Abbasi Hotel…

When I was in Iran this fall giving a series of lectures for the Commonwealth Club of California, we had our final dinner in the private dining room of the Abbasi Hotel in Isfahan — a three-hundred-year old converted caravanserai. The ceiling of this charming dining room is stunning — an allusion to the elegant music room of Ali Qapu Palace in Isfahan’s Imam Square.

Here are some words about the history of the hotel from the hotel website: This complex was built at the time of king Sultan Hossein of Safavids about 300 years ago. King Sultan Hossein attributed this magnificent complex of building to his mother. That is why it is called “the school and caravansaray of Madar-shah” (which means king’s mother). Madar-Shah caravansaray likewise owns a square courtyard in the middle, each side of which amounts to eighty meters. In reconstruction of this caravansaray, this dusty courtyard has changed into a garden…Simplicity and strength of this building with its open pleasant area is reminiscent of the glory and grace of Naghsh-e-Jahan square which is the precious treasure left from the Persia of the Safavids periods.

Enjoying our last meal together on the road in this special dining room was the perfect way to end our grand adventure through the Islamic Republic of Iran.