2020.2/15 (Sat) Tabriz Purchase Day 3, Second Half
This is the second half of our one-day stay in Tabriz.
I searched everywhere for the small size of the Mahi pattern I was looking for, but I couldn't find it anywhere.
We give up looking for now and decide to go see some tribal rugs woven in a village near the town.
I went to about five different stores to look at tribal rugs, and was able to buy some little by little...
After this, Majid took me to a shop on the top floor where a shocking encounter awaited me.
I found it~
The shop he took me to was a rug shop in a village called Garaj (قرجه), about an hour away from the city of Tabriz.
All of the rugs were probably old and all of them were attractive rugs that gave off a calming aura!
I am looking for a size that will fit seamlessly into Japanese lifestyles, so I will be showing you mainly accent sizes for entryways, as well as long, narrow rugs that can be used in living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens.
It was hard to narrow down the number of photos I chose; I was so enthralled by this gentle red.
At that moment, I finally felt that my trip to Tabriz was worth it!
That's good!
I'm laughing too much.
This was definitely the most exciting moment since coming to Tabriz.
We stayed there for quite a while, and during that time they made us chai and provided snacks to entertain us.
Now that I've found a good ragù, it tastes even better.
The people at the store who helped me.
I promised to come back again and left the store with a heavy heart.
I can't wait to show everyone the Garage rugs!
Find Mahi!
Now, leaving the building where we had our unexpected encounter, we returned to our original purpose for coming to Tabriz.
Search for "small size rug with Mahi pattern."
This is also a fairly large size.
There are plenty of rugs over 2m long, so why can't I find one? Is there no demand?
Judging from the size of the men passing by, it must be at least 2.5 meters wide. It's quite big!
After visiting many stores, I finally found this!
So small! So cute!
I found a miniature size, about 50cm x 30cm.
I actually wanted to see a lot of pieces that were about twice the size, 90cm x 60cm, but in the end I only managed to buy about two.
I didn't realize it would be so hard to find something this small.
I was exhausted from searching first thing in the morning and it was already evening.
Before we knew it, it was time for the rug shop in Tabriz to close up shop.
Authentic taste
We had put off lunch (which was already dinner) so we headed to a restaurant recommended by Interpreter A.
She looks like she could cook a delicious meal.
The restaurant's signature dish is "Abghusht," a specialty of northwestern Iran, where Tabriz is located.
This is a classic Iranian dish in which lamb, beans, potatoes, etc. are stewed with tomatoes in a small pot called a "dīzi."
First, pour the soup from the pot onto a separate plate, then tear off some small pieces of naan and dip it in the soup.
After that, crush the remaining ingredients in the pot with a stick and eat it by sandwiching it between naan.
The first time I tried abghush was when a staff member from Ardabil (also a city in northwestern Iran) who works at a rug shop in Tehran that I use treated me to lunch.
After trying it for the first time, I became a huge fan and go to the restaurant in Tehran every time I come to Iran.
I finally got to try the authentic taste of Abgousht!
Since I was starving, I ate it in silence and it was gone in no time.
This is apparently the most famous restaurant in Tabriz Bazaar, so if you're ever in Tabriz, be sure to stop by to try the authentic flavors.
That's all for purchasing in Tabriz.
The next morning we headed to Mashhad!
to be continued