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> > MASHHAD’S HEZAARDASTAAN TEAHOUSE & RESTAURANT BY SHABNAM REZAEI
 

The Hezaardastaan Teahouse is a gem in Mashhad that any visitor should go to. This traditional Persian eatery is on a quiet little shopping street in the center of the holy city. Located in the basement of a commercial building, the teahouse serves traditional Persian food, tea, sweets, hookah pipes and is a treasure filled with art, poetry, and beautiful Persian music.

 

Exceptional murals from the Shahnameh, depicting Rostam and his ancestry cover the walls in whimsical ways, transporting the visitor to a time when Rumi and red wine were at the core of everyday life. Archways and corners are filled with water vases, samaavars, copper pots, and antique lamps. The ambiance is enhanced with myriads of cultural icons such as hookah pipes, a couple of meels from an old Zoorkhooneh, an aftabeh near the small pool in the center of the room, and local carpets and cushions strewn around. Classic poets such as Hafez and Khayyam adorn moldings that bear their work in circular format and asymmetrical shapes jumping from one column to the next.

 

A small stage makes way for all the great Persian instruments including an old daf, santoor, dombak, and even a kamaancheh. The night we were there, we were greeted by a lonesome ney master who seemed intoxicated with his own music and played melancholic love songs the whole night in front of the fireplace.

 

I was so enamored by what I saw that I hardly paid any attention to the food. The menu had quite a bit of choice on it, including various Aash dishes, soups, polo, kababs, olives, yoghurt, a delicious kashkeh bademjan, sangaki bread and torshi. Nokhodcheeh Kishmish, dried nuts and fruits and other kinds of sweets are a regular feature, usually served with tea upon arrival.



 

While we were there on a very slow night, the owner assured me the place gets packed and even showed me the new plans he has drawn up, which will open up the space even more. A true lover of art, he is looking to create actual display areas for different parts of Persian culture, and he realizes the importance of tradition, in particular to offer some good old Persian hospitality when visitors come from aboard. His little teahouse was also written up in the Lonely Planet guide for Iran and he gets regular foreign visitors based on the review in there.

 

I highly recommend a visit to this jewel of a place next time you are in Mashhad.

 

Hezaardastan (also written Hezardastan Teahouse) Address:

Hezaardastan Teahouse – Mashhad  Janat Avenue # 6 – Tel: 0511 222 29 43



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