Isfahan

Naghsh e jahan Square, holds one of the oldest, and largest bazaar's in the middle east (maybe the oldest and largest; I can't verify that). This place is heaven on earth if you like handicrafts, workmanship, ice cream (persian saffron ice cream with cream bits in it and foludeh = YUM!!), rugs, textiles, pottery, metal work, silversmiths and jewelry...and more. I knew this bazaar from our last trip to Isfahan 5 years ago - no trip to Isfahan is complete without visiting this bazaar. Even Mano (the anti-shopper) enjoys this kind of shopping. He came home with an antique compass, a replica pug lock (I'll try to get a photo of that for a future post) and a sand in glass timer with compasses on each end (another photo needed). Needless to say, half of what I brought home came from this bazaar - my beautiful table cloth, clothes for the kids, pottery, silver bracelets for the girls etc. We did partake of the ice cream of course, and then we met with family and ate at this lovely kebab house (restaurant) on the second level of the building. See below...the places where you eat are not table and chairs, but 'takhts' (beds) where you sit cross-legged on a table cloth and eat your meal.

Just outside the doors of the restaurant, was a small shop ( they are all small!) where these two girls were working on the art objects that they were selling. We purchases some small hammered and painted plates from this shop.