My Christmas in Isfahan

It was difficult being away from my family at Christmas (my first ever away from them!).  However, we took along some Christmas cheer in our suitcases.

We made sure our stockings were hung...

and lo and behold, Santa seemed to make it all the way to Isfahan!

Too bad Christmas is a work day for some...

Luckily there's time to party later on.

Though there's no place like home for the holidays, my new Iranian family made pretty good Christmas companions, especially for first-timers!

Christmas in Iran

In honour of Christmas in July, here is a post about Christmastime in Isfahan.

 In New Julfa, the Armenian Christian neighbourhood of Isfahan, there were signs of Christmas around.  Shop windows were decorated for the season:

Even the locals were getting into the Christmas spirit:



Above is a tree set up in a luxury mall in Julfa (note the Dolce and Gabbana store!).

At the Vank (Armenian Orthodox) Cathedral the visitors were excited to take photos with the Christmas decor:

Even my inlaws were eager to take their photos with the Christmas decor!
 And several shops were selling Christmas gear:

We even bought some Christmas balls at this shop to add to the small tree we had brought from home.

Inside the Blue Mosque

The famous Imam Mosque (Masjed-e Imam) or Shah Mosque (Masjed-e Shah) sits at one end of the expansive Imam Square, the large public square in Isfahan.  It is covered in hundreds of thousands of hand-painted blue tiles. 



I thought it was the most beautiful mosque I saw on my trip (and not just because my favourite colour is blue!).



The original entry door is massive!


Here's my sister-in-law trying to reach the handle.



Inside the mosque are several sections of outdoor courtyards and indoor areas.


















It is still used for Friday prayers.  These are the carpets that are spread out on Fridays.



This is a perch for leading prayers from.



A beautiful place for spiritual enlightenment!