornately carved lime plaster. The height of the badgir is usually between a foot (30 cm) to 16.5 feet (5 m) above the roof. The tallest badgir was built in the Dowlat Abad Garden in Yazd and rises 110 feet (33.35 m) above the roof.

Detail diagram of the operation of a badgir.

Dowlat Abad badgir in Yazd stands 110 feet tall.

A dome is usually part of the traditional architecture of badgirs.

Badgirs are a dominant part of the skyline.

Working with a qanat (see post on Qanat). The tower’s orientation is adjusted by directional port at the top. With the open side facing away from the direction of the wind, air is pulled in, drawn down into the passage, and into the qanat tunnel. From there, the air is cooled as soon as it comes into contact with the cold qanat water. The cooled air is then drawn up through the windcatcher as it flows through the building, cooling off anything it comes in contact with.

 

A traditional home with typical interior courtyard and badgirs.

Agha Zadeh Mansion, Abarkooh, Fars Province.

The badgirs at Agha Zadeh Mansion, Abarkooh,
Fars Province.

A closer look at Agha Zadeh Mansion badgris,
Abarkooh, Fars Province.

Town of Aran Va Bidgol badgirs, Isfahan Province. 

The city of Kashan, leveled by an earthquake in 1778, saw an abundance in the construction of classic traditional Iranian residential buildings in the 18th and 19th centuries. These houses are now a focal tourist attraction in Kashan and one of the finest is the Boroujerdi House, built in 1857 by architect Ustad Ali Maryam. A wealthy merchant, Boroujerdi built the house for his wife which, besides having the traditional courtyards, holds fine examples of domes and badgirs. 

Boroujerdi House, Kashan.

Boroujerdi House badgirs, Kashan.

Interior courtyard of Boroujerdi House, Kashan.

The badgirs at Tekiehe Amir Chaghmagh, Yazd.

Badgirs are present in many Iranian-influenced (Persian-influenced) architecture throughout the Middle East. Unfortunately, with the development of modern air conditioning units, this amazing system of cooling the interior of the building was abandoned in favor of the electric machines and badgirs have become more of an element of architectural decoration.