Iran 1972 -- Isfahan (Esfahan) and Shiraz
Verna Gillis
The photos in this slideshow were taken by Verna Gillis in 1972, on her travels to Iran. The images are those of the Masjed Shah in Esfahan and Takhte Jamshid (Persepolis) in Shiraz. The slides have been scanned and presented with the beautiful music of Maestro Hassan Kassai, playing the Persian Ney in Shushtari, which is related to the Dastgah of Homayoun. The compilation was done by Homayoon Beigi in March 2021, in observance of the Persian New Year (Nowruz).
From the Artist
Verna Gillis
I went to Iran in 1972 specifically to do research for my dissertation. My husband, Brad, who kept me eternally hip was reading Sufi poetry at the time and had read about Zourkhaneh and how the soldiers recited poetry to stay spiritually fit. Unable to find any music or more information he suggested that to me as a possible focus for my dissertation
Originally we were to fly to Tehran on Aeroflot. Our luggage took off without us. We got bumped . It was common practice in those days to give any Soviet citizen priority no matter how late they showed up at the airport.
The least expensive way we could find of flying to Tehran was on Air India. $450 round trip in those days. It was less expensive to fly to Delhi - stopping in Tehran - one of six stops that flight made - without disembarking, and then flying from Delhi to Tehran and back again.
Tehran was such a wonderful city. The most difficult part of being there was figuring out how to cross the street.
Impossible to eat enough cherry rice.
I had been given contacts in Tehran and it was easily arranged for me to have access to the Zoukhaneh
We travelled to Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashad. We recorded music all along the way which was released on Lyrichord FOLK MUSIC FROM IRAN: LURISTAN AND FARS PROVINCES, Lyrichord LLST 7261, 1973.
One of the powerful recording events was with a master ney (flute) musician. He showed me how he could make he same sounds without the flute just using his fingers.