Khatam (marquetry) boxes from Isfahan |
Every
year, Tehran hosts a folklore festival that celebrates Iran’s vast ethnic
diversity. For seven days, the locals get to sample cuisines from every corner
of their country, check out displays of colorful handicrafts, and experience a
small slice of life in villages and nomadic communities from the Caspian Sea to
the Persian Gulf, from the Afghan/Pakistani border to the Zagros Mountains.
By
some stroke of luck, my latest trip to Iran coincided with that festival, and I
spent a sunny afternoon with friends one day, wandering about the grounds of the Bahman
Cultural Center, where we sampled Kurdish koloocheh
(a kind of flat doughnut) and sipped tea in a nomad’s tent whose sides were draped
with colorful carpets. We watched a Qashqa’i tribeswoman make butter by gently
rocking a cream-filled sheepskin suspended from a makeshift wooden frame. When
night fell and the dancing demonstrations began, the master of ceremonies
kindly saved me a seat right in front of the “stage” (a clearing in the crowd),
which not only gave me an unobstructed view of the dancers but also a deafening
proximity to the Qashqa’i drummer.
Like
any nation with a long history, Iran’s diverse population reflects the country’s
geographic shifts, with borders expanding in one period and shrinking in
another, with entire communities being relocated to suit a leader’s political
ambitions.
There
are too many ethnic groups to describe in one short post, but here are a few
that I've encountered on past visits:
Azeri dancers at the Bahman Cultural Center in Tehran |
The
Azeris, or Azerbaijanis, are the
largest minority, accounting for 15 to 25 percent of the population. They
occupy four provinces in the northwestern part of the country—Eastern Azerbaijan,
Western Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan—and speak a Turkic language. If you’ve
been following the news of the Iran earthquake that took place last month, its
epicenter lay near Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan. Azeris refer to
themselves colloquially as “Turks” (torki),
and most are Shia Muslims. They are well integrated into society and play
important roles in business and politics. Many merchants at the Grand Bazaar belong
to this ethnic group, and their language can be heard throughout the marketplace.
The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is half Azeri, with a father from
Tabriz.
The
Kurds are a Sunni Muslim minority whose
territory spans four countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The Kurdish
populations of all four countries have pushed for autonomy from their
governments in a desire to form their own independent nation. But even non-separatist
Kurds in Iran are fiercely proud of their heritage, as I discovered on a trip
through the Zagros Mountains. Close to midnight, my companions decided to stop
by the side of the road—to stretch their legs, they said. We drove up
a short dirt track to wide plateau, where they cranked up the CD player. After
piling out of the car, we formed a line and danced to the rhythm of a lively
Kurdish folk tune—with me stumbling along to keep up with the fancy footwork.
The leader took my scarf and twirled it through the air as the line wove back
and forth under a bright moon. When headlights signaled an approaching vehicle,
one man reached through the window and silenced the CD player. We stood
motionless under the starry sky until the other car had passed.
Iran
has several Christian minorities, the largest of which is the Armenian community. This ethnic group traces its history back to the 16th
century when its members got caught up in a war between the Persians, led by
Shah Abbas of the Safavids, and their Ottoman neighbors. As part of a “scorched
earth” policy to prevent the Ottomans from launching
attacks from Armenian villages, Abbas depopulated the border region and resettled the people in his nation’s
interior. Because the Armenians were known for their artistic skills, he used
them to help build his new capital of Isfahan, and the city’s Jolfa neighborhood is
still a center of Armenian life in Iran. It has an Armenian school, 12 churches, and the beautiful Vank Cathedral.
Making butter in a sheepskin |
The
Qashqa’is hail from a nomadic tribe that traditionally led a pastoral life, following their herds of sheep from
summer pastures in the mountains near Shiraz to winter quarters along the
Persian Gulf. Today, most of them have abandoned the nomadic life, but they are still known for
their skill in weaving colorful textiles, using homespun wool and natural dyes.
Gabbeh, a movie by the Iranian
filmmaker, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, paints a lyrical (if fictionalized) picture of
life in a Qashqa’i tribe.
My
husband is an ethnic Persian, but his extended family includes Kurds and Azeris.
Through their eyes, I’ve learned about different cultural practices, languages,
and—best of all—cuisines, which together form the colorful patchwork of Iran’s multicultural
society.
I love learning about Iran Heidi, your pieces bring it alive in a beautiful, unique way!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sangeeta! Glad you enjoy the posts. So nice to see you here again.
ReplyDeleteAzeris are the largest ethnic minority in Georgia too--not surprising I guess given the location. Although in Georgia many speak Russian and Azeri rather than Georgian, which along with their religion creates some barriers.
ReplyDeleteThat's very interesting, Edith. Do they have their own schools in Azeri or are the schools still in Russian? There are Georgians in Iran, too. Like the Armenians, they were relocated by Shah Abbas, and some of them converted to Islam.
DeleteJust found your post. I'd love to make it to this festival someday, thanks for sharing! -Louisa
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Louisa! I hope you make it to the festival. It was so much fun.
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