To me, Persian is one of the most beautiful languages. I find the intonation, stress and various accents extremely intriguing. Not as romantic as French and Italian of course, there is a certain melody and rhythm to Persian that I just don’t find in other languages, particularly Arabic. Arabic is, of course, the more ‘useful’Continue reading “Learning Persian”
Tag Archives: middle east
Turquoise Handicraft in Esfahan
Iranian Art and Culture Exhibition at the National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome
Iranian Art and Culture Exhibition National Museum of Oriental Art Via Merulana, 248, Rome. Opening times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – 9am-2pm. Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Public Holidays – 9am-7.30pm. Closed on Monday. Price: Full price €6. Reduced price ticket €3. http://www.museorientale.beniculturali.it _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome is currently displaying an impressive exhibitionContinue reading “Iranian Art and Culture Exhibition at the National Museum of Oriental Art in Rome”
The Act of ‘Ta’arof’
Iranian culture is well-known for being warm, friendly and extremely hospitable. An Iranian will always invite you to their house for a cup of ‘chai’ (tea) or dinner. Once you accept the offer to eat with an Iranian, you will truly see the friendliness and warmth of this type of household. If you dine withContinue reading “The Act of ‘Ta’arof’”
Tiles in Tehran
The Fine Lines of Iran
The culture of beauty, vanity and plastic surgery in Iran is an aspect of the culture that greatly fascinates me, seeming unexpectedly so far from what we are used to in the West. The trend of facial tattooing is particularly popular among the female youths of Iran, having emerged within the last 20 years. In England atContinue reading “The Fine Lines of Iran”
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – مسجد شیخ لطف الله
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Esfahan is an impressive piece of architecture. Located on the Nasqh-e Jahan Square, the mosque is something not to be missed. Built between 1602 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, it was later given to the ruler’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a scholar of Islam from Lebanon. TheContinue reading “The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – مسجد شیخ لطف الله”
Unedited History – Iran 1960-2014
Exhibition runs to: 23rd March. Opening times: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun 11am – 7pm Sat 11am-10pm Address: Via Guido Reni, 4/a, Rome Wesbite: http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/ ______________________________________________________________________________________ The MAXXI contemporary museum in Rome is currently holding an exhibition, entitled ‘The Unedited History of Iran’. It is displaying over 200 works by 20 artists and takes you through several chronological chapters ofContinue reading “Unedited History – Iran 1960-2014”
The Iranian Nose
What is with the craze of nose surgery in Iran? Every other day, or in Tehran generally every day, you see somebody who has a plaster stuck over their nose. This means, according to fellow locals, that the person has recently undergone nose surgery. I find it interesting that people in Iran who have hadContinue reading “The Iranian Nose”
The Solo Female Traveller in Iran
When traveling alone, and particularly as a woman, one common question is ‘is it safe?’. With regards to Iran, I think anyone would ask themselves if it is safe, regardless of gender, due to the common perceptions of the country. Concerning Iran, I feel safe there as a woman. That answer may be biased basedContinue reading “The Solo Female Traveller in Iran”
Another Iran 