Persiana I like this

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/119dee/

Feb 9, 2007 10:52am    (1 review)  ancient-history  http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/...

Persian Guards of Persepolis (518 - 338 BC) in distinguishable headcoverings

Sir, Mister, chap or whatever you prefer to be addressed by, you shouldn't touch a Persian
guard when they are not bothering you. Encroaching the perimeters is not allowed!

http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/irantrip/carpets.htm

Feb 9, 2007 10:51am    (1 review)  antiques, arts  http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/...

Carpet Museum of Iran, as blogged by a visitor


"This beautiful museum, unique in all the world..." [View]

A carpet dating to Safavid [1501-1732] era

http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/irantrip/iranbread.htm

Feb 9, 2007 10:51am    (1 review)  cooking  http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/...

The flat breads of Iran; secretly the world's best!

There are four main types: Sangak, Barbari, Taftoon and Lavash.

The "king" of Iranian breads, sesame sprinkled Sangak

From Two types of flat breads of Iran (Sangak and Barbari):

"With the strong culture associated with bread in the region, we were told that similar breads were eaten centuries back by the Persian rulers."

"Flat breads are one of the oldest known prepared foods. Over the centuries, making bread became an art."

"The oven is a dome shaped hole with a surface of pebbles and stones. That is where the name Sangak comes from: sang means stone, so it is literally Stone Bread. The oven is heated with wood or coal. Watching this process reminded me of the history lesson the birth of flat breads: Nearly 12,000 years ago, in Neolithic times, coarsely crushed grain mixed with water was laid on heated stones, and baked in hot ashes."

Archaeological finds in Godin Tepe of Iran indicates that barley and wheat were cultivated for bread making at that location around 3500 B.C.

http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/irantrip/food.htm

Feb 9, 2007 8:18am    (1 review)  cooking, foods  http://www.oldflutes.com/Kathy&Rick/...

Sumptuous eating experience of some travelers to Iran

"The food was delicious.." [Join in the feast! I meant Read more!]


You may be interested to view other parts of their trip reports. They've had two trips.

Best Iranian Food & Cook .:. طرز تهيه بهترين غذاهاي ايراÙ&...

Feb 8, 2007 9:29am    (3 reviews)  cooking, recipes  http://www.ashpazbashi.com/

Delicious treasures

A stew known as Ghormeh-Sabzi is one of my own and many people's favorites. Other popular dishes are Kabab-e Barg, Joojeh Kabab, Sabzi Polo, Kabab kubideh, Maahi Kabab, Aash Reshteh (sometimes as a side dish), Abgousht, Aab-goosht-e Baadenjaan, Baghali Shevid Polow, and Shishlik Sheesh Kabab. One of Iran's main celebratory dish is Fesenjan, a chicken/ small duck/ partridge/ or sometimes meat stew flavored with pomegranate juice and thickened with ground walnuts. The recipes for these are on the page.


Chelo Kabab (Chelo means "rice", on the left is Kabab kubideh, the other is Kabab-e Barg)

Additionally, there are local dishes popular within each region and province, which are not covered on the page.

Here's a better website: Iranian Foods, and here's a good site that I hope you enjoy viewing the pictures: Iranian Dining Table. I know you won't forget the poor and the hungry of the world while viewing these. May any image of food serve us all as an impelling reminder.

Ghormeh Sabzi

Wikipedia, Iranian cuisine:
"One of the main reasons that Persian cuisine is not widely recognized is that it is often confused with Middle Eastern cuisine, a much broader and more general term, and this confusion is further perpetuated by restaurants and markets providing authentic Persian cuisine that label themselves as such.

Many Persian markets and restaurants are labelled as Middle Eastern, International, or Mediterranean in order to broaden their appeal to the Western consumer. In reality, Persian cuisine is one of the oldest and richest cuisines in the world, and is typically vastly different from what is found in the greater Middle East."

Khoreshte Morgh ("Chicken Stew") Iranian cuisine includes many original stews

"Iranian cuisine, apart from its antiquity in the region, has also been a very influential and standard set of fare throughout neighboring countries. Afghanistan, the south-Central Asian states, and the cuisines of India and Pakistan derive heavily in part from the sumptuous cuisine of Iran."

Joojeh Kabab
Zereshk Polo Joojeh Kabab

Moslih Eddin Saadi Quotes and Quotations compiled by GIGA

Feb 8, 2007 1:54am    (1 review)  philosophy, quotes  http://www.giga-usa.com/quotes/authors/m...

Quotes of Saadi (the Farsi versions are in poetic expression)

"A handsome woman is a jewel; a good woman is a treasure."

"A traveler without observation is a bird without wings."

"A friend whom you have been gaining during your whole life, you ought not to be displeased with in a moment. A stone is many years becoming a ruby; take care that you do not destroy it in an instant against another stone."

"No one ever sowed the grain of generosity who gathered not up the harvest of the desire of his heart."

"The beloved of the Almighty are: the rich who have the humility of the poor, and the poor who have the magnanimity of the rich."

"O Contentment, make me rich! for without thee there is no wealth."

"The rose and thorn, the treasure and dragon, joy and sorrow, all mingle into one."

"A little and a little, collected together, becomes a great deal; the heap in the barn consists of single grains, and drop and drop make the inundation."

"I fear God and next to God I chiefly fear them that fear him not."

"A wise man in the company of those who are ignorant has been compared by the sages to a beautiful girl in the company of blind men."

"They ask Lucman, the fabulist, From whom did you learn manners? He answered: From the unmannerly."

"When thou seest thine enemy in trouble, curl not thy whiskers in contempt; for in every bone there is marrow, and within every jacket there is a man."

"Whenever you argue with another wiser than yourself, in order that others may admire your wisdom, they will discover your ignorance. When one imagines a discourse better than yourself, although you may be fully informed, yet do not start objections."

"To tell a falsehood is like the cut of a sabre; for though the wound may heal, the scar of it will remain."

"The true disciple should aim to live for the gospel, rather than to die for it."

Mausoleum of the philosopher and poet Saadi (1184 - 1291) in Shiraz

"If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,

And from thy slender store two loaves along to thee are left,

Sell one, and with the dole

Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul."

"The heart is like a musical instrument of many strings, all the chords of which require putting in harmony."

Feb 8, 2007 12:33am

A conversation (*smile*), posted with prior permission.

My Dutch friend:
"In your region is it warm I suppose or not?"

Persiana:
"My city has a cold to mild climate during winter and warm to hot climate during summer. The city is situated at elevation of 1500-1600 Meters [5200 Feet] above sea level. It's located in a valley, surrounded by lofty mountains of Zagros ranges. We had our last snow 15 days ago. Since then, it's been getting warmer. Right now it's about 10 C. [at 11:30 AM]"

My Dutch friend:
"Here at the coast of The Netherlands we live under sea level, the temperature is about 0 degrees Celsius now; tomorrow about 5 C I think."

StumbleUpon - starspirits web site reviews and blog

Feb 7, 2007 11:20pm    (529 reviews)  stumblers  http://starspirit.stumbleupon.com/

starspirit's tags show: 6000+ space exploration, 5400+ astronomy, 3400+ science, 3000+ photography, ..environment, physics, video, humor, animals... Just take a look at the long list and the excellent contents by this prolific stumbler. Another number 1 stumbler.

SummitPost - IRAN--Snowy Summits to Steamy Forests -- Trip Reports

Feb 7, 2007 1:05pm    (1 review)  nature, iran  http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/26...

Snowy Summits to Steamy Forests of Iran

For the lovers of mountains and unspoiled nature.. see the page for an interesting trip report.
If you would, don't miss viewing the 1574 images on Nader's weblog!

Middle Alborz Mountains, Northern Iran


Kelardasht Valley near Alam Kooh

Such features of the land and the resultant ideal conditions of the plains/valleys are the reasons ancient Aryans ("noble/spiritual/elevated ones") have settled in Iran ("land of the nobles") for thousands of years. In the Old Persian language the name of the land appears as Aryanam Vaejah ("Aryan Expanse"), in Middle Persian as Eran, and in Modern Persian as Iran - one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations.

New studies suggest that Aryans were from Iran from over 10 thousand years ago. These studies suggest Aryans did not migrate from Asiatic and north Caspian regions southward to Iran, as European historians have thus far claimed. I, personally, had always questioned the European version of the history, since various aspects of the history of ancient Iran point to a certainly more rational account. The continuity of cultural achievements and scientific (geological, archaeological and anthropological) studies suggest that the European claims to have been based on faked account of the history.
(For further reading on the subject: see this page.)

Feb 7, 2007 10:09am

Persiana's friends. You'll find absolute treasures there.