A Century Ago in the Land of Lion and Sun; Within the Walls of Iranians

In the upcoming series of discussions, we introduce a book titled "Life in the Muslim East"; the author of this book is "Pierre Pounafidin", who wrote it in Russian, and his wife "Emma Koushiran Pounafidin" also translated it into English. The English translation of the book was published in 1911, just over 100 years ago, and contains the author's memories from 36 years of work and life as the consul of the Kingdom of Russia in Iran and the Ottoman Empire, as well as his travels to various regions of Iran, "Turkish Arabia" (Hijaz, Baghdad, Basra, and parts of Kurdish areas in Arab Iraq), and "India". The section on Iran is titled "In the Land of Lion and Sun". However, there are also references to topics related to Iran in other sections, including the status of women in Iran within the framework of Sharia and custom, as well as the general situation of Kurds who lived at that time in terms of citizenship in both the Ottoman Turkey and Iran. This work also contains photographs taken by the author and his wife from Iran, the Ottoman Empire, and India. In the walls of Iranians, a hundred years ago in the land of lion and sun, the book: Life in the Muslim East (1911) written by Pierre Pounafidin, selected and free translation: Abbas Javadi. Iranians build their houses according to their religious needs and customs. The first principle they observe in this regard is privacy, meaning that the home remains a private and personal space, especially for women, and for this reason, they surround their houses with high walls. Later, of course, the issue of access to water for purification, which must be observed according to Shia religious principles, arises. For this reason, they bring water from outside into their homes and store it in pools or "water reservoirs" built in the basement. These water reservoirs are also called "Sardabeh". Another issue is the complete separation of men who are "non-mahram" from women and girls in the house. From a religious perspective, any man who is a stranger or with whom marriage or temporary marriage is religiously permissible is considered "non-mahram" for adult women and girls. Close family members such as fathers, uncles, maternal uncles, and brothers are considered "mahram", meaning women do not need to "turn away" from them, while even cousins, once they grow up, are non-mahram and must be avoided, as they can, in principle, marry their cousins. The gaze of a man or an adult boy who is "non-mahram" should not fall upon any woman or girl from the household in any way. Therefore, the house has two parts: "Andaroun" for women and mahram men (such as fathers and brothers and uncles) and "Biroun" for non-mahram men who come to the house. Since wood is not easily found, the houses of poor people are made of mud, but those who have money build their houses with bricks. Their roofs are flat, and in the summer, they spread their bedding there and sleep in the open and cool air of these roofs. Iranians are skilled builders who construct thick and tall walls. These builders stand on the walls, and as the wall rises higher, they go up as well. The soil necessary for building houses is obtained from the same construction site, and for this reason, the level of most Iranian houses and courtyards is lower than that of the streets. In the courtyard, they plant willow and poplar trees or fruit and flower trees. None of the windows open to the street. Upon entering through the door, on the right and left are the rooms of servants and maids. Then, you walk along a narrow path lined with trees until you reach a pool and the flowers planted around it. Iranians love flowers very much. Then you reach the main building of the house, which is usually one story. From the door, you enter a small hallway and from there into a hall, and from there you are guided to the reception room, which is the largest room in the house. The bedrooms are located at the back and side of the reception room. From the same hall and its furniture and carpets, one can guess the status and wealth of the man of the house. In the summer, looking at the courtyard from these rooms is an interesting pastime. What we in the West call "sofa" is not found in ordinary Iranian houses, but those who have dealings with Europeans certainly have one or two tables and chairs in their reception rooms. The floors are covered with colorful carpets. Around the room and along the walls, colorful cushions and pillows are arranged so that guests can comfortably sit on the floor. Various china, Iranian candlesticks, and delicate handicrafts along with colorful sweets are arranged on the shelves. The women's room is almost like the men's room, but its furnishings, such as carpets and china, are more expensive. Another door from the Andaroun opens to the back courtyard, which is larger than the men's courtyard, i.e., the Biroun, and has more flowers. The ground floor of the houses has a basement, which in some parts of Iran is used as a storage room and in other regions, people rest there in the heat of summer because it is dimmer and has cooler air. It should be noted that throughout Iran, finding an apartment is very difficult. Everyone lives in an independent house with a courtyard, and it is unlikely that two families live in one house, even if they are poor. When the formalities regarding food and "thank you for your hands" and "it was extremely delicious" are over, they reach a topic that Iranians usually call "philosophical discussion". These discussions are sometimes based on unlikely hypotheses, and one cannot help but smile when seeing how seriously the attendees engage in these discussions. From the text of the book, Iranians do not like to rent their houses to Christians because they consider them impure. Therefore, when a Christian goes to a city that has not had a Christian guest before, finding a house becomes a serious problem for him. The price that Christian foreigners have to pay for a house is higher than what Muslims pay. The prejudice of Iranians even extends to workers and builders. For example, Assyrians from Urmia are good builders, but finding work for them is not easy because Muslims do not like to live in houses built by Christians, but this prejudice is gradually fading. After dinner, the conversation of the guests and the host usually revolves around the food that has been served, and which government official eats what kinds of food and how much they eat. When the formalities regarding food and "thank you for your hands" and "it was extremely delicious" are over, they reach a topic that Iranians usually call "philosophical discussion". These discussions are sometimes based on unlikely hypotheses, and one cannot help but smile when seeing how seriously the attendees engage in these discussions; for example, the discussion starts with the hypothesis that if the Caspian Sea turned into a desert, what should be done, or if humans had wings, what would happen. During the discussion, if someone brings up an important point, the attendees praise and say, "Indeed, he is a philosopher, the father of Plato!" or they say, "Indeed, Plato is not even a dog compared to you!" Daily Life of Iranians, Iranians wake up early to perform the morning prayer. Then they drink tea or coffee and eat bread and cheese. After that, their day begins. The merchant goes to the market, the shopkeeper goes to his shop, and the worker goes to his work. Given that government offices usually do not have a specific office, government officials conduct their work in their homes. The gentleman official sits at the head of the room on a mattress and the Mirza sits next to him on the carpet. From the text of the book, if someone is a "Mirza" or "scribe" and clerk, he goes to his master's house early in the morning before sunrise and sees that his master, who is usually a government official, has risen and come to the reception room, which is also his office. Given that government offices usually do not have a specific office, government officials conduct their work in their homes. The gentleman official sits at the head of the room on a mattress and the Mirza sits next to him on the carpet. Archives, if numerous, are kept in several boxes or even a suitcase. Documents that need to be readily available are placed under the cushions for easy access. All work is done in this simple reception room. It is here that telegrams, important documents, and government orders are written, people's claims are addressed, judgments are issued, and even executed, either within this room or in front of the window of the room, while the government official sits behind the window witnessing the execution of the judgment. And finally, it is here that "gifts" are openly given and received, something without which nothing practically moves forward. In Iran, the gift has become a culture and tradition. A gift can take various forms; it may be a flower, a cucumber, or a horse, jewelry, or cash. Sometimes a gift is innocent with not-so-innocent aims behind it, in exchange for which a reward is received. For example, your gardener comes and presents you with the first fruits of the garden, and you give him a tip. In the second classification, a gift is given and received with a purpose that is not innocent at all, for example, in cases where the purpose of this exchange of gifts is to influence the course of a court case or to maintain or lose a position. This second and shameless type of giving and receiving gifts is well known to Iranians. Here, without naming anyone, I will just give a specific example, as I was familiar with both parties who had given and received these gifts. A new governor had been appointed to a province. The head of the artillery was very worried about whether he would remain in his position or not. Since he did not consider his chances high, he decided to present a gift to the new governor commensurate with his income. When he first arrived in the presence of the governor, two beautiful Russian horses used for carriages appeared in front of the governor's window, and he humbly requested that the governor accept these "insignificant" gifts. The governor looked at the horses and then looked at the excited official and, expressing his gratitude, said that those horses were a bit skinny and it would be better for their owner to take them to his stable and give them some oats and fodder. The poor commander, who understood the governor's main message, borrowed from here and there and bought two more horses this time, ordering his servants to bring all four horses in front of the governor's window. The governor looked at the horses this time and said these are much better, but they can still be better than this. Our poor friend went and sold his summer residence and brought eight horses in front of the governor until the governor, while smoking his pipe, finally expressed satisfaction. And now let's return to the office of the government official, whose story we had left halfway. This official also accepts clients during working hours. Around eleven or twelve, our official feels hungry and orders lunch to be brought. There is no special room for dining. There is no specific time either. Lunch is served in this room at whatever hour the official feels hungry. A tablecloth is spread on the carpet, and then food is brought in a tray and placed in front of the government official. He says "Bismillah" and begins to eat with his client. Thin white pieces of bread called "Lavash" play the role of forks, and spoons and fingers all dive into food placed in a common dish. The official's important assistants and servants also participate in lunch. Lesser servants eat from another tray in a corner of the room or in one of the adjacent rooms. Many government officials, apart from their families, provide food for around fifty people every day. After lunch, it is time for a nap and rest for an hour or two. After that, they pray again and continue their work. All these activities are carried out in the same simple room on the carpet. Iranian Food, Iranian dishes are delicious and colorful. Rice is cooked in various forms and shapes. The main ingredients of Iranian cuisine are lamb, chicken, and vegetables. Iranians are very sensitive about what is permissible to eat in Islam, called "halal", and what is forbidden, called "haram". The Quran does not say much about halal and haram except for prohibiting pork and drinking wine, but Sharia and religious interpretations have many differences regarding the meat of different animals, and the opinions of jurists in each case may differ. In general, Iranians are extremely simple and content regarding food. You may be surprised at how an Iranian can do heavy work all day long by eating just a piece of bread and a little cheese and grapes. From the text of the book, in Iran, the types of meat are limited. Iranian cows are not of good quality, and their meat is not very tasty. Cows are used more for transportation and a little for milking. Rice and any type of vegetable and fruit that is not poisonous are eaten. Sweet drinks, i.e., water with sugar and syrup of various fruits, are extremely popular and at the same time very tasty. Sweets are something that life for Iranians cannot be imagined without. No party or celebration is complete without sweets. Iranian sweets are very diverse and delicious. In general, Iranians are extremely simple and content regarding food. You may be surprised at how an Iranian can do heavy work all day long by eating just a piece of bread and a little cheese and grapes.