The front of the Sheikh Safi od-Din mausoleum. This building used to be a dervish monastery in the Savavid dynasty. After he died (1252-1334) he was buried here.
closer. As you see there are three domes, because the family of Sheikh Safi is buried here too.
the court of the Sheikh Safi. The typical blue tiles, you can see in Isphahan too
All kinds of blue!
The Allah Allah tower. It has this name because of the writings Allah in Kufic script on its walls
Blue tiles. Because in Islam the picture of living bodies are forbidden they invent a way to draw flower and animals and the impression of nature in a different way. The result is dazzling, because of the colors, repeating and the finest details.
and don't forget about the letters. With this letters there are plenty of possibilities to make artistic figures. Check also the Kufi-square on the Allah Allah tower of the Sheikh Safi- mausoleum
the Allah Allah tower
And this is closer: both floral motifs and mathematical figures
this is not Sheikh Safi, but the mosque next door :-) The minarets seems from a fairy tail.
inside the Sheikh Safi-mausoleum.
There was a museum with some Chinese ware. Once all the holes where filled with it, the reason why it's named: khane chini
The hand is a symbol in Shi'ism. You can find it on a lot of places, for example a small hand is on the dome or the minarets of a mosque. It the hand (or complete arm) that was cut off by the enemy. But that's all I know about the story. I don't know where, when and to whom is happened. If you know, tell me please.
It looks like a library. Strange idea that it was something like a cupboard.
It looks a bit like the music room in the Ali Qapu palace in Isfahan.
It's a very high room and I guess the didn't use the chinese from up so often.
There was a nice garden. For Iranians gardens are a symbol of paradise. They like all pieces of grass that much, that every evening you can see the parks everywhere in Iran filled with people enjoying time eating dinner, talking with each other, playing badminton and having fun. Because of the quite cold weather, the north of Iran (Ardabil is in the north) is green. In vacations and holidays you can find hold Tehran on the way to the north. In the end teh word paradise and the Dutch paradijs too are from the Persian "paradis"
Near Sheikh Safi a lot of people where burning candles. I don't know exactly why, it was not a catholic church for sure.
the mosque next door again.
The backside of the Sheikh Safi-tomb.
The cousin of Mohsen, cute girl, isn't it. She likes pizza :)
Just an office in the street on our way. They still have the same art and they used here with the typical Iranian writing-style.
With Zahra and her niece in the bazaar of Ardabil. She and her family were our hosts in Ardabil.
on our way, we saw a man painting this text. There are letters everywhere. Even on walls, in the mountains, on flags in the street. Many times it is a pray or a poetical Islamic text, but off course advertisements too. On buses you can find them in English, the spelling is really funny and sometimes it is completely unclear what's the meaning of it. A few times we saw the text: "See no see" with a camel. If you can explain to me, please write, I would like to know.
just some people in the street. These old fashioned heads remind me of my grandfathers time.
Everybody want to touch the stone coffin.
In a halva-shop
eating halva, sweet and very heavy. This is Keivan, the brother of Zahra.
smoking the qelyun and eating kebab, as usual: here with Mohsen, Mohsen (left), Henk and Keivan (right)
Just a street near the bazaar. Mind the picture with the family: woman dressed in chador. In reality more woman dress in manteau.
The entrance of the bazaar.
Like in every country and all places, old man are sitting and talking. I like their hats :)
smoking hubble-bubble with Keivan(left) and Mohsen (middle)
