Guest Column

“Contrary to popular opinion, is not a conservative or dangerous country. It is a land of caring people and beautiful architecture,” says Manish Dikshit

We architects are a unique lot. We like to Persian Empire. ‘Exotic’, ‘dark’, ‘dangerous’, travel, see new cultures and be away from our ‘strict’, were some terms which people used comfort zones. More often than not, it helps to describe it even before I had my tickets keep our creative skills alive. I personally feel it booked. But I never found that a reason to not opens up my imagination and helps me learn travel to this country. of new ideas and designs. My last trip was My trip was to be two days of work one such adventure which is going to stay in and seven days of travel to three my memory for a long time to come. architecturally important cities of Iran: Iran, or the Islamic Republic of Iran as it is Tehran, Shiraz and . officially called, was the destination I recently Tehran visited. It was some work assignments that gave me an opportunity to see this beautiful This city is the political capital of Iran, and has

Golestan Palace, Tehran

a mix of its traditional and modern traditions be a covered area on completion. Neither architecture felt very similar to the Oberoi infused in it. Despite the tiring overnight flight, of the famous Saudi Arabian mosques in hotel in Bombay in the 1980’s in terms of the I was was very surprised as I landed at Imam Medina and Mecca, Islam’s holiest sites, wooden panelled hallway, antique chandeliers Khomeini International Airport. Never has the are more than 400,000 sq m. Medina’s and the smell of rose wood. They have media shown us this side of Iran. India has covered space is only 100,000 sq m. The maintained the pre-revolution structures so always been a friend of Iran, so our media has Grand Mosalla is the creation of architect well that one can feel the bell bottom age had plenty of liberty to showcase the better Parviz Moayed Ahd, 80, who divides his time around them. side of the story. I leave that to the political between Paris and Tehran. My first day went by with walks around bloggers to talk about. Construction began six years ago. Only 25 the hotel, seeing the by-lane residential The airport itself is like any other international per cent of the complex is completed, but apartments which, according to me, were airport in the world, with ramps, shopping 80,000 cubic metres of concrete have been overwhelming. These buildings were all and parking lots. The minute I took my ride poured and 30,000 tonnes of steel used so cladded with local marble (sold as Italian from the airport, which is an hour and half far. One of its prayer halls spans 50,000 sq m, marble in India). Some of the designs were away from the main city, the toll way was with ceilings 14 m high. The mosque’s dome so luxurious with cast iron gates and balcony at par with any of the roads I have travelled will be 57 m in diameter and will be crowned railings, large lobbies and French wooden around the world, with flyovers and by a stylized arch spanning 130 m. windows that they would give our Indian Manish Dikshit is one of the two partners covering the way. architects a complex. at the helm of Aum Architects, a Mumbai- As my cab zoomed past it, its sheer size based firm. Prior to founding his own On the way to my hotel, Homa International, was exhilarating. As we closed towards the For the other two days, I did typical traveller practise, Dikshit worked with eminent I came across few modern mosques under north of Tehran, the mountains surrounding things, visiting some of Tehran’s tourist architects like Hafeez Contractor and construction. One of them was Tehran’s the capital created a photographic backdrop famous traps. Nozer Wadia, as well as working with Grand Mosalla. I was told it is being built as for the cityscape. One can see modern Shiraz D.I.D. Consultants. Apart from his work as the second largest mosque in terms of number architecture along with few vernacular designs On the fourth day, I took an early morning an architect and interior designer, Dikshit of people that can pray inside it. It sits on a along the way to city centre. also served as a guest lecturer at the flight to Shiraz, the cultural capital of Iran. 650,000 sq m site, 450,000 sq m of which will Rachna Sansad Institute of Interior Design. Aerial view of Isfahan I couldn’t but help notice that my hotel’s

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Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, wine and flowers. It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens. The city’s municipality and other related institutions have initiated restoration and reconstruction projects. Some of the most recent projects have been the complete restoration of the Arg of Interior of Vank Cathedral, Isfahan Karim Khan and of the Vakil Bath, as well as a comprehensive plan for the preservation of the old city quarters. Other noteworthy Arches of Khaju , Tehran initiatives include the total renovation of the Qur’an Gate and the mausoleum of the poet Khwaju Kermani, both located in the Allah-u- scale and proportion was overwhelming. From Akbar Gorge, as well as the restoration and Persepolis, I went to the town of Isfahan, expansion of the mausoleum of the famous which is in the centre of Iran. Shiraz-born poets Hafiz and Saadi. Isfahan I could feel the art all around me the minute Three important things I did in Isfahan were to I landed. That day, I got a chance to visit visit the Khaju Bridge, the main bazaar square the tomb of Hafez, the great Sufi poet who and the Armenian Church. The Khaju Bridge influenced and shaped Iranian art culture was was beautiful, reflecting the lights through from frescos to great music. The geometric the river that flowed under it. I was amazed at landscape reminded me of my history classes the perfect array of arches and the technology in architecture and how it came to India used for water harvesting. According to the during the Mughal rule. My personal choice locals, the main bazaar square is supposed of landscape has always been a free flowing to be the second largest square in the world form, like in nature. But with such great after Beijing. The square has everything one structures, symmetrical designs in landscape could expect in a modern day shopping mall; enhanced the buildings’ appearance. clothes, food, entertainmen and a mosque. Persepolis Even the king’s palace was part of this After visiting a few other monuments, it was enormous square. time for me to move to my next destination: Thus ended my trip. Contrary to popular Persepolis, the ancient city and birthplace opinion, Iran is not a conservative or a of Zoroastrianism. Never had I imagined dangerous country, but a country with caring the small Parsi population in my city were people, beautiful architecture and delicious from this strong empire. The sheer size of cuisine. The memory of beautiful landscaped these structures was exhilirating, with some gardens and Islamic dome architecture will columns carved out of a single stone. The remain with me for a long while. Ceiling of Hafeez’s Tomb, Shiraz

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