As mentioned in introduction of the encyclopedia of Persian Rugs: Iran is known in the world for two distinguished things: poetry and carpet. In other words, Iranian taste and Iranians’ aesthetic taste has been manifested in poetry and carpet in terms of concept and meaning, material, and form, respectively. However, the carpet art is privileged on the poetry as the hand-woven carpet is a collective art, while poetry is an individual art.”

The history of carpet is integrated with the history of human. Early human was familiar with the method of spinning vegetative fibers and bark of trees and consequently industries such as basket weaving over the centuries, and was able to produce not so much soft ground-cloth using the wool of animals that could live in the early communities. In Persian language, carpet means spreading and it refers to spreading equipment which is woven with yarn, wool or silk in different colors and patterns. Women were among those who made a lot of efforts in this art from the beginning and when other people were hunting animals, they attempt to weave baskets; rough hand-woven, animal wrappers and material carry bags. The early ground-cloths were made of animals’ soft skin and soft herbal fibers and straw; however, due to the expansion of social societies and lack of hunting, the need for more hand-woven ground-cloths is increasing day by day and their evolved weaving. Archaeological excavations reveal that using straws woven from Mesopotamian reeds was common from the 4th and 5th millennium and weaving Kilim rugs reached a high stage of development before the 15th century BC. No reliable information is available regarding the process of weaving and the people who originally weaved the early rugs since rugs are damaged by moisture and insects because of their natural structure. The oldest Persian rug found by archaeologist is the rug found in the frozen grave of one of the Scythian rulers in the Pazirik valley located 80 km from foreign Mongolia and hence called “Paziric” rug. This carpet was used as a horse cover and experts consider it as an Iranian carpet. In addition, they believe that it is one of the hand-woven productions of Medes and Parthians, due to its patterns which are similar to original Achaemenid’s motifs (the old Great Khorasan).

Persian Rug

 The colors used in this rug include orange-red, yellow, light green and orange. The similarity between the motifs of riders and pedestrians who walk alongside their horses and winged creatures observed in this rug and Persepolis motifs empower the accuracy of these researchers’ opinions. The evidence shows that Iranian carpet enjoyed world reputation during this period although there is no specific example from the Sasanian era. In this regard, the Chinese calendar (Sue Sue) in this era mentions the Iranian wool carpet as goods imported to China. Further, Persian literature has repeatedly mentioned the Sasanian King as the famous Taghdis throne of Khosropartviz, in which 4 carpets were spreading on each representing a season of the year – according to some reports. During the reign of Mongols (13th and 14th), weaving carpet reached to a very high level of beauty and technique. The flourishing of this industry maybe was coincided with Ghazan Khan Reign (1295-1307). However, the climax of the Iranian classic carpet which refers to the Renaissance of Iranian carpet is associated with Safavid kings’ era (1499-1722), especially during the reign of Shah Tahmasb I (1524- 1587) and Shah Abbas the great (1587-1629). 3000 carpets are left over from this period, which are kept in the great museums of the world or personal collections. Some carpet weaving workshops were built next to kings’ palaces during this time and various centers which already existed in Tabriz, Isfahan, Kashan, Mashhad, Kerman, Jushqan, Yazd, Gorgan, Harat and northern states such as Shirvan, Karabakh and Gilan were further developed and prospered. Furthermore, top painters integrated the briefed and combined Medallion schemes in the middle of rugs and corners. That is, the same design that was used on the cover of precious books in the 15th century.

Persian Rug

With the occupation of the country by Afghans in the 19th century (1721-1722), this industry and art were downgraded. Persian Rugs, especially the exquisite carpets of Tabriz area were exported to Europe. During this time, representatives from European countries were sent out to all eastern countries which collected all the old and antique Persian rugs with a very intense competition and sent to Constantinople, which was still the most important market for the eastern carpets. When the source of the old carpets was finished, British (Zigler, 1883), American and German indefinitely set up workshops in Tabriz, Arak and Kerman. This routine continued until World War I, when the carpet production underwent a significant change. Currently, Persian rugs are regarded as the representation of the art history of this land, because they are the symbol of the Iranian art, which comes from a genuine and long lasting culture which embodies the ethnic, historical, geographical and religious identity of Iran. Shirin Souresrafil, as a carpet designer and writer, believe that the original patterns of Iranian carpets will never fall into oblivion and destruction due to their close relationship with the history, culture and other traditional art of Iran. As we do not observe any sign of aging on the motifs of the turquoise domes of Isfahan mosques, the designs of the rocks and pillars of the Persepolis and traditional paintings (miniature) of Reza Abbasi. The Iranian carpet industry with its world reputation is still the world’s first market leader despite rivals like Chinese carpets, export downward trend and the lower price of the carpet of the rival countries compared to Iranian carpet and given its coordination with the tastes of the global markets. This unmatched Iranian art is exported to about 32 countries, and although the traditional Iranian carpet markets like America, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Japan are regarded as the major target markets, the dramatic growth of the Iranian carpet is exported to Brazil, Africa and China.

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Weaving process of Persian Rug

The steps which should be considered to begin weaving a carpet are as follows:

  • Preparing instrument (carpet loom) and tools
  • Preparing the intended design
  • Warping ( installing warp threads or warps on the carpet loom)
  • Kilim rug weaving, the beginning of the carpet
  • Plain weaving of the beginning of the carpet, knotting on the warps using pile
  • Design reading, knitting based on the colored houses of the design
  • Wefting (under weft or thick weft, over weft or thin weft) and punching wefts
  • Selvedge runners
  • Punching wales and cutting extra top piles
  • Trying to avoid potential flaws when weaving
  • Taking the carpet off the loom: Finishing the work of a woven carpet

There are two kinds of knots which are common in Iranian carpet weaving including Turkish knot (Giordes-symmetrical) used in Tabriz, Haris in Hamadan and by Fras tribesmen an Persian knot (Senneh, asymmetrical) used in Fars language areas, Arak, Isfahan, Mashhad, Birjand, Kerman, Nain, Kashan and Qom. A common number of wales in Iranian carpets range from 20 to 90 wales. Coarse woven carpets usually include 20 and 25, and coarse woven tribe carpets include about 30 wales. The average good carpets consist of 40, 45 and 50 wales and good carpets have 50 to 90 carpets.

 

Persian Rug

Design Types of Persian Rugs

Different kinds of Iranian designs are as follow:

Shah Abbasi (Palmetto flower design)

This design is based on certain designed flowers, which is known as “Shah Abbasi”. These abstracted flowers, along with the branches and leaves, and often with Eslimis and Khataeis in the background and margin of the carpet, constitute the main design of the carpet. The subgroups of the main design are named as Afshan (Overall flower design), medallion-corner design, medallion design, tree design, animal design, Sheikh Safi design, series edged, captured Shah Abbasi, edged medallion, Butteh and plain weave medallion-corner design.

Persian Rug

Eslimi (Arabesque)

The main form of this design consists of curved branches among the leaves. These branches are abstracted form of the tree design. Slimi design includes different kinds and is usually repeated in most of the formats, but in some carpets this is the dominant design. The most famous Slimi design is the torpedo mouth Slimi, in which the end of each branch is split into two symmetric sections and is displayed in the form of the jawbone of a dragon and some buds are decorated in different parts of the stems of the branches, most of which are called Slims. This design is also divided into different subgroups due to changes and confiscations including Slimi, Slimi Bandi, Broken Slimi, Torpedo Mouth Slimi, medallion-corner Slimi, Mrdallion Slimi and Snake Slimi.

Persian Rug

Afshan (Overall flower design)

Based on this design, flowers, leaves and branches are dispersed in the background of the carpet without any connection to each other and a lot of different sub designs such as Afshan Slimi, Afshan Khataei, Afshan Bandi, Broken Afshan, pomegranate flower Afshan, Shah Abassi Afshan, Branch wrapped Afshan, bouquet Afshan, animal Afshan and medallion Afshan.

Persian Rug

Afshan (Overall flower design)

Botteh-Jeghegh (Paisley)

The Botteh design is the abstracted form of Cypress tree. The most famous Botteh designs include Botteh-Jeghegh, Botteh-antler, Botteh-Termeh, Botteh-Sarabandi, Botteh-Khergheie, Botteh- Ghalamkar Isfahan, eight flower, Botteh Kurdistan or eight Botteh, Botteh-Mirshekasteh, Botteh medallion-corner, Sanandij-Botteh, Afshari-Botteh, Bazoobandi-Botteh and Almond-Botteh.

Persian Rug

Tree design

Although this design is based on branches and leaves, a lot of attempts has been made to maintain a high level of similarity with the nature. Small and large trees and shrubs, especially in individual forms, form the main components of the most designs of this group and are combined with other components. The famous tree designs are named as animal-tree, Sabzikar-tree or fountain, medallion-tree, Cedar-tree and vase-tree.

Persian Rug

Hunting ground

The characteristics of the mentioned tree designs are available in the Hunting ground designs, but most of the Hunting ground designs demonstrate wild animals being hunted. The subgroups to this design include tree-Hunting ground, medallion-Hunting ground, panel- Hunting ground, medallion-corner Hunting ground and overall- Hunting ground.

Persian Rug

Panel design

This design is made up of polygon panels and its sub-groups include Slimi-panel, Kerman Quranic-panel or pillar design.

Persian Rug

In and out fish design

This design is among the native-tribe designs and its weaving method is similar to other imaginary-geometric designs and is not created from a design. Harati-fish, Farahan-fish and bee, Senneh or Kurdistan-fish, tiny or small fish and in and out fish are regarded as the subgroups to this design.

Persian Rug

Golfarang

Golfarang is a combination of original Iranian designs with natural flowers, especially rose. Warm and light colors, especially red, are used in this kind of carpet. The subgroups of this design include rose flower (medallion-corner), Bijar Golfarang, Mostofi Golfarang, medallion Golfarang, Dasteh Gelo- Golfarang and flowers and nightingales-Golfarang.

Persian Rug

Mehrabi (Prayer-niche design)

The original Mehrabi design is inspired by the Prayer-niche design and ornamentations such as cresset, pillars and capitals, flowers as well as the leaves added to. The subgroups of this design are known as tree-Mehrabi, vase-Mehrabi, pillar-Mehrabi, cresse-Mehrabi and landscape-Mehrabi.

Persian Rug

Vase design

Vases in different sizes are often observed in this design and sometimes a large vase filled with flowers covers the whole area of the carpet. Occasionally, some small vases cover symmetrically the margin of the background or across the whole background. The subgroups of this design include Khataei-vae, two-way vase, Mehrabi-vase, overall-vase, Zel-al-Soltan vase (Flowers and nightingales), Haj Khatmi-vase, repetitive-vase, medallion-corner vase and one way-vase.

Persian Rug

Moharamat

In this design, the entire background of the carpet is divided into several parallel rows longitudinally and which are decorated with patterns such as Botteh-Jeghegh, different kinds of Slimis and Khataei, and other flowers and leaves. In other words, the carpet background is stripped. The famous design of this group is Botteh-Jeghegh-Moharamat, which is known as Ghalamdani in some parts of Iran. The subgroups of this design include overall-Ghalamdani, tiny flowers with single colored background and Botteh with colorful background.

Persian Rug

Tribe design

This design is the oldest and the most original carpet design in Iran which is the product of the imagination of native carpet weavers and reflects the nature and the environment of their habitat in the simplest form. This design does not follow regular and codified designs and has a delightful beauty. The sub-groups of these designs are often attributed to regions where the design has first become prevalent. The famous and old names of this group include Heybat Loo (related to Fars and Abadeh), Ghashghaee-Botteh, Afshari, Khatoni, Ardabil, Mazlaqan, Khamseh, Saveh, Tafresh, Heris, Mehrban, Gowaravan, Zanjan and Meshghinshahr, Bakhtiari, Kurdish, Yalameh, Gabbeh (self-colored), Sistan, Ferdows, Salar Khani, Ya’qub Khani, wood stone, AliMirzaee, Jon Beigi, Janamazi, Jowayin, Musa Abad, Balochistan, Veys, Ghorjeh, Senneh and bouquet.

Persian Rug

Geometrical design

As the names of these groups of designs suggest, all motifs are formed geometrically by using angular lines. The major sub-groups of this design include Panel-geometry, medallion-Geometric, Moharamat-Geometric, Medallion-corner Geometric (Broken branch), plain-geometric, Khataei-Geometric, star-geometric (Mosaic), Khatam Shirazi-geometric and Joshaghani-geometric.

Persian Rug

Vagireie designs

The purpose of using this term is to repeat a small piece of a design throughout the carpet, either along the length or the width. Because these parts join together in the repetition phase, it is called “BanBandi or Vagireh”. The sub-names of this group include Bandi-Slimi, Bandi-pichak, broken-Bandi, Inscription-Bandi, Mostofi-Bandi, Varamin-Bandi or Minakhani, diamond-panel Bandi or Lozenge, medallion-Bandi, tree-Bandi, Multiple – panel Bandi, Shir-Shekari Bandi or BazoBandi, Cedar-Bandi, caricature-Bandi or Molla Nasreddin, Bakhtiari-Bandi, Majlesi-Bandi, Bunch of grapes Bandi, animal antler-Bandi, Khatam Shrazi-Bandi and bouquet-Bandi.

Persian Rug

Adoptive group

Most of the designs of this group such as Ghafghazi and Goebelen designs are very similar to the carpet designs of the border regions of Iran and neighboring countries and even other countries and hence are called “adoptive”.

Persian Rug

The creation of Persian tiles began about 1200 A.D. and Persian tiles decorating reached it’s zenith in the 18th and 19th centuries. On any tour for first time visitors, there are the “musts,” of course: the ancient ruins at Persepolis, the gardens in Shiraz, the palaces and mosques in Isfahan, the Crown Jewels in Tehran. But in just about every setting, artistry hides in plain sight: in carpets, calligraphy, pottery, miniatures, and the favorite one: Iranian tiles, which are dizzyingly, deliriously magical.

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Simply put, Iran has the most beautiful tile work in the world. Over the centuries, glazed bricks and tiles have been used to decorate palaces, mosques, monuments, mausoleums, official buildings, schools, and shops.

The impact of Persian tiles occupies a prominent place in the history of Islamic art. Recognized for having one of the richest and varied art legacies, Persia (now Iran) used this form of art to decorate palaces, public buildings, monuments, mausoleums, and religious buildings, such as mosques and theological schools.

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The importance of tile-work in Persian architecture arises from two important factors; first the need to weatherproof the simple clay bricks used in construction, and secondly the need to ornament the buildings. Tiles were used to decorate monuments from early ages in Iran. Everywhere you go in Iran you will see glistening, multi-colored tiles, coating the walls, domes and minarets of mosques, and decorating the edges of every kind of building from schools to government offices. The tiled domes of Iranian mosques, reminiscent of Faberge eggs in the vividness of their coloring, are likely to remain one of your abiding memories of Iran.

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The earliest evidence of glazed brick is the discovery of glazed bricks in the Elamite Temple at Choqa Zanbil, dated to the 13th century BC. Glazed and colored bricks were used to make low reliefs in Ancient Mesopotamia, most famously the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (ca. 575 BC), now partly reconstructed in Berlin, with sections elsewhere. Mesopotamian craftsmen were imported for the palaces of the Persian Empire such as Persepolis.

The Achaemenid Empire decorated buildings with glazed brick tiles, including Darius the Great’s palace at Susa, and buildings at Persepolis.

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The succeeding Sassanid Empire used tiles patterned with geometric designs, flowers, plants, birds and human beings, glazed up to a centimeter thick. Early Islamic mosaics in Iran consist mainly of geometric decorations in mosques and mausoleums, made of glazed brick. Typical turquoise tiling becomes popular in 10th-11th century and is used mostly for Kufic inscriptions on mosque walls. Seyyed Mosque in Isfahan (AD 1122), Dome of Maraqeh (AD 1147) and the Jame Mosque of Gonabad (1212 AD) are among the finest examples. The dome of Jame’ Atiq Mosque of Qazvin is also dated to this period.

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A most famous example of early tile art on wares is the mosaic rhyton discovered in the excavations at Marlik. This vessel has two shells. The outer shell is covered with colored pieces of stone. This object is known as “Thousand Flowers”. This art has been improved in the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid periods.

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During the Safavid period, mosaic ornaments were often replaced by a haft rang (seven colors) technique. Pictures were painted on plain rectangle tiles, glazed and fired afterwards. Besides economic reasons, the seven colors method gave more freedom to artists and was less time-consuming. It was popular until the Qajar period, when the palette of colors was extended by yellow and orange. The seven colors of Haft Rang tiles were usually black, white, ultramarine, turquoise, red, yellow and fawn.

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The Persianate tradition continued and spread to much of the Islamic world. Palaces, public buildings, mosques and tomb mausoleums were heavily decorated with large brightly colored patterns, typically with floral motifs, and friezes of astonishing complexity, including floral motifs and calligraphy as well as geometric patterns.

The golden age of Persian tilework began during the reign the Timurid Empire. In the mora technique, single-color tiles were cut into small geometric pieces and assembled by pouring liquid plaster between them. After hardening, these panels were assembled on the walls of buildings. But the mosaic was not limited to flat areas. Tiles were used to cover both the interior and exterior surfaces of domes. Prominent Timurid examples of this technique include the Jame Mosque of Yazd (AD 1324-1365), Goharshad Mosque (AD 1418), the Madrassa of Khan in Shiraz (AD 1615), and the Molana Mosque (AD 1444)

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Other important tile techniques of this time include girih tiles, with their characteristic white girih, or straps.

Mihrabs, being the focal points of mosques, were usually the places where most sophisticated Persian tiles was placed. The 14th-century mihrab at Madrasa Imami in Isfahan is an outstanding example of aesthetic union between the Islamic calligrapher’s art and abstract ornament. The pointed arch, framing the mihrab’s niche, bears an inscription in Kufic script used in 9th-century Qur’an.

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One of the best known architectural masterpieces of Iran is the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, from the 17th century. Its dome is a prime example of tile mosaic and its winter praying hall houses one of the finest ensembles of cuerda seca tiles in the world. A wide variety of tiles had to be manufactured in order to cover complex forms of the hall with consistent mosaic patterns. The result was a technological triumph as well as a dazzling display of abstract ornament.

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Abgoosht is one of the most traditional Iranian foods. It is also called Dizi, which refers to the traditional stone crock pots it is served in. Whether you call it Abgoosht or Dizi, you should absolutely try this very traditional Persian recipe, which is often a favorite among the Iranian people.

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Abgoosht means “Meat Juice” (ab stands for water and gusht for meat). Abgoosht is a hearty soup or a juicy stew which is traditionally prepared with lamb, chickpeas, white beans, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Hundreds of years ago Abgoosht was made with lamb and chickpeas. However, later on when new foods such as potatoes and tomatoes were introduced to Iranian Cuisine, the recipe had some changes.

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Serving Abgoosht

Serving Abgoosht has a special custom. First the broth is poured in a bowl and served with small pieces of bread soaked in it called, Tileet. Tileet is a soup made with this flavorful broth tossed with bite-size pieces of flat bread. The bread soaks up the broth and all of its flavor. Tileet is served alongside Abgoosht and it literally melts in the mouth. Then the remaining ingredients such as potatoes, beans, chickpeas and lamb are mashed up to a mashed-potato type consistency and served separately alongside with the broth. Traditionally, Iranians use a goosht-koob (literally meat mortar) to serve the crushed solid ingredients along with onions, torshi, yogurt, and sabzi khordan (fresh herbs).

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Abgoosht was a meal favored by poorer classes. However, with the introduction of new ingredients in Persian cuisine, this modest meal was improved and became a very popular, comforting dish savored by all Iranians.
Sangak noon is an excellent choice of bread to serve with abgoosht. Traditionally, people eat this dish as they sit on the floor, on a Persian rug, with their legs crossed around a sofreh (tablecloth) placed on the rug.

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Abgoosht Recipe

Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Persian
Servings8 people
AuthorVera Abitbol

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef or lamb shank , cut into pieces
  • 2 onions , diced
  • 3 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 2 cups chickpeas (previously soaked for 8 hours)
  • 2 cups white beans (previously soaked for 8 hours)
  • 1 lb small potatoes , peeled and halved
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 dried limes (limoo amani) or 2 freshly squeezed lemons
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 lb tomatoes , peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper , diced
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Abgoosht-the-Recommended-Persian-Meal.jpg

Instructions

  1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and white beans.
  2. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
  3. Brown the onions in a thick-bottomed pot over low-medium heat. Add the meat.
  4. Poke the Persian limes and add them (or the lemon juice) to the meat.
  5. Add the beans, chickpeas, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, and 6 cups of boiling water. Stir well.
  6. Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 2h30.
  7. At the start of cooking, check the contents of the pot and remove any foam that may eventually surface.
  8. After 2h30, add the tomato paste and mix well. Then add the fresh tomatoes and the green bell pepper.
  9. Add the potatoes and season the seasoning. Cover and cook again for 2 hours on low heat.
  10. Once the cooking is finished, place a very fine strainer on a large deep bowl to collect all the broth.
  11. Pour the broth into the pot and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  12. Two possibilities :- Reduce all solids to puree – Serve the solids as they are and crush them or not with a fork.

  13. Serve broth and solids separately.

 

Espand ( scientific name : ‘Peganum harmala’),is perennial herbaceous from dark Nitrariaceae .

Peganum_harmala

Espand plant height is about 30 to 50 cm in length. It seems that this plant looks like the plants that have green leaves with narrow and irregular divisions. The flowers of this plant are coarse with thin Sepals and Large petals in white greenish color. Espand fruit is the capsule and it has multiple black seeds.

From thousand years ago Espand seeds are using in many different ritual cultures and spiritual world. It is especially used in ancient cultures of the Middle East.

The importance and holiness of Espand in history are full of value and some of the historians believe that the mythical plant is Espand.

Espand Flowers and specially Espand seeds are rich in alkaloids of the Beta- carboline group that they are all Monoamine oxidase inhibitor, so drink the Espand sodden in small quantities (1 to 3 grams) has the value of antidepressant and sedative and in large size (3 to 15 grams) has psychoactive for the body.

But because of the breakdown of the enzyme of monoamine oxidase in the liver by Espand alkaloids , the tyramine in food (alcohol, cheese, sausages and most protein and dairy products, fruits and fish remains, etc. )that normally break by this enzyme can be the reason of severe high blood pressure and heart rate, various headaches, shock, convulsions and even death if untreated soon. So from before 48 hours to after 48hours peoples must not use these kinds of foods that contains tyramine.

Some the others extremely dangerous interactions and fatal should be discontinued at least 2 weeks in advance:

Anti-depression pills such as Serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Citalopram, amphetamines, including ecstasy and methamphetamine (glass), cocaine, morphine.

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Historical use

To protect from the evil eye in Turkey people hang dried capsules of Peganum in homes and cars. In Morocco highly use to protection from the Jen . In Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and many other countries, like Iran use Espand dry seeds to protect from the eye and Strangers view put them in the fire and read a special prayer that is different in every culture and dies the smoke to themselves and the other persons in around. This tradition uses by the different persons from several religions such as Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism .

In some versions of prayers that are read in the time of the ceremony, they say the name of the ancient Zeostrian king Naqsha band that that first time received these names from five guardian angel named Yzdha. This tradition of burning Espand in the fire for the cleansed smoke Infiltrated to Hindi Kashmir and they use it in their wedding parties to remove darkness from bride and groom life.

In Iran and Turkey people prepared red color from the Espand and that was known as Iran red and used it to coloring wool , carpet and rug manufacturing. In fact, what made the red color to the Espand is Alkaloids that has Psychedelic properties, and to obtain such thick color that is appropriate for the coloring, high percentage of solved Alkaloids needs. With this High thick color, they can enter the body through contact with the skin and has the Psychedelic effect on the body. As past carpet weavers had directly contact with these colors so many historians believed that the stories about Flying carpets, geometric patterns, and designs on Persian rugs are from Alkaloids effect on the carpet weavers body.

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Medicinal properties

In the body Monoamine, oxidase enzymes have the task to breakdown many natural molecules that people comnsumpted . One of the important molecules is indole alkaloids that is one of the most powerful psychotropics.

Btakarbvlyn alkaloids inside the Espand by inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzyme cause that comes to be inactive psychoactive such as dimethyltryptamine that would be otherwise crushed completely by monoamine oxidase, now it can cross over into the brain without the hassle of liver and the effects of the psychotropic liver .

Espand is also causing to be prolonged and worsen the effects of the remain active alkaloids such as LSD and psilocybin.

In extracts of the traditional plants, it will use to increase milk , excretion of milk secretion, excretion of intestinal worms, treating rheumatism, increase sexual potency as well as a painkiller to went relieve stomach pain.

Roasting Espand seeds in order of someone is known as avoid the evil eye with some impressive.

In the laboratory, researches used Espand extracts to destroys microbes. Some extracts such as the result extracts Callus has the anti-microbial properties

Callus extracts have anti-microbial properties against microbes such as Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans has shown.

Recently alkaloids Btakarbvlyn in plants and Espand seeds

Damavand from Abbasabad
Damavand from Abbasabad

Mazandaran is an Iranian province located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and adjacent to Central Alborz mountain range, in central-northern Iran. Mazandarān Province is one of the most densely populated provinces in Iran and has diverse natural resources, notably large reservoirs of oil and natural gas. The province’s four largest counties are Sari, Amol, Nour, and Tonekābon. The diverse nature of the province features plains, prairies, forests and rainforest stretching from the sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea to the rugged and snowcapped Alborz sierra, including Mount Damavand, one of the highest peaks and volcanos in Asia. More than 800 registered historical and cultural sites, 338 km of shorelines, mineral springs in jungles and mountains, waterfalls, and caves are among the major tourism attractions in the Mazandaran province.

Gold cup kalardasht
Gold cup kalardasht
 

The province covers an area of 23,842 km2. Sari is the capital city of the province. From the geographical point of view, Mazandaran province is divided into two parts i.e. coastal plain and the mountainous area. It has a variety of climates, including the mild and humid climate of Caspian shoreline and the moderate and cold climate of mountainous regions.

Caviar on Black
Caviar on Black

Human habitation in the area dates back to 75,000 years ago. Recent excavations in Gohar Tappeh in Behshahr is a proof that the area has been urbanized for more than 5,000 years, and the area is considered one of the most important historical sites of Iran. It has played an important role in cultural and urban development of the region. Mazandaran is one of the oldest areas with sedentary lifestyle. In the early 200 century, by constructing seven new roads and railways, the provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan became known as Shomal by all Iranians (meaning “the North” in Persian).

Vase with grape harvesting scenes BM
Vase with grape harvesting scenes BM

The population is mostly dedicated to Mazandaran is, with a minority of Azerbaijan is, Georgians, Armenians, Circassians, Turkmen, Gilaks and others. Mazanderani or Tabari is a Northwestern Iranian language. Various Mazandarani dialects are spoken in Mazandaran province and the neighbor province Golestan such as Mazanderani, and Gorgani and possibly Qadikolai (Ghadikolai) and Palani. Tirgan, tying rainbow-colored bands on wrists and Varf chal are some of the important customs in this province.

Caspian Sea in Mazandaran
Caspian Sea in Mazandaran
Mazandaran Sevatcow Dowab
Mazandaran Sevatcow Dowab

Reference: Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts & Tourism Organization of Iran, Iran Travel guide. Iran: 2018

East Azarbaijan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is located in Iranian Āzerbāijān , bordering with Armenia, Republic of Āzerbăijān , Ardabil, West Āzerbāijān , and Zanjān Provinces. The capital of East Āzerbāijān is Tabriz. The province covers an area of approximately 47,830 km2, with the historical city of Tabriz as the most important city of Tabriz as the most important city of this province, culturally, politically, and commercially.

The province has common borders with the current Republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nakhchivan. A fine network of roads and railways connect East Āzerbaijan to other parts of Iran and neighboring countries. The highest peak of East Āzerbāijān is Sahand Mountain at 3,722 m elevation, lying south of Tabriz. East Azerbāijān enjoys a cool, dry climate, being in the main mountainous region. But the gentle breezes off the Caspian Sea have some influence on the climate of the low areas.

Ammand_Dam
Ammand_Dam

Temperatures run up to 8.9 °C in Tabriz, and 20 °C in Maraqeh, in the winter drops to 10 to 15 °C at least. The ideal seasons to visit this province are spring and summer. East Āzerbāijān is one of the most Ancient territories in Iran. During the reign of Alexander of Macedon in Iran (331 BCE), a warrior known as Attorpat led a revolt, then it was a territory of the Medes, and thereafter called Attorpatkan. Islamic researchers proclaim that the birth of the prophet Zoroaster was in this area, near Lake Orumieh (Chichesht), Konzak City. The most outstanding features of East Azarbayjan culture is language of Azari/Azerice, and folklore of this region.

Apart from this, the province also boasts numerous learned scholars, Gnostics and several national poets such as contemporary poet Ostad Mohammad Hossein Shahriyar.

Pol-e_Dokhtar_or_Bridge_of_the_Daughter_in_Iran
Pol-e_Dokhtar_or_Bridge_of_the_Daughter_in_Iran

The current leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is originally from this region. Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization has registered 936 sites of historical significance in the province. Some are contemporary, and some are from the antiquity of ancient Persia. “Zahak Citadel”, for example, is the name of an ancient ruin in East Azerbāijān, which according to various experts, was inhabited from the second millennium BC until the Timurid era. East Āzerbāijān enjoys a rich compendium of Azeri traditions.

Azerbaijani_Afshan_rug
Azerbaijani_Afshan_rug

Many local dances and folk songs continue to survive among the various peoples of the province. As a longstanding province of Iran, Azerbāijān is mentioned favorably on many occasions in Persian literature by greatest authors and poets.

Reference: Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts & Tourism Organization of Iran, Iran Travel guide. Iran: 2018

“Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed.” 
 Zoroaster

Zoroaster (active 1st millennium B.C.) was a prophet of ancient Iran and the founder of the Iranian national religion. Zoroastrianism is ranked with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam among the higher religions originating in the Middle East.

The dates given for Zoroaster by ancient and modern writers differ considerably. The more sober authors have placed him between 1000 and 600 B.C. The latter date conforms to the tradition of the Zoroastrians themselves, who regard Zoroaster as having revealed his religion 258 years before Alexander the Great conquered Iran in 331 B.C. The main sources for the life and career of Zoroaster are the Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians, the oldest and most reliable source; later Zoroastrian literature, among which Denkart, an encyclopedic work in Middle Persian, stands out; and non-Zoroastrian works, which include Persian, Arabic, Armenian, and classical histories.

zarathustra

Zoroaster was known among the classic writers chiefly as the initiator of the Magian belief and was regarded as a great sage. The Magians were a priestly class of ancient Iran and were the repository of Persian religious lore and learning. Zoroaster is first mentioned by a Lydian historian of the 5th century B.C. Plato mentions Zoroaster in Alcibiadesin connection with Magian teachings, and Plutarch gives a summary of Zoroaster’s religious doctrine and cosmology.

The Gathas

Only the earliest part of the Avesta was composed by the prophet himself. This portion is called Gathas (Hymns). The other parts, which include hymns, prayers, litanies, and religious law, were written over a period of perhaps several centuries. The dialect of the Gathas is slightly different from the rest of the Avesta and somewhat more archaic. The language of the Avesta has long been dead. Ambiguities in a number of Avestan passages have given rise to differences of interpretation and have made some aspects of the prophet’s life the subject of heated controversy.

Zoroastrian priests perform a fire ceremony and prayers to honor the dead at the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Adherents to the ancient Persian religion are debating whether to accept converts or to recognize the children of mixed marriages as a way to boost the waning congregation numbers.

Recent work by Martin Schwartz and Almut Hintze tends to discount this theory, as the linguists show that the Gathas are not the work of an academic writing in a dead language; they show all the signs of poetry composed and recited in an oral tradition, similar to the heroic poetry of Homer or the Rig-Vedas. These studies would confirm the earlier date for Zarathushtra.

Again, no one knows how Zarathushtra died, allegedly at age 77. Many legends, and Zoroastrian tradition, say that he was killed, while praying in the sanctuary, by a foreign enemy of the king. But there is no holiday commemorating the martyrdom of the Prophet, as there would be in other religions (Christianity, for instance) and other Zoroastrian traditions, and scholars, say that Zarathushtra died peacefully.

“Doing good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and happiness.” 
 Zoroaster

ahura-mazda

Nowruz

His birthday is celebrated on March 21, as part of the Persian New Year Festival.

Ancient alien theorists believe Zarathustra was the son of an alien god named who went by the name Ahura Mazda in this scenario. Scholars believe Zoroaster was a priest and a prophet. Linked to the Magi, he was considered a magician. His spiritual influences have always affected human thought and reasoning; his goal, to show humans their connection to one source of light and consciousness.

Ahura Mazda (also known as Ohrmazd, Ahuramazda, Hormazd, and Aramazd) is the Avestan name for a divinity of the Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism. Ahura Mazda is described as the highest deity of worship in Zoroastrianism, along with being the first and most frequently invoked deity in the Yasna. Ahura Mazda is the creator and upholder of Asha (truth). Ahura Mazda is an omniscient, but not an omnipotent God, however Ahura Mazda would eventually destroy Evil. Ahura Mazda’s counterpart is Angra Mainyu, the “Evil spirit” and the creator of Evil who will be destroyed before Frashokereti (the destruction of Evil).

Ahura Mazda first appeared in the Achaemenid period under Darius I’s Behistun Inscription. Until Artaxerxes II, Ahura Mazda was worshiped and invoked alone. With Artaxerxes II, Ahura Mazda was invoked in a triad, with Mithra and Apam Napat. In the Achaemenid period, there are no representations of Ahura Mazda other than the custom for every emperor to have an empty chariot drawn by white horses, to invite Ahura Mazda to accompany the Persian army on battles. Images of Ahura Mazda began in the Parthian period, but were stopped and replaced with stone carved figures in the Sassanid period.

Zoroaster spoke of duality and ceasing balance at the end of time. He also spoke of a rival to Ahura Mazda, who was similarly uncreated. This rival was the Evil spirit, Angra Mainyu. One of Ahura Mazda’s objectives is to destroy Angra Mainyu and create a universe which is completely good. To achieve such a universe, Ahura Mazda initially offered Angra Mainyu peace, which Angra Mainyu refused. Ahura Mazda then set out to establish a spiritual army. One of his first acts was the creation of the seven Amesha Spentas, who were spirits to monitor and protect each of the seven creations

If both of these entities, or gods, were aliens, the result, as depicted in ancient writings tells the sorry of great battles in the sky by something that resembled space ships and is possibly linked to the creation of the ancient underground city Derinkuyu.

persian-new-year-nowruz-6-750x487

Early Years – Family

The name Zarathustra is a Bahuvrihi compound in the Avestan language, of Zarata- “feeble, old” and Usatra “camel”, translating to “having old camels, the one who owns old camels”. The first part of the name was formerly commonly translated as “yellow” or “golden”, from the Avestan “Zaray”, giving the meaning “having yellow camels”. The later Zoroastrians, perhaps embarrassed by their prophet’s primitive-sounding name, said that the name meant “Golden Light,” deriving their meaning from the word ‘Zara’ and the word ‘Ushers’, light or dawn. There is no doubt about Zarathushtra’s clan name, which is Spitama – perhaps meaning “white.” Zarathushtra’s father was named Pouruchaspa (many horses) and his mother was named Dughdova (milkmaid).

the-Ghathas-of-zoroaster

The Gathas contain allusions to personal events, such as Zoroaster’s triumph over obstacles imposed by competing priests and the ruling class. They also indicate he had difficulty spreading his teachings, and was even treated with ill-will in his mother’s hometown. They also describe familial events such as the marriage of his daughter, at which Zoroaster presided. In the texts of the Younger Avesta (composed many centuries after the Gathas), Zoroaster is depicted wrestling with the Daevas and is tempted by Angra Mainyu to renounce his faith (Yasht 17.19; Vendidad 19).

The Spend Nask, the 13th section of the Avesta, is said to have a description of the prophet’s life. However, this text has been lost over the centuries, and it survives only as a summary in the seventh book of the 9th century Denkard. Other 9th- to 12th-century stories of Zoroaster, as in the Shahnameh, are also assumed to be based on earlier texts, but must be considered as primarily a collection of legends. The historical Zoroaster, however, eludes categorization as a legendary character.

zoroastrianism

Zoroaster was born into the priestly family of the Spitamids and his ancestor Spitama is mentioned several times in the Gathas. His father’s name was Pourusaspa, his mother’s was Dughdova. With his wife, Huvovi, Zoroaster had three sons, Isat Vastar, Uruvat-Nara and Hvare Cira and three daughters, Freni, Pourucista and Triti. His wife, children and a cousin named Maidhyoimangha, were his first converts after his illumination from Ahura Mazda at age 30. According to Yasnas 5 & 105, Zoroaster prayed to Anahita for the conversion of King Vistaspa, who appears in the Gathas as a historical personage.

Zoroaster’s Career

A brief sketch of the prophet’s career, however, may be gleaned from the Gathas. In these metrical preachings Zoroaster appears as a human and plausible figure, devoid of many of the mythical and legendary details found in later literature. According to the Gathas, Zarathushtra (as Zoroaster is called in the Avesta), son of Pourushaspa and from the house of Spitama, is a preacher inspired by and in communion with his Lord, Ahura Mazda. He is distressed at the spread of wickedness and the neglect of truth. He tries to awaken his people to the importance of righteousness and warns them against following false leaders practicing animal sacrifice, mistreating the cattle, and permitting the drinking of Homa (an intoxicating drink) in the ritual. His exhortations, however, are not heeded. He meets with the indifference of his people and the opposition of the communities’ religious leaders. He puts his trust in his Lord, with whom he holds a number of discourses. He seeks the active help and guidance of Ahura Mazda and eventually succeeds in converting King Vishtaspa, who then accords him protection and support.

good-thoughts-good-word-good-deed

In later Zoroastrian literature, Zoroaster’s life becomes wrapped in marvels and miraculous events. In these sources he is presented as a native of Media in western Iran. Through Doghdova, his mother, he inherits Farnah, the Divine Glory, without which no Persian king or prophet could succeed. According to the seventh book of the Denkart, which gives an account of the miraculous birth and life of the prophet, Ahura Mazda himself intervenes in the selection of the essence of Zoroaster’s body and soul from celestial spheres.

Sorcerers and demons, perceiving Zoroaster as a threat to their interests, make several attempts on his life, but he is protected by Ahura Mazda and his aides, the Holy Immortals, who reveal to him the “Good Religion.” Harassed by his opponents, he flees to eastern Iran, where he converts the Kianid king, Vishtaspa, to his religion. He marries the daughter of Vishtaspa’s good vizier, Frashaoshtra, and gives his own daughter in marriage to Jamaspa, another good vizier of the King. A series of battles against the neighboring infidel tribes follows King Vishtaspa’s conversion, and Zoroaster is killed at an altar during one of these battles.

“With an open mind, seek and listen to all the highest ideals. Consider the most enlightened thoughts. Then choose your path, person by person, each for oneself.” 
Zoroaster

chak-chak

Time and Place of Zoroaster

Agathius (6th century A.D.) was already facing the difficulty of determining the time of Zoroaster when he observed that the Persians said that Zoroaster lived under Hystaspes (Vishtaspa), but that it was not clear whether they meant Darius’s father or another Hystaspes. This question has continued into our own day. Whereas Samuel Nyberg placed Zoroaster in a remote period and among primitive people, Ernst Herzfeld (1947) insisted that he was related to the house of the Median kings and that his protector, Vishtaspa, was none other than Darius’s father. However, one must follow the convincing argument of W. B. Henning (1951), who upholds the authenticity of the Zoroastrian tradition and places Zoroaster in the court of a king of eastern Iran whose domain was eventually absorbed into the Achaemenid empire. This makes Zoroaster a contemporary of Buddha and Confucius.

As to the native land of the prophet, all the evidence in the Avesta, including geographical names, points to eastern Iran as the scene of Zoroaster’s activities. It is most probable that his alleged Median origin was a fabrication of the Magi.

Zoroaster’s Message

The Zoroastrian religion has gone through different phases, attracting in the course of time many elements from different sources. Among these sources are the pre-Zoroastrian religion of the Iranians and the ritualistic cult of the Magi, but the central element remains the message of Zoroaster himself. It was this message which shaped the new religion and afforded the Iranians spiritual comfort and cohesion for many centuries.

Yazd-faravahar

The most characteristic aspect of Zoroaster’s faith is belief in dualism. He conceived of two primeval powers active in the universe, Good and Evil. Our world is the scene of their conflict and admixture. The outcome of this conflict, upon which depends the destiny of man, is decided as much by man’s choice as by any other factor. The choice is between siding with Ahura Mazda and following the path of truth, or uniting with Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) and following the way of falsehood. In the fateful struggle between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, it is man and his deeds which hold the balance. It is through the good thoughts, good words, and good deeds of pious men and women that the forces of Good eventually triumph. There will be a day of reckoning when those who have resisted the temptations of Angra Mainyu and have followed the dictates of the “Good Religion” will be blessed.

In assigning this choice to man, Zoroaster raises him to an exalted rank in the scheme of creation. Man’s noble position and his positive contribution to the triumph of righteousness is the second important characteristic of Zoroaster’s message. His religion is not affected by a notion of original sin or by ascetic tendencies. The raising of children and the planting of trees are stressed as meritorious deeds. Zoroaster’s kingdom of God is not necessarily a vision to be realized only in the hereafter.

Zoroaster, who seems to have reacted against a form of monotheism, reveals a striking and original way of thinking. From the Gathas we gain the impression of an impassioned preacher who strives for the material and spiritual well-being of his people. The success of his faith bears witness to the pertinence of his message for his people.

“One good deed is worth a thousand prayers.” 
Zoroaster

The mausoleum of Oljaytu was constructed in 1302–12 in the city of Soltaniyeh, the capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, which was founded by the Mongols. Situated in the province of Zanjan, Soltaniyeh is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in the development of its Islamic architecture.

The octagonal building is crowned with a 50 m tall dome covered in turquoise-blue faience and surrounded by eight slender minarets. It is the earliest existing example of the double-shelled dome in Iran. The mausoleum’s interior decoration is also outstanding and scholars such as A.U. Pope have described the building as ‘anticipating the Taj Mahal’.

soltaniyeh-dome-1

Outstanding Universal Value of Soltaniyeh

In north-western Iran’s city of Soltaniyeh, which was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the 14th century, stands the Mausoleum of Oljaytu, its stunning dome covered with turquoise-blue faience tiles. Constructed in 1302-12, the tomb of the eighth Ilkhanid ruler is the main feature remaining from the ancient city; today, it dominates a rural settlement surrounded by the fertile pasture of Soltaniyeh. The Mausoleum of Oljaytu is recognized as the architectural masterpiece of its period and an outstanding achievement in the development of Persian architecture, particularly in its innovative double-shelled dome and interior decoration.

soltaniyeh-dome-2

The Mausoleum of Oljaytu is an essential link and key monument in the development of Islamic architecture in central and western Asia. Here, the Ilkhanids further developed ideas that had been advanced during the classical Seljuk phase (11th to early 13th centuries), during which the arts of Iran gained distinction in the Islamic world, thereby setting the stage for the Timurid period (late 14th to 15th centuries), one of the most brilliant periods in Islamic art.

Particularly relevant are the mausoleum dome’s double-shell structure (an inside shell and an outside shell), and the materials and themes used in its interior decoration. The very large 50-m-high dome is the earliest extant example of its type, and became an important reference for the later development of the Islamic dome.

soltaniyeh-dome-3

Similarly, the extremely rich interior of the mausoleum, which includes glazed tiles, brickwork, marquetry or designs in inlaid materials, stucco, and frescoes, illustrates an important movement towards more elaborate materials and themes. The Mausoleum of Oljaytu thus speaks eloquently to the Ilkhanid period, which was characterised by innovations in structural engineering, spatial proportions, architectural forms, and decorative patterns and techniques.

Excavations carried out in the 790-ha Mausoleum of Oljaytu property have revealed additional vestiges of the old city, and a large part of this property has retained its archaeological character. As the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, Soltaniyeh represents an exceptional testimony to the history of the 13th and 14th centuries in Iran.

soltaniyeh-dome-4

Criterion (ii): The Mausoleum of Oljaytu forms an essential link in the development of the Islamic architecture in central and western Asia, from the classical Seljuk phase into the Timurid period. This is particularly relevant to the double-shell structure and the elaborate use of materials and themes in the decoration.

Criterion (iii): Soltaniyeh, as the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, represents an exceptional testimony to the history of 13th and 14th centuries.

Criterion (iv): The Mausoleum of Oljaytu represents an outstanding achievement in the development of Persian architecture, particularly in the Ilkhanid period, characterised by its innovative engineering structure, spatial proportions, architectural forms, and the decorative patterns and techniques.

soltaniyeh-dome-5

Integrity

Within the boundaries of the property are located all the elements and components necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, most importantly the Mausoleum of Oljaytu. The exterior decorations of the mausoleum have suffered severe decline, which has affected its integrity. Nevertheless, the internal decorations have remained intact to a large degree. Urban development around the property represents a potential threat, though such development is slow.

soltaniyeh-dome-6

Authenticity

The historical monument of the Mausoleum of Oljaytu at Soltaniyeh is authentic in terms of its form and design, materials and substance, and location and setting. Restoration work has carefully respected the authenticity of the monument, utilizing traditional technology and materials in harmony with the ensemble.

Protection and management requirements

Soltaniyeh is state owned, and protected as a national monument on the basis of the Iranian Law on the Conservation of National Monuments (1982) and the Law on City Properties (1982). Parts of the buffer zone are in private ownership. The principal management authority of the property is the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization (which is administered and funded by the Government of Iran) through its local office in Zanjan. There is a management plan with short-term (1-year), mid-term (3-year), and long-term (5-year) objectives related to equipment, research, restoration and conservation, and development of tourism at Soltaniyeh. Financial resources for the property are provided through national budgets.

soltaniyeh-dome-7

Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time will require continuing to respect scientific standards and to properly safeguard the monument when undertaking conservation and restoration projects; controlling the effects of urban development around the property by devising and executing appropriate management strategies in this regard; and directing studies of the Mausoleum of Oljaytu (including, among others, studies of the decorations, reinforcement projects, and scientifically justified tourist attraction programs) toward specific, detailed outcomes that maintain and/or enhance the Outstanding Universal Value, integrity, and authenticity of the property.

soltaniyeh-dome-8

Reference:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1188

Avicenna was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant thinkers and writers of the Islamic Golden Age. Of the 450 works he is known to have written, around 240 have survived, including 150 on philosophy and 40 on medicine. His most famous works are The Book of Healing – a philosophical and scientific encyclopedia, and The Canon of Medicine – a medical encyclopedia which became a standard medical text at many medieval universities and remained in use as late as 1650.

In 1973, Avicenna’s Canon Of Medicine was reprinted in New York. Besides philosophy and medicine, Avicenna’s corpus includes writings on astronomy, alchemy, geography and geology, psychology, Islamic theology, logic, mathematics, physics and poetry.

Avicenna

Early Life

Abu Ali al-Hussain Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina (Avicenna) was born in 980 A.D. at Afshana near Bukhara. The young Bu Ali received his early education in Bukhara, and by the age of ten had become well versed in the study of the Quran and various sciences. He started studying philosophy by reading various Greek, Muslim and other books on this subject and learnt logic and some other subjects from Abu Abdallah Natili, a famous philosopher of the time.

While still young, he attained such a degree of expertise in medicine that his renown spread far and wide. At the age of 17, he was fortunate in curing Nooh Ibn Mansoor, the King of Bukhhara, of an illness in which all the well-known physicians had given up hope. On his recovery, the King wished to reward him, but the young physician only desired permission to use his uniquely stocked library.

Law-of-Medicine

On his father’s death, Bu Ali left Bukhara and traveled to Jurjan where Khawarizm Shah welcomed him. There, he met his famous contemporary Abu Raihan al-Biruni. Later he moved to Ray and then to Hamadan, where he wrote his famous book Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb. Here he treated Shams al-Daulah, the King of Hamadan, for severe colic. From Hamadan, he moved to Isfahan, where he completed many of his monumental writings. Nevertheless, he continued travelling and the excessive mental exertion as well as political turmoil spoilt his health. Finally, he returned to Hamadan where he died in 1037 A.D.

Avicenna Stories

Stories are attributed to Avicenna. It is known that he examined his patients remotely, by a thread or string that was between the community of people and his home. People tried to test him, put a cat under a woman’s veil and put thread’s head in cat’s leg. Abu Ali wrote a prescription according to the habit and when they opened it, they saw that they should give it five soft meats and two mice to eliminate the cause. There are many treatments in many chronicles and traumatic conditions that Avicenna guessed by looking at the patient and thought of the pale face, which, for example, dies in a few hours or minutes.

quote-avicenna

Books and Contributions

He was the most famous physician, philosopher, encyclopedist, mathematician and astronomer of his time. His major contribution to medical science was his famous book al-Qanun, known as the “Canon” in the West. The Qanun fi al-Tibb is an immense encyclopedia of medicine extending over a million words. It surveyed the entire medical knowledge available from ancient and Muslim sources. Due to its systematic approach, “formal perfection as well as its intrinsic value, The Qanun superseded Razi’s Hawi, Ali Ibn Abbas’s Maliki, and even the works of Galen, and remained supreme for six centuries”. In addition to bringing together the then available knowledge, the book is rich with the author’s original contribution.

the-law-of-medicine-avicenna

His important original contribution includes such advances as recognition of the contagious nature of phthisis and tuberculosis; distribution of diseases by water and soil, and interaction between psychology and health. In addition to describing pharmacological methods, the book described 760 drugs and became the most authentic materia medica of the era. He was also the first to describe meningitis and made rich contributions to anatomy, gynecology and child health.

His philosophical encyclopaedia Kitab al-Shifa was a monu- mental work, embodying a vast field of knowledge from philosophy to science. He classified the entire field as follows: theoretical knowledge: physics, mathematics and metaphysics; and practical knowledge: ethics, economics and politics. His philosophy synthesizes Aristotelian tradition, Neoplatonic influences and Muslim theology.

Ibn-Sina

Ibn Sina also contributed to mathematics, physics, music and other fields. He explained the “casting out of nines” and its application to the verification of squares and cubes. He made several astronomical observations, and devised a contrivance similar to the vernier, to increase the precision of instrumental readings. In physics, his contribution comprised the study of different forms of energy, heat, light and mechanical, and such concepts as force, vacuum and infinity. He made the important observation that if the perception of light is due to the emission of some sort of particles by the luminous source, the speed of light must be finite. He propounded an interconnection between time and motion, and also made investigations on specific gravity and used an air thermometer.

In the field of music, his contribution was an improvement over Farabi’s work and was far ahead of knowledge prevailing else- where on the subject. Doubling with the fourth and fifth was a ‘great’ step towards the harmonic system and doubling with the third seems to have also been allowed.

Avicenna-Book

Ibn Sina observed that in the series of consonances represented by (n + 1)/n, the ear is unable to distinguish them when n = 45. In the field of chemistry, he did not believe in the possibility of chemical transmutation because, in his opinion, the metals differed in a fundamental sense. These views were radically opposed to those prevailing at the time. His treatise on minerals was one of the “main” sources of geology of the Christian encyclopaedists of the thirteenth century. Besides Shifa his well-known treatises in philosophy are al-Najat and Isharat.

References:

  1. http://wzzz.tripod.com/SINA.html
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicenna