| "Esfahan nesf-e Jahan" -- Esfahan is half the world -- was a local catchphrase when Esfahan was the largest city in the Middle East and the capital of Iran during the 17th century. While neither is true today -- Tehran, Iran’s capital since 1795 is now much larger -- it is still important as Iran’s second largest city. And it is a city of great beauty with an atmosphere not found elsewhere in Iran. The many bridges crossing the Zayandeh River that bisects the city are much more than transportation routes. Each has a unique design of Islamic arches that glow at night from internal lighting. Some afford access to the cool river water during hot summer days in this high desert city, while others have tea houses or cool internal spaces for resting. Crowds walk the park-like areas along the river on warm summer evenings, families laying out blankets for simple picnics in the manner of Iranian families in every town. Tree-lined avenues, flowers and parks among well-kept shops and homes make even driving the streets more pleasant than in the central area of metropolises elsewhere. When the path of the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999 passed over Esfahan -- already a popular tourist city -- the city was swarming with visitors from surrounding countries and Europe because of the high chance of clear skies. Many, I am sure, are returning as we have. |
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Imam Square -- called The King’s Square when it was built in 1612 until the Islamic Revolution of 1979 -- is certainly among the world’s most beautiful. Twice the size of Moscow’s Red Square, two mosques and two palaces mark the sides of a rectangular space surrounded by lower buildings containing shops and offices. No longer a soccer field as in the Shah’s time, the space is now filled with fountains and areas to stroll and picnic. But more importantly it provides space for the faithful during Friday prayers. The mosques are of incomparably beautiful tile-
work in the Esfahani fashion that even this westerner has learned to recognize. Rich shades of lapus lazuli, yellow and others blend in an intricate and finely detailed fashion that graces the walls and enormous domes of the mosques and 100-foot tall minarets. Built for the royal families of centuries past, locals and tourists now mix as visiting commoners circumnavigate the square in horse-drawn carriages reminiscent of New York’s Central Park. Other historical palaces around the city also draw many tourists as does Vank Cathedral, the largest Catholic cathedral in Iran, built by the Catholic Armenian-Iranian community between 1606 and 1655.
Esfahan is also known for its superb art collections and museums. |
| Visitors at a public star party in Esfahan. |
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The eclipse was a boon to the flagging tourist industry of Iran, especially Esfahan (Tehran was outside the path of totality). Westerners have slowly been returning to Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 but the eclipse put Iran squarely in the limelight throughout the region. It was also a great opportunity for the rapidly increasing amateur astronomy community. Adib Astronomical Society, a well-connected and well-equipped club in Esfahan, hosted a stellar group of visitors from the US and Europe headed by Dr. Alan Hale. Brought to Iran by Washington-based Search for Common Ground, Hale and the others observed the eclipse from a lakeshore in nearby Chadegan away from the crowds of Imam Square. Hale returned with another small group in 2001 for a conference on comets, again hosted by Adib. |
| Observing the planets of May 2002’s spectacular grouping. |
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While many amateur clubs in Iran struggle to find equipment, Adib is uncharacteristically well-funded. Founded in 1995 by Alireza Mehrani, the city’s chief accountant, Adib is sponsored primarily by the municipal government, which keeps annual membership dues to approximately one dollar. From binoculars to a Meade 12-inch LX200 computer-guided Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, Adib’s arsenal is well-stocked. But with 1450 members, one third of whom are active, the instruments are also well-used. Public outreach is the primary activity here as elsewhere in Iran. Adib’s meeting place has displays of astronomical materials from throughout the world and public star parties are held on the same building’s rooftop high above the city. There is also a program of educational visits to local schools. Only occasionally do the members make the drive of 60 to 120 miles to dark sky sites outside the city. |
| The crescent Moon, Jupiter and Venus observered by a public visitor. |
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With such a large membership base, interests among the Adib membership is wide-ranging. Some are interested in instrumentation for spectroscopy and other scientific pursuits and several models of home-built instruments and their results are on display, each successive model representing an increasingly sophisticated design. This provides an outlet for the most ambitious members to explore areas that are beyond the scope of most amateur activities in Iran, and rare even in the US and other westerner countries. While top-quality materials are often very hard to come by in Iran, ingenuity and enthusiasm often make up for the lack of material goods.
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| The Meade 12-inch LX200 telescope of Adib Astronomical Society. |