A Report from Barbara Dua

Esfehan – Day Two (March 8, 2007)

Today is a holiday called Arbaen. It is 40 days after the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein -- the date when the holiday of Ashora was held. The day is a somber one, with most women appearing in black and a day when head coverings are especially conservative in respect for Imam Hussein. Most stores are closed until after sunset.

The proverb “Esfehan is half the world” easily includes its religious diversity. Today’s experiences included visits to a Zoroastrian temple, two Armenian churches, and a synagogue. While the state religion of Iran is Shi’i, a number of Sunnis also reside in the country. Muslims are 99.38% of the population, with 0.30 Christian, 0.05% Jewish, 0.17% Hindu, and a few Sikhs. Article 13 of the constitution protects the rights of all religious minorities in Iran, with the exception of Bahais.

Zoroastrianism is held to be the earliest formulated religious philosophy in the world to have survived to the present day. Linguistic analysis shows that Zoroastra was preaching in the Irano-Central Asia region in circa 1400 B.C.E., if not earlier. Zoroastrianism pre-dates Islam and is considered to be the first monotheistic world religion and it has greatly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The focus of the Zoroastrian temple is the eternal fire. The fire is a sign of respect for God, but the Zoroastrians do not pray to the fire. Zoroastrians pray five times a day in the direction of the natural light. Great respect is offered the elements of earth, fire, water, and air.

Gohar and Mehraham, husband and wife, are the founders of Zoroastrianism. There is no superiority for women or men in this religion. There are approximately 70,000 Zoroastrians in Iran, and two million in the world.

The current leader of the Esfehan Zoroastrian temple met us in the lovely simplicity of marble and light. He explained the religion to us and emphasized that Zoroastrians believe in good thoughts, good acts, and believe in an afterlife. They wear light white clothing, as opposed to the heavy covering needed for warfare. The essence of this religion is that by knowing yourself you know God.

Our next stop was two Armenian churches in the Armenian Quarter. Shah Abbas I [the First] had transported Armenians from Jolfa as he sought their skills as artists and merchants. The Armenian Church of Bethlehem dates from 1628, and its frescoes on the walls and ceilings are intricate and impressive. The interior of the high dome is decorated with swirling black motifs on a golden background, while the base is surrounded by paintings of biblical scenes. A short walk away is the Maria Armenian Church. Its design is more simple that the Bethlehem Church, but a kindly Armenian elder opened the church and talked about its use. Both the Bethlehem and Maria churches are regularly used for worship.

Our interfaith visits this day ended at a Jewish synagogue. The lovely antique-feeling interior was filled with books, the Torah, Ten Commandment tablets, and warm stained glass. Two members of the synagogue met with us and explained the history. Approximately 300 persons attend Sabbath services. There is a balcony for the women and men sit downstairs. There are about 25,000 Jews living in Iran, and they are mostly involved in retail trade and selling gold jewelry and antiques. The Jewish population is considered the wealthiest in Iran.

We ended our day with a trip to two famous bridges that cross the Zayandeh River. A wonderful park lines the river and on this beautiful spring day many Iranian families were out picnicking in the park. We Si-o-She Bridge of 33 arches was built by Allahverdi Khan between 1599 and 1603. The finest of Esfehan’s bridges, the Khaju Bridge, was built by Shah Abbas II in about 1650. It also doubles as a dam and has always been a meeting place. It is a beautiful bridge with two levels of terraced arcades and is 132 meters in length.

The “half the world of Esfehan” engaged us with major religious traditions today. The bridges we crossed at day’s end are a reminder of the bridges of understanding that we all must cross to build greater understanding and respect among the world’s religions and peoples.

Barbara Dua
Corrales, New Mexico