Esfahan’s Hardships as a Small Town - Ishkan

Ishkan, mother of five, and grandmother of nine, lives a very fortunate life by herself in an apartment located in Glendale, California. After living and working hard by stitching patterns, making rugs, and working around the village, she has made an immense decision to move from the small town Esfahan to America with her husband. Now living the life she’s always wanted to pursue upon, Ishkan has come a long way from battling hardships and overcoming every obstacle that triggered her daily life. She is always delighted with great respect, and people who do know her take pleasure in every memory that she shares about growing up in Esfahan. As she spreads the joy and adventures of the various narratives and life in Esfahan, her heart beats every time talking about the good life she has spent with the close town’s people and the love of her life.  With this she shares the importance of life and values of existence.

I was born on August 23, 1933 in a Christian family and was raised in a small town called Esfahan. In my younger years, I attended school for six years, by learning languages such as Armenian and Persian. I had both female and male teachers at the school I attended. Our teachers helped and taught us Armenian, Persian and about the Bible. We went to school there, learned our subject, and came home at night and had our mother prepare us a meal. We sat, ate, and turned on an oil lamp because we weren’t supplied much of light. We wrote our homework very neatly until ten at night then went off to sleep. In the mornings at eight we woke up, ate and went to school five days a week very well and developed. The boys and girls lived very chill life during the school days.

The food that was cooked usually included abghoosht (includes meat, potatoes, beans, and onions), rice and koresht (meat and peas and green beans), and khash (included sheep’s meat). In the mornings we had yogurt, cheese, and milk. The products can be purchased or given from the farmers. My mother usually prepared us a meal after we arrived from school.

As I mentioned before I was born into a Christian family. Where I was growing up the religion differed among the people. Where I lived there were Armenians and Persian; who were Muslims. We didn’t really converse much and our parents didn’t want us to trouble them. We differed from them by us having a different language, studying the Bible, and keeping our Armenian traditions. You know? So there were Christians and Muslims and we were all individuals and all carried daily activities. There were no difficulties about that certain religion and everyone had their own customs and followed their own religion. Also Armenians spoke Armenian and Persians spoke Persian people spoke their native language.

In order to receive news transportation was needed. We did have a highly-known person that lived in our small town whose name is identified as Kat-khodah also known as like a manager. While the manager went to other places to receive news he brought it to the town. So Kat-khodah gathered news and gathered the elders in town and informed them about the news. So then the elders came home to their families at night, which were sitting around and were told of the news to the children. Therefore we listened and received the news through the children. So the manager at that time traveled with either a horse or a donkey to other towns to receive news, since there were no cars available. We didn’t hear that much big news like some would say far places had war or didn’t have a war. I don’t know we didn’t much understand at that time.

The jobs differed between the men and women. Men worked as farmers and women spent time sewing, hand-making rugs, cooked with flour to make such things as bread, almost did everything. Also women cross-stitched and these were basically town’s jobs. I studied and learned, cross-stitched, worked on rugs, and grew up weaving rugs.

We had many traditions that we celebrated. I remember when Passover for Easter came, our mothers cooked the ghatas with flours produced by the farmers and they would bring the dough and cook the ghatas for Easter and place a coin in the pastry. Also at Easter we painted eggs and we’d gather on Saturday night at a house played eggs and cleaned… since the next day was Sunday morning, we played eggs. Then it was Varteevor (celebration) which we went out in water and played with water.

An event that people spent with each other for a long period of time was whenever there was a wedding, where everyone from different towns that were the relatives and friends, and neighbors were called to celebrate. It was a seven day process that which gathered their families to celebrate brides’ and grooms’ happiness in the marriage. The bride wore a veil to cover her face up and was given permission from parents to get married. Similar to our customs the groom had to ask permission from the bride’s parents. The last day the wedding took place and were wedded at church and celebrated at home with guests.

Since the town is much known for its palaces, its carpets it’s also known for its rugs which were made hand-made with very well details which were called antiques. People did hand works on walls, on circular serving trays, and almost anything that could be designed. Women weave rugs, created mashda and jejim (rug-like materials but thinner). Basically they did elegant jobs at hand-creations.

The clothes Men wore typical were manly clothes and women wore more feminine. Women wore veils and long dresses. With dresses containing money and had headbands and hair ties. Long sleeve shirts were worn, with pants and belts. Some wore nice veils and head-bands and fine accessories. People who obtained great wealth wore finer and richer clothing.

When I was growing up people gathered for special occasions in different places. One place was the Vank in Esfahan that still exist today. Vank is like a church that appears to look like one, that’s been there for years about 400 years of existence. Inside the Vank contains many decorations from old objects all from 400 years ago of existence. Just like a museum, it contains everything in various sizes of ceramic pitchers, water, cups, rugs, etc. From paper to Bible to books and any other imaginable things were displayed. Some object were displayed from fossils that were discovered, different sorts of dresses and shoes, doodook (type of a musical instrument). Since it contains so much aged items, people come and visit. Also they come to see a specific bridge called Si-o-Se, Imam Mosque that contains pictures of old rulers that are drawn all by hand. It has so much elegance and excellent writings all from 4oo years ago.

After the struggles, I moved with my family to come to America. Everyone basically moved here so therefore I wanted to be close with family and spend life with close friends. Although after all those years living in Esfahan, an important message given to me by my mother still lives within me. I would remember her saying that if anyone said a word to you, always answer politely. Don’t argue…never disrespect them and give them good advice. Always point out the good in them and pursue on doing good to others. As I sit down once in a while her words always come to mind and I keep this advice very close to my heart.

Life for me is different now from back then. Back then not much was available. There wasn’t much access to light, water, telephone, television, radio, etc. As days preceded the more technology become aware and useful. As people went to school, they grasped a great knowledge of stuff and enhanced lives. Now it’s so much easier to get water, very easy to establish. Transportation is easier too. For me it did get easier, as I’m aging everything is becoming easier and easier. With so much technology and knowledge life’s way easier and I just wish it was like that in the beginning too. Since I’m getting older there’s not much I can do to change my past. Whatever I worked for is implanted in my brain and all I have to do is improve upon that.

 Interviewed by Renita Malekian