A Second Day in Tehran

The next morning we were dropped off at the edge of a pedestrian mall near the Tehran Bazaar.  It was crowded with shoppers and people selling all kinds of things on the street. We drank some delicious, fresh squeezed pomegranate juice from a small stand at the entrance to the bazaar and then we headed inside.  It quickly became apparent that the Tehran Bazaar is not like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. This is a bazaar where everyday people shop for food, clothes, house wares and all kinds of goods not found in typical tourist shops.  Walking through the alleys, I couldn’t help being impressed by the size and scope of the bazaar and I enjoyed being able to window shop without being pressured by the shopkeepers to buy.  I saw many things I would have loved to take home if only I had room in my suitcase and was not restricted by sanctions regulations to spending $100 or less in Iran. 

The bazaar was almost a city within a city and we visited a small religious shrine there.  While we were wearing headscarves and long coats or shirts, we needed to be further covered to go into the shrine.  This was our first experience with the chador, which means tent in Farsi.  A large piece of fabric, the chador covers everything but the face.  It was a challenge to negotiate holding the chador closed while trying to take off or put on shoes at the door to the shrine.

The shrine was divided into men’s and women’s sections and Milad left us to go in by ourselves.  There was a large rectangular structure made of lattice bars in the middle of the shrine which houses the remains of the saint.  The interior was peaceful and there were only a few other women inside sitting on the Persian carpet praying.   We stayed for a while before leaving and returning our chadors. 

Leaving the bazaar, we found Amin and the white van waiting for us on the street and we went to have lunch at the Ferdowsi International Grand Hotel.   A nice buffet lunch with Iranian traditional foods and salads was washed down by bottles of tasty (really!) near beer and then we were off to see two museums displaying some of Iran’s rich history.

The National Museum of Iran seemed to have a surprisingly small collection on display for a country with such a rich and storied history.  I remembered seeing objects from the ancient Persian Empire at the University of Chicago and imagined pieces of Iran carried off and scattered across the world in various museums.  Milad told me he thinks this is OK, that maybe it is a good thing that people all over the world can see these artifacts and know a bit of the history of Iran.  We saw ceramics, pottery and stone carvings, some dating back to prehistoric Iran.  The most impressive objects were the large carved panels from Persepolis which hint at what we will see later.

After visiting the National Museum of Iran we went to a different kind of museum, The Jewels Museum.   Located in a large vault of the Central Bank of Iran, the Jewels Museum is a must see.  I am not a “jewelry person,” but I could not help but be impressed by the display of thrones, swords, crowns, tiaras and other objects, all of them encrusted with sparkling diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls.  It was a dazzling exhibition of exquisite craftsmanship and artistic taste.

As we left the Jewels Museum Milad asked if we would like to see something that is not on the itinerary.  He suggests going to Milad Tower, which he said was named after him.  It wasn't but we all laughed at the funny joke.  Milad Tower was an impressive sight, dominating the Tehran skyline.  The sixth largest tower in the world, it had panoramic views from the top which are amazing.  The city of Tehran looked its best in the brilliant sunshine, laid at our feet, stretching on and on and on with snow clad mountains in the background. From this high vantage point you got a real sense of the geography of Tehran and its immense size.

Tehran is huge and we were only able to see a small part of the city during our two days there.  We left Tehran the next morning and on the way west to Kermanshah we drove by Azadi Tower.  Built to commemorate the 2,500 anniversary of the first Persian Empire, the tower is an iconic symbol of Tehran.  Imposing in its massive scale, Azadi (Freedom) Tower is an impressive piece of modern Iranian architecture.