Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan
Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-06-18 - 1 clipping

Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Isabella Lucy Bird, Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, bahai-library.com.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan

Isabella Lucy Bird
pp. 102, 264, 273

London: John Murray, 1891

1. PDF of image scan, excerpts only (see the text excerpts and the complete book in proofread text below)

Download: bird_journeys_persia_kurdistan_excerpts_scan.pdf.

2. HTML excerpts

[page 102]

... The streets are very narrow, and look narrower just now, because the snow is heaped almost to the top of the mud walls, which are
not broken up as in Turkish towns by projecting lattice windows, but are absolutely blank, with the exception of low-arched
entrances to the courtyards within, closed by heavy, unpainted wooden doors, studded with wooden nails. The causeways, on which,
but for the heaps of slippery snow two men might walk abreast, have a ditch two or three feet wide between them, which is the
roadway for animals. There are some open spaces, abounding in ruinous heaps, others where goods are unloaded, surrounded with
warehouses, immense brick bazars with domed roofs, a citadel or ark, where the Governor lives, a large parade ground and
barracks for 2000 men, mosques of no pretensions, public baths, caravanserais, brick warehouses behind the bazars, public gardens,
with fountains and avenues of poplars, a prison, and some good houses like this one, hidden behind high mud walls. Although the
snow kindly veils a good deal of deformity, the city impresses one as ruinous and decayed; yet it has a large trade, and is regarded
as one of the most prosperous places in the Empire.

The bazars are spacious and well stocked with European goods, especially with Manchester cottons of colours and patterns suited
to Oriental taste, which loves carnation red. There are many Jews, otherwise the people are Shiah Moslems, with an increasing
admixture of the secret sect of the Bābis. In some

[page 103]

respects the Shiahs are more fanatical than the Sunnis, as, for instance, it is quite
possible to visit a mosque in Turkey, but here a Christian is not allowed to cross the threshold of the outer gate. Certain customs are
also more rigidly observed. A Persian woman would be in danger of death from the mob if she appeared unveiled in the streets.
When I walked through the town, though attended by a number of men, the major-domo begged me to exchange my gauze veil for a
mask, and even when I showed this deference to custom the passing through the bazars was very unpleasant, the men being decidedly
rude, and inclined to hoot and use bad language. Even the touch of a Christian is regarded as polluting, and I nearly got into trouble
by handling a "flap-jack," mistaking it for a piece of felt. The bazars are not magnificent. No rich carpets or other goods are exposed
to view for fear of exactions. A buyer wanting such things must send word privately, and have them brought to his house.

[page 264]

... I did not get away in less than two hours. The Amir and Mirza, used to each other's modes of expression, found no difficulties, and
Mirza being a man of education as well as intelligence, thought was conveyed as easily as fact. The lady kept her fine eyes lowered
except when her husband spoke to her.

The chief topics were the education and position of women in England, religion, politics, and the future of Persia, and on all the
Amir expressed himself with a breadth and boldness which were astonishing. How far the Amir has gone in the knowledge of the
Christian faith I cannot say, nor do I feel at liberty to repeat his most interesting thoughts. A Sunni, a liberal, desiring complete
religious liberty, absolutely tolerant to the Bābis, grateful for the kindness shown to some of them by the British Legation, and for the
protection still given to them at the C.M.S. house, admiring Dr. Bruce's persevering work, and above all the Medical Mission,
which he regards as "the crown of beneficence" and "the true imitation of the life of the Great Prophet, Jesus," all he said showed a
strongly religious nature, and a philosophical mind much given to religious thought. "All true religions aim at one thing," he said, "to
make the heart and life pure."

[page 272]

... However, Isfahan is full of religious intolerance which can easily be excited to frenzy, and the arrogance of the

[page 273]

mollahs has increased since the fall from almost regal state of the Zil-i-Sultan, the Shah’ eldest son, into the position of a provincial governor, for he curbed them somewhat, and now the restraint is removed. However, it is against the Jews and the Bábis, rather than the Christians, that their hostility is directed.

A few weeks ago some Bábis were peaceably returning to a neighbouring village, when they were attacked, and seven of their number massacred under atrocious circumstances, the remainder taking refuge for a time in the British Telegraph office. Several of both sexes who escaped are in concealment here in a room in the Hospital compound, one of them with a broken jaw.

The hiding of these Bábis has given great umbrage to the bigots of Isfahan, though the Amír-i-Panj justified it on all grounds, and about the time I arrived it was said that a thousand city fanatics purposed to attack the mission premises. But at one of the mosques there is a mollah, who with Gamaliel-like wisdom urged upon them “that if 300 Moslems were killed nothing would happen, but is a single European were killed, what then?”1

1 I have written nothing about this fast-increasing sect of the Bábis, partly because being a secret sect, I doubt whether the doctrines which are suffered to leak out form really any part of its esoteric teaching, and partly because those Europeans who have studied the Bábis most candidly are diametrically opposed in their view of their tenets and practice, some holding that their aspirations are after a purer life, while others, and I think a majority, believe that their teachings are subversive of morality and of the purity of domestic life.

3. PDF text of complete book, from Project Gutenberg

Download: bird_journeys_persia_kurdistan.pdf.

METADATA

Views5618 views since posted 2013-03-15; last edit 2025-01-10 18:17 UTC;

previous at archive.org.../bird_journeys_persia_kurdistan
Language
English
Permission
public domain
History
Typed 2013-03 by Bobbi Lyons.
Share

Shortlink: bahai-library.com/623
Citation: ris/623

select Collection:
Archives
Articles
Articles-unpublished
Audio
Bibliographies
BIC
Biographies
Books
Chronologies
Compilations
Compilations-NSA
Compilations-personal
Documents
East-asia
Encyclopedia
Essays
Etc
Excerpts
Fiction
Glossaries
Guardian
Histories
Introductory
Letters
Maps
Music
Newspapers
NSA-documents
NSA-letters
Personal
Pilgrims
Poetry
Presentations
Resources
Reviews
Scripts
Software
Statistics
Study
Talks
Theses
Transcripts
Translations
UHJ-documents
UHJ-letters
Video
Visual
Writings

home

sitemap

series

chronology

search:
author

title

date

tags

adv. search
languages

inventory

bibliography

abbreviations

links

about

contact

RSS

new
-- Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan (Used by permission of the curator)