Re: The Irani henna trip........(long)

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Posted by Nick on September 3, 2001 at 21:57:42:

In reply to: The Irani henna trip........(long) posted by Erfan on September 3, 2001 at 14:31:36:

Erfan,
thanks so much for telling us this! It sounds like you had a great
time in Iran!
I am very interested in the face tattooing... I would have been
tempted to succumb and get inked!
I wanna come with you next time! (Too bad though, i don't even think
they'd let me in!)
~Nick

: Well..
: I promised you to tell you EVERYTHING about henna in Iran.and there
: is MUCH to tell!
:
:
:
: Well,when I arrived,my feet were hennaed and I weared sandals...
: This was a problem.
: Because at the airport the islamic-police asked me what this was.
: I told them that this was henna
: THEN
: Then about 20 Islamic-police women(all with chador of course)came
: over to me and asked me how I did these patterns.I took out some
: skatches and hennabooks and began to tell them about the henna-
: history .that henna was really used in Iran and so on....then one
of
: them told me,that in Iran eldery women do henna theire toe- and
: fingertips and that they would do this because allah likes this....
: I started to laugh and explained them that henna is the
: ONLY "cosmeticum" which is "ba mahram"(something simmilar then
: islamic correct)during praying and "ashuras"(ashura are the days in
: which we muslims do remind our prophet ali).
: They all were VERY interested and wanted henna-the only problem was
: that I´m over 15,so I´m not allowed to see gurls without the
: chador.....
: Then i told them that also my granny did henna and that she did
learn
: this artform to me and that maybe my granny could do the henna for
: them.
: So,the next day about 6 of this police-women came to my grannys
: house,and at first my granny thought that they want to controll our
: house or something..but when she found out that they did come there
: because of henna she began to laugh and told me "erfan,you´re
really
: like a henna-prophet!I´mm telling you you will make henna modern
: again!"
:
:
:
:
: So my granny went to her room with this women and applied theire
: hennas...(I did choose the designs)
:
: They did pay me(cause my granny doesn´t do henna for buisness
anymore)
: and they left.
:
:
: But I was really afraid to henna my hands,cause my granny told
: me,that maybe they will think that my mehndis are tattoos.and if
they
: would think that I have tattoos, I would get a lot of probs.--cause
: tattoos are not allowed in theran-just face tattoing is still
: allowed.....
: Then when I went to my father´s relatives and they saw my feet they
: at first thought that my feet are tattooed but when I told them
that
: this was henna they ALL wanted some designs on theire
: overarms..really funny I did a lot of henna in Iran but 90%
: wanted "modern" or "marrakeshi" designs.cause these were new things
: from other countries........and in Iran you´re cool and fashionable
: if you have something from an another country............
:
: Really pitty that henna is SO "unmodern" in Iran.
: Also everybody wanted "black" henna...but I did show them all
: pictures and the ppd rant and than they decided to get
the "granny´s
: unmodern henna"(In Iran some people did tell me that I´m
a "dahadi"(a
: curd>>>fars peolpe do see curds as silly and unmodern people)
: But everytime they said this,I linked them to the hennasites of ccj
: and the other wonderfull artists and they ALL wanted henna!!!!
:
:
: It was really funny and pitty to see that the "americans" have to
do
: something before it is modern in Iran again!
: I mean henna was part of the Irani comunities..but then the &%$"%
: $§!/&)?=/(`=)/`()?/%§(§ shah came and TRADITIONAL henna is know
: really forgotten and UNMODERN!!!!!
: *uuuuuuurggggggg*
:
: The only place wrere I saw "patterned" henna was in the southern
: (*shomal*)of Iran and in Mashad.
:
: In shomal old women did also henna theire lips and they also did
have
: facre tattoing.
: I asked them about theire lip-henna cause the colour was a really
: beautiful bright orange.
: They explained to me,that this henna is applied 7 times and each
time
: it has to sit for seven hours.....
: But later I also found out,that EVERY bodypart did take henna
: fantastic in Iran because the weather was REALLY dry and so your
lips
: and other body parts did get dry VERY fast.
: I also did draw theire face-tattoos....
: And I also did show them my work.and they all wanted some
traditional
: hennadesigns.so I did some freehenna for them!
: They were so happy that they did introduce me to theire face tattoer
: (an old woman who did learn face-tattoing from her granny)
: Of course also nasrin(the tattoer) wanted henna.
: So she wanted to tattoo my face because I did henna her,but i did
: tell her that europian comunities are much diffrend than Irani-
: communities.
: I really had a lot of fun there.....
:
: And I learned much!
:
:
:
: Then in mashad I did see SO many hennaed hands and feet.
: But not fars people!
: They were all arabs and marrakeschi women/and even men!/who weared
: really beautiful designs which I had never seen in my lifetime!
:
: I also talked to some arab hgenbnaartist trhere and I learned very
: new and fascinating things about henna in Dubai,Saudi arabia and
: libanon!
:
:
: I also had the opurtunity to draw hennapatterns from ORIGINAL
: manuscripts which were not for everyone.I mean I had soem family
: members who did have friends,who did let me go to closed museums
and
: so on.
: REALLY fascinating!
:
:
: So all in one it was a fantastic trip,and I really have to tell you
: all much,much more soon!
: I promise!
: If you have any questions feel free to mail me!
: Erfan

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Subject:
: Erfan, : thanks so much for telling us this! It sounds like you had a great : time in Iran! : I am very interested in the face tattooing... I would have been : tempted to succumb and get inked! : I wanna come with you next time! (Too bad though, i don't even think : they'd let me in!) : ~Nick : : : : : Well.. : : I promised you to tell you EVERYTHING about henna in Iran.and there : : is MUCH to tell! : : : : : : : : Well,when I arrived,my feet were hennaed and I weared sandals... : : This was a problem. : : Because at the airport the islamic-police asked me what this was. : : I told them that this was henna : : THEN : : Then about 20 Islamic-police women(all with chador of course)came : : over to me and asked me how I did these patterns.I took out some : : skatches and hennabooks and began to tell them about the henna- : : history .that henna was really used in Iran and so on....then one : of : : them told me,that in Iran eldery women do henna theire toe- and : : fingertips and that they would do this because allah likes this.... : : I started to laugh and explained them that henna is the : : ONLY "cosmeticum" which is "ba mahram"(something simmilar then : : islamic correct)during praying and "ashuras"(ashura are the days in : : which we muslims do remind our prophet ali). : : They all were VERY interested and wanted henna-the only problem was : : that I´m over 15,so I´m not allowed to see gurls without the : : chador..... : : Then i told them that also my granny did henna and that she did : learn : : this artform to me and that maybe my granny could do the henna for : : them. : : So,the next day about 6 of this police-women came to my grannys : : house,and at first my granny thought that they want to controll our : : house or something..but when she found out that they did come there : : because of henna she began to laugh and told me "erfan,you´re : really : : like a henna-prophet!I´mm telling you you will make henna modern : : again!" : : : : : : : : : : So my granny went to her room with this women and applied theire : : hennas...(I did choose the designs) : : : : They did pay me(cause my granny doesn´t do henna for buisness : anymore) : : and they left. : : : : : : But I was really afraid to henna my hands,cause my granny told : : me,that maybe they will think that my mehndis are tattoos.and if : they : : would think that I have tattoos, I would get a lot of probs.--cause : : tattoos are not allowed in theran-just face tattoing is still : : allowed..... : : Then when I went to my father´s relatives and they saw my feet they : : at first thought that my feet are tattooed but when I told them : that : : this was henna they ALL wanted some designs on theire : : overarms..really funny I did a lot of henna in Iran but 90% : : wanted "modern" or "marrakeshi" designs.cause these were new things : : from other countries........and in Iran you´re cool and fashionable : : if you have something from an another country............ : : : : Really pitty that henna is SO "unmodern" in Iran. : : Also everybody wanted "black" henna...but I did show them all : : pictures and the ppd rant and than they decided to get : the "granny´s : : unmodern henna"(In Iran some people did tell me that I´m : a "dahadi"(a : : curd>>>fars peolpe do see curds as silly and unmodern people) : : But everytime they said this,I linked them to the hennasites of ccj : : and the other wonderfull artists and they ALL wanted henna!!!! : : : : : : It was really funny and pitty to see that the "americans" have to : do : : something before it is modern in Iran again! : : I mean henna was part of the Irani comunities..but then the &%$"% : : $§!/&)?=/(`=)/`()?/%§(§ shah came and TRADITIONAL henna is know : : really forgotten and UNMODERN!!!!! : : uuuuuuurggggggg : : : : The only place wrere I saw "patterned" henna was in the southern : : (shomal)of Iran and in Mashad. : : : : In shomal old women did also henna theire lips and they also did : have : : facre tattoing. : : I asked them about theire lip-henna cause the colour was a really : : beautiful bright orange. : : They explained to me,that this henna is applied 7 times and each : time : : it has to sit for seven hours..... : : But later I also found out,that EVERY bodypart did take henna : : fantastic in Iran because the weather was REALLY dry and so your : lips : : and other body parts did get dry VERY fast. : : I also did draw theire face-tattoos.... : : And I also did show them my work.and they all wanted some : traditional : : hennadesigns.so I did some freehenna for them! : : They were so happy that they did introduce me to theire face tattoer : : (an old woman who did learn face-tattoing from her granny) : : Of course also nasrin(the tattoer) wanted henna. : : So she wanted to tattoo my face because I did henna her,but i did : : tell her that europian comunities are much diffrend than Irani- : : communities. : : I really had a lot of fun there..... : : : : And I learned much! : : : : : : : : Then in mashad I did see SO many hennaed hands and feet. : : But not fars people! : : They were all arabs and marrakeschi women/and even men!/who weared : : really beautiful designs which I had never seen in my lifetime! : : : : I also talked to some arab hgenbnaartist trhere and I learned very : : new and fascinating things about henna in Dubai,Saudi arabia and : : libanon! : : : : : : I also had the opurtunity to draw hennapatterns from ORIGINAL : : manuscripts which were not for everyone.I mean I had soem family : : members who did have friends,who did let me go to closed museums : and : : so on. : : REALLY fascinating! : : : : : : So all in one it was a fantastic trip,and I really have to tell you : : all much,much more soon! : : I promise! : : If you have any questions feel free to mail me! : : Erfan
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