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5/1/1992 - An Itinerant in Iran: Part Six by Thomas Goltz

NOT FORPUBLICATION WITHOUTWRITER SCONSENT INSTITUTEOFCURRENTWORLDAFFAIRS Peter Bird Martin ICWA Crane Rogers West Wheelock St Hanover N H 03755 An Itinerant Iran Part Six May Saturday Turkmanchay I arrangements couple friends hookah wanted Torkoman Turkmenchay I station myself It would pricey seemed unique opportunity I couldn place where Ruskies defined their southern frontier after dictating peace crumbling Qadjar dynasty Iran Safavids splitting amorphous thing known Azerbaijan doing No matter dumpy place might stopping Turkmanchay budding Azeri specialist would rather Civil War visiting Gettysburg while neighborhood Japanese tourist Sta dropping Disneyland Gauging looked about miles south Tabriz Tehran highway hills But determined hours heart pulse ricochet considerably further Because Tehran highway extension European Asian highway crosses Turkey notoriously dangerous packed traffic raising lumbering trailer trucks driven Turkish Bulgarian strung diverse sleep drugs making border before everyone It pleasant drive hours dodging traffic constant interference driver natural instinct sneak vehicle between trucks traffic coming Worse driver spoke almost incoherent Azeri patois obsessive dialecticians might qualify repairman district Tabriz southern Azeri speech something It conversation bored incoherent driver terrified interfering passenger almost unable communicate another radio Anyway after wending along Turkmenchay Turkmen River eventually directing lesser leasing hills namesake after about another fifteen minutes pulled It pretty quaint I expect Thomas Goltz ICWA fellow researching Turkic speaking republics former USSR emphasis Azerbaijan Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstandingyoungadultstolive outsidetheUnitedStatesandwriteaboutinternationalareasandissues Endowed bythelateCharlesR Crane theInstituteisalsosupportedbycontributionsfromlike mindedind ividualsand foundations A small interest apple orchards other citrus fruit Turkmenchay sprawled slope sturdy houses every which Save rutted muddy dissolved footpath about through there streets Downtown consisted couple goods stores seemed fairly stocked photographer shops house minor interest collecting selling carpets clear which There stand somewhere house because stopped sausage sandwich condiments magically appeared driver myself There mosques I reckon population around judging conversation house place incorporated district something first Tur kmenchay representative national parliament Accordingly plastered election posters number other posters advocating national literacy campaign It dumpy place rather friendly rather being difficult finding informants Turkmenchay found Rus Rus about third instantly gathered around began chant assuming I Russian Turk Turk another third contested judgement their peers suggesting I Turkey A others decided I Shu awiyah which could I Russian Northern Azeri while imaginative souls declared I Bulgarian In I asked swarm guides mosque logical place start exploration Turkmanchay anywhere matter local house starting option The mosque series muddy lanes I arrived another group there Word spread foreigner descended Turkmenchay appeared almost great historic contemporary history Czar generals ridden horses carve another chunk empire I inquired about Treaty someone remembered there something related event mosque morgue This I along entered mosque itself interrupting prayer The seemed almost happy diversion their devotions informed mission local produced select group morgue The Historic Remains Tarihi Kalintilari Actually space I morgue space between mosque almost adjacent where stored burial piers The space cluttered other debris usual uninteresting variety broken chairs tables shattered bottles But middle The Remains weathered tombstone shaped truncated horns The lettering almost totally effaced I asked bucket water splash increasing contrast being something inscription In But thing heartbreakingly clear The Remains nothing ancient Akkoyun maybe Karakoyun funerary stelle carved anthropomorphisms associates medieval Turkic tribes known respectively White Sheep Black Sheep It nothing Persian Russian peace treaty whatsoever I wonder history interlocutors exposed school Why thing morgue I asked He afraid front mosque authorities might museum locals might destroy Destroy Yes There another stone stelle local youths swung suspicious around crowd youths surrounding believed filled smashed night I there anonymous youth There first I informed It solid Century Stelle In Mosque Morgue At Turkmenchay The discussion about merits testing theory forth awhile until I decided I enough hanging around claustrophobic mosque morgue whereupon I asked anybody about other remnants physical hints especially those connected Well someone there Russian Russ I asked Yeah Russian chorus voices returned Well I We flooded mosque muddy served street again scarcely turned corner going uphill peculiar sight The Russian Girl Lady really Well Grandma truth She least years withered cliche prune But hijab monto white piercing I youth probably looker blonde Kak I asked Atlichna replied having Po Ruski middle crowd Azeris Turkmenchay everyday occurrence I apologized perfect Russian suggested Azeri Russian would speak other language Are Moscow asked No Baku United States Montana I replied How responded understandably confused Gorby putative cousin resident Turkmenchay Well I asked where Moscow replied Well I continued inquiry Oh 1930s sometime replied My father Vasili kulak peasant Stalin One sisters Texas I where brother USSR You anybody Texas Yes I Well sister Either couldn remember I write pretty unimportant anyway after I asked Maryam Pakomova Gorbachova De Marusa Rahmatullah Yakubzade mother daughter Canada Mashhad Turkmenchay another Isfahan third Shiraz Slow sister Whatchasay Marusa Gorbachova Any relation Mikhail Of course We cousins My father brothers before Stranger fiction Gorby cousin camped Turkmanchay By there veritable swarm meaning people trying direct attention Historic Remnant across valley So driver I fought through crowd little encounter session there Once again friendly crowd although little controlled unruly muddy streets What around I asked Well agriculture Is alright there Not replies There standard complaints hears farmers world whole coffee house crowd seemed content They their stressed again again assumption being I hailing Shu wiyah ignorant things wanted could wherever wanted whatever market would usually their middle merchants Tabriz It quite friendly different questions Other there Baku Karabakh I thought Iran usual Then I Excuse I I question Shoot You believe I write Azeri Sonra fikir original deghildi Bashlayin beyler dedim menim sualim Bursunlar deyiplar there Anyway gathered closer around table I asked Who Huh reply define yourselves yourselves Still confused looks Let couple categories I pressed could yourself would First Azeri Turk Muslim Iranian A crash replies rolling One I demanded knowing sociological study desired Azeri Turk first Turk second Muslim third Human being slipped clever character chuckled Turk Turk Muslim Turk Azeri Not Iranian I asked Iran farmer Iran mullahs anything those traitors thieves anymore So Turkmenchay because driver wanted Tabriz I induced change offering double price order Maraghah eastern shore Lake Umriyah formerly Rezaiah named after Shah father sights coming going driver muttering something about fantastic Mongols shore So drove plains defined again distant dusted mountains There sight birches river We stopped about kilogram flower seeds spare cigarettes outside another managed cadge liters passing military vehicle favor picking count recruits hitch hiking alongside They spirits wanted about delights Trabzon alcohol available Turkey A soldiers Dogubayazit extreme eastern Turkey enjoyed themselves great Sadly running delayed about light fading obliged through Maraghah without stopping order bluff between order inspect archaeological Maraghah seemed clean lively market I really about Once bluff dropping hanging driver informing ruins Genghiz Khan Kubilai Khan capital Mongols Fat chance Unless Mongol excavations resemble Indian sites circles North American archaeologists delight there bluff could qualify But astounding enough partially excavated maybe excavated observatory rather smaller model famous observatory Ulugbek Samarkand The driver tried convince sextant equipment brick gazing equipment designed chopping block execute prisoners Leading burial chamber western slope bluff tried convince Mongol elite I thought likely enigmatic chambers ancient greatly resembled those Urartu kings Tushba overlooking Lake Van Turkey By night fallen return Tabriz It chain smoking drive ended while I understood gauged Rials driver understood Tomans making estimate tenth demand Another Anti Mullah Moustache Worn By Resident Maraghah May Tabriz I thought would First I change money passport hotel I travelers checks I around fistful roubles I exaggerate problem changing checks because really little consuming Central Bank office could Central Bank would because I passport proof purchase papers This presented double Catch because I couldn passport hotel until I proof purchase papers safely tucked drawer Baku checks stolen I supply their numbers order reclaim There course thing director foreign currency transactions accept checks Almost inevitably American educated apologetic about difficulties doing modern banking Iran hopeful future On toward hotel reclaim passport I stuck bazaar again always pleasant experience where enter emerge other hours later This cause delay running carpet merchant studied Tempe Arizona amazed Tabriz After several father bazaar merchants lunch kebab swing through vaulted lanes interurban warehouses tichen labyrinth stopping there variety merchants textile kitchen spice cigarettes office equipment It occurs I haven written about Tabriz bazaar about Tabriz aside using adjectives fabulous wonderful Well sense identical because Tabriz great trading since least century Seljuk Empire More point bazaar traditional Middle East markets unsullied tourist kitsch unimproved undue decoration reconstruction It exactly small large commercial establishments dozens warehouses fringe which myriad workshops furthest fringes bazaar There little mystery about together although there beauty intricate relationships needs experienced appreciated Istanbul Grand Bazaar glitzy retain traditional elements bazaars Aleppo Damascus Tabriz bazaar preserves elements lovely organic whole An Archway Leading Into A Ha_n In The Tabriz Bazaar Above From Curing Leather Carving Heel Outlet Below The Pot Pan Man Tabriz Bazaar Above Carpets And More Carpets And Not A Tourist Sight Below Tallying The Day Take The Old Way At A Stationery Store Dry Goods You Can Only Dream About In The Markets Of Baku After Hours In The Tabriz Bazaar Everything Buttoned Down Tight All through though Ali Rug Merchant trying translator This irritating enough But turned whining about refused United States And every brought subject details emerged changed university often stayed order avoid being drafted Iranian He tried marriage convenience question refused bought Then returned Iran married children taken teacher salary about month exchange giving instruction three It obvious business brought bacon But Ali going US complete MA agriculture preferably sunny southern California The problem Black Mark having stayed stamped passport applied third entry USA conveniently first passport The US consul Ankara smelled refused I thought Riza little sympa Ali And Ali became insistent about helping bribe officials sneak through Canada Mexico California I suggested clean issue US Department Immigration Then I The there virtually chance getting Tabriz border before expired Baku planned order catch final Turkish Premier Suleyman Demirel Turkic whistle Central Asia Azerbaijan But chance Demirel schedule changed I called Turkish Consulate about Bey Effendi Demirel itinerary The consul himself telephone cancellation Turkish visit Tajikistan because unrest there Demirel already through Baku before winging Ankara spoke This filled sense relief because removed pressure right Then consul closing wanted coffee clock I guard apologized having frisk office consul Turkish coffee Our minute turned ranging discussion lasting These highlights In Tabriz percent population turned April elections mosque attending garbage essentially forced Boycott operative The reason Tehran equivocating policy about Nagorno Karabakh Bootleg publications Azeri Turkish written Persian script throughout Tabriz accusing mullahs favoring Christian Armenia against blood brother Azeris Well placed sources suggested weapons munitions seized Iraqi Kurds being funnelled Armenians I thought planes And contrary reports Tehran Armenians Tabriz dared march April violence occur Even Azeri mullahs being effected sense kinship their brethren North border sentiment rapidly spreading The consul coffee house situations where mullahs announced their Shi Karbala Iraq God granted access soldiers sitting adjacent tables would reply wished Turkey God granted access I He privy other political muttering Why Iran neglecting Shi Iraq being butchered marches outside Basra Azeris Nagorno Karabakh expense supporting Palestinians Israel The people beginning wonder connection Pale stine important I about mosque visitations being Turk chuckled He project works Denied access various parts Iranian Azerbaijan political security reasons recently devised would allow travel wanted discrete selection mosques different parts country where wanted check certain facts ground The mullahs aware God counting number mosques prays could Clever consul I believer I believer secular mission Turkey conceived Mustafa Kemal Ataturk I loved Ataturk before mission Tabriz I appreciate times Then solemn I would publish anything newspaper I wouldn write certain other things Then almost demanded I Iran spend He future explorations He bottle upstairs I declined Offer I would Turkey could another hours May Monday Igdir Turkey I Tabriz early morning traveled West Turkish Dogubayazit turned North around Mount Ararat Igdir preparation crossing Azeri province Nakhjivan The uneventful It certain stretches snowed Then cleared drove through Maku Bazergan between vistas treeless steppe distant mountains Ararat massif remained shrouded cloud however My dumped customs after which I obliged about passport Kurdish Turkey Iran populated Kurds around edges selling cheap Iranian petrol Turkish Bulgarian truckers Then I spent Tomans quick passed through customs passport control Iran Turkey I remembered other times I Turkish frontier looking Iran across Turkish jointly controlled building walking across seemed dangerous impossible But I having ascertained those notions untrue I guess called exploring modern sense The Turkish officials friendly remarked passport They stamped Yankee papers awhile They asked I liked Iran surprised I They confused accent I having imperfect conversion Azeri Turkish They language close different My first obligatory Turkish Duty Free where I snagged obligatory bottle Turkish Raki Then I picked connection Dogubayazit Kurdish Turkey nestled under shadow Mount Ararat I there before times mostly connection called Arkologists fellows believe Noah Ark mountain In Dogubayazit world But seemed connecting somewhere again Iran And there changes since I there There automatic telephones There credit banking I bunch badly needed dollars VISA local In Dogubayazit There Kurds They always there there seemed least vocal Kurdish nationalists It little Iranian Azerbaijan Only I speaking Turkish Kurds Persian Azeris people almost resented I dealing their secondary language So I worked around mountain Igdir where I ensconced clean cheap hotel slightly drunk having smashed glasses pleasantly bloated eating share pirzola chops Last chance haute cuisine dining before returning Azerbaijan tomorrow officially opened bridge border Sadarak Haydar Aliev fiefdom Nakhjivan I think I first foreigner cross The customs officers I drunk there fighting there between Armenians Azeris Aliev trying Turks Welcome The End being S Received Hanover July