Singing in the Masjid-e Shah in Isfahan
August 1, 2016 10:41 PM Subscribe
An Iranian student visiting Isfahan's Masjid-e Shah, or Shah Mosque, also known as the Imam Mosque, takes advantage of the mosque's excellent acoustics to sing a brief and lovely song.
The song is Reza Sadeghi's (رضا صادقی ) Begoo Kojaei (بگو کجايي) ("Tell Me Where You Are").
The point under the dome marked by the black tile the singer is standing on is the point where the mosque's acoustics allow sound to echo and travel, a sort of pre-microphone microphone.
The song is Reza Sadeghi's (رضا صادقی ) Begoo Kojaei (بگو کجايي) ("Tell Me Where You Are").
The point under the dome marked by the black tile the singer is standing on is the point where the mosque's acoustics allow sound to echo and travel, a sort of pre-microphone microphone.
Everything about this is gorgeous - the song, the voice, the acoustics, the building. A joy to watch.
posted by Dysk at 2:51 AM on August 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Dysk at 2:51 AM on August 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I notice that everyone in the video is wearing footwear, which contradicts my understanding of mosque ettiquette. Can anyone clarify what's going on here?
posted by lovelyzoo at 3:08 AM on August 2, 2016
posted by lovelyzoo at 3:08 AM on August 2, 2016
It's not functioning as a mosque, though prayers are held there. It's a historic monument. The singing happens all the time, and it is really amazing.
posted by mumimor at 3:18 AM on August 2, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 3:18 AM on August 2, 2016 [5 favorites]
Wow! Adding to my list of places I really want to see. Beautiful in all aspects.
posted by wingless_angel at 3:48 AM on August 2, 2016
posted by wingless_angel at 3:48 AM on August 2, 2016
In Persian culture, the city of Isfahan is held in high regard for its beauty and cosmopolitan refinements. There is even a cliche/proverb/koan that says that the city is so great that "Isfahan is half the world". It helps that this is a tiny, rhyming sentence in Persian, roughly "Isfahan nefs Jahan."
posted by seasparrow at 5:56 AM on August 2, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by seasparrow at 5:56 AM on August 2, 2016 [8 favorites]
Does the name Isfahan itself have a meaning like, say, Oxford or Philadelphia?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:07 AM on August 2, 2016
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 6:07 AM on August 2, 2016
Some etymologists think the name Isfahan is derived from Middle Persian words that translate as "gathering place of the armies."
posted by seasparrow at 6:45 AM on August 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by seasparrow at 6:45 AM on August 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
I hope very much to return some day, when that corner of the world is a little less of a gathering place of the armies.
Just magical, and truly awe inspiring, from the grandeur of the macro level, right down to the amazing and intricate beauty of each individual tile.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:00 AM on August 2, 2016 [3 favorites]
Just magical, and truly awe inspiring, from the grandeur of the macro level, right down to the amazing and intricate beauty of each individual tile.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:00 AM on August 2, 2016 [3 favorites]
My wife and I traveled to Iran a couple years ago and spent a few days in Isfahan. The Shah Mosque truly is beautiful and is on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan Square (the second largest public square in the world after Tiananman Square in Beijing).
No one was singing when we visiting unfortunately, but there was a large group of 8th grade girls visiting the mosque on a school field trip. They kept hovering around us, likely intrigued because we were obvious foreigners and probably just as obviously American (visiting Iran as an American is like being a minor celebrity in that you are such a novelty that lots of people want to talk with you or take your picture). Eventually, one of the girls approached my wife and asked where she was from in very good English.
Soon , the girls started peppering my wife with questions and taking pictures. Their teacher kept apologizing, as if it was an inconvenience, but it was probably one of the most memorable experiences my wife had while we were there.
But my favorite part is when my wife asked one of the schoolgirls if they had been to the mosque before on school trips. In the universal language of teen ennui, she responded "Uh, yeah, like a MILLLION times." The bored disgust in her voice was palpable.
posted by Falconetti at 7:58 AM on August 2, 2016 [15 favorites]
No one was singing when we visiting unfortunately, but there was a large group of 8th grade girls visiting the mosque on a school field trip. They kept hovering around us, likely intrigued because we were obvious foreigners and probably just as obviously American (visiting Iran as an American is like being a minor celebrity in that you are such a novelty that lots of people want to talk with you or take your picture). Eventually, one of the girls approached my wife and asked where she was from in very good English.
Soon , the girls started peppering my wife with questions and taking pictures. Their teacher kept apologizing, as if it was an inconvenience, but it was probably one of the most memorable experiences my wife had while we were there.
But my favorite part is when my wife asked one of the schoolgirls if they had been to the mosque before on school trips. In the universal language of teen ennui, she responded "Uh, yeah, like a MILLLION times." The bored disgust in her voice was palpable.
posted by Falconetti at 7:58 AM on August 2, 2016 [15 favorites]
This is just lovely--thank you so much for posting it. Isfahan has long been on the list of cities I most hope to see before I die, and I'm glad the lifting of sanctions is now making it easier for more Americans to travel to Iran (if only the same could be said for Iranians visiting the US).
posted by karayel at 11:59 PM on August 2, 2016
posted by karayel at 11:59 PM on August 2, 2016
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posted by orangutan at 10:48 PM on August 1, 2016 [1 favorite]