Category: News

Georgia not to close Azeri schools – paper
Ekho, Baku
26 Jun 04

An official of the Georgian Education Ministry has denied reports that
the schools of the country’s ethnic minorities will be closed as a
result of reforms in the education system, the Azerbaijani newspaper
Ekho has reported. Levan Takheladze said that the quality of education
in the schools of Georgia’s ethnic minorities leaves something to be
desired. In Azeri, Armenian and Russian schools they study by the
books that come from those countries, he said. The Education Ministry
intends to translate Georgian textbooks into the languages of the
ethnic minorities so that they can receive education in line with
Georgia’s own standards, Takheladze told Ekho. The following is a text
of E. Quliyev report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 3 July headlined
“The Georgian Ministry of Education intends not to close Azeri
schools, but rather to bring the education system in them in line with
the educational standards of that country”. Subheadings have been
inserted editorially:
The threat of closure
The threat of the closure of all 168 Azeri-language schools in Georgia
within the next two or three years will emerge as a result of planned
reforms in the education sector of that country, the chairman of the
Qeyrat movement of the Azeris in Georgia, Alibala Asgarov, has said in
a conversation with Ekho.
According to him, the Georgian education minister [Kakha Lomaia] made
a statement recently that from 2006 all classes in the Georgian
schools would be taught in the country’s national language.
According to Asgarov, the minister explained that these measures were
not directed against the schools of national minorities and that the
latter could study the history and geography of their historical
motherland and their native tongue in their own language. “It has to
be noted, however, that ethnic Azeris in Georgia have been officially
banned from studying the history and geography of Azerbaijan since
1996. Only the native language remains,” Asgarov said. According to
the chairman of Qeyrat, in contrast to the educational system of
Azerbaijan, schools in Georgia are funded from local budgets which
mainly consist of land taxes.
“The authorities say that ethnic minorities who are interested in
preserving their schools should think about sources of funding
themselves. But the ethnic Azeris have no funds to keep the
schools. The reforms will violate the right of the ethnic Azeris to
education.”
Ethnic minorities cannot afford to fund their schools
In turn, the former member of the Georgian parliament, Zumrud
Qurbanov, said in a conversation with Ekho that he did not regard as
trustworthy the rumours that the schools of the ethnic minorities will
be closed soon or the burden of keeping them will be placed on the
ethnic minorities themselves. “There are 170 Azeri schools in Georgia
and some 200 Armenian schools. It is obvious that ethnic minorities
cannot afford to fund this number of educational institutions.
According to the Georgian constitution and international law,
secondary education schools should be funded by the state,” the former
deputy said.
Meanwhile, the ethnic Armenians are not pleased with the planned
educational reforms in Georgia either. For example, according to the
A-Info news agency, cultural departments in predominantly
Armenian-populated districts have shown their displeasure with the
project because, if it is implemented, the Armenian schools will lose
99 per cent of their specialists even if the transformation is
implemented gradually. Significant funds are required to train
specialists who speak Georgian, but the state cannot afford to
allocate them.
Georgian official denies schools to be closed
In turn, the head of the Georgian Education Ministry press service,
Levan Takheladze, said in a conversation with Ekho that the planned
reforms in the educational sector of Georgia do not envisage the
closure of the schools of the ethnic minorities. According to him, the
education system in the schools of the ethnic minorities will be
brought as a result in line with the standards of the Georgian
schools.”
The head of the press service noted that the quality of education in
the schools of the ethnic minorities leaves something to be
desired. “In Azeri schools, they study by the books that come from
Azerbaijan, in Armenian schools they study by the books that come from
Armenia, and the Russian schools get books from Russia. Naturally,
this state of affairs does not please the leadership of the Education
Ministry because these manuals are intended for and written according
to the standards of the countries in which they are published. This is
why the Georgian Education Ministry decided to translate, using its
own resources, the books that are used in Georgian schools into the
languages of the ethnic minorities. This will allow the ethnic
minorities to receive education that fully complies with the standards
of the Georgian education system,” Levan Takheladze said. According to
him, rumours that the funding of ethnic schools will become a concern
for the ethnic minorities are not true. Takheladze emphasized that the
funding of the schools is a duty of the country’s government and that
the authorities have no intention of delegating their duties to the
ethnic minorities.
In a conversation with Ekho, the newly-elected member of the Georgian
parliament, Allahverdi Humbatov, described all talk about the closure
of the Azeri schools as a rumour spread by unsuccessful
politicians. According to Humbatov, the incumbent Georgian authorities
are not conducting an anti-Azeri policy. “Ethnic Azeris in Georgia
currently live better than they lived before, and in the future they
will live better than now,” the parliamentarian concluded.

Armenian fugitives to move to third country by late July – Azeri minister
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] The case of a group of 200 Wahhabis, which has been
drawing up plans against the state, will be submitted to court in the
near future, Azerbaijani National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has
told ATV. The minister went on to say that prosecutors are trying to
establish the Wahhabis’ main purpose although the fact that they have
been drawing up plans against statehood has been confirmed.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
[Correspondent over video of Namiq Abbasov] According to the minister,
the case will be submitted to court as soon as it is completed. Judges
will have a final say.
As for soldier Aydin Huseynov who has been taken prisoner in the south
of Agdam District, the minister said that the state commission of the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for POWs, hostages and missing
persons is not dealing with the issue yet. According to the minister,
the Armenian side has not registered our soldier as a prisoner of war
yet. Mr Abbasov said that the state committee will be come to grips
with the issue as soon as the soldier is granted prisoner of war
status.
As for the plight of Artur Apresyan and Roman Teryan who fled Armenia
to Azerbaijan on 8 April, the minister said that work is under way to
move them to a third country and a final decision on the issue will be
made by late July.
Vusala Karimova and Bahruz Aliyev for “Son Xabar”.

HEIKKI TALVITIE: EU IS INTERESTED
Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004
On June 30 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian met with the special
representative of the European Union on the South Caucasus Heikki
Talvitie who was in Stepanakert for a two-day visit. During the
meeting Mr. Talvitie said that the European Union is greatly
interested in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. In
this reference he mentioned that the EU is ready to assist to any
undertaking, any progress in the peaceful process. The special
representative pointed out the importance of establishing an
atmosphere is confidence between the conflict parties without which it
is impossible to achieve positive results in the negotiation
process. In his turn the president of NKR thanked Heikki Talvitie for
his visit to Nagorni Karabakh, which testifies to the wish of the EU
to attend to the real situation in the conflict area and to favour the
settlement of the crisis. He supported the opinion of the special
representative on the necessity of mutual trust. At the same time the
president of NKR mentioned that the Karabakh party has offered to
Azerbaijan to undertake joint efforts for creating an atmosphere of
trust but did not receive a corresponding response on the part of
Baku. Arkady Ghukassian especially pointed out the danger of the
growing anti-Armenian hysteria and rooting of the hostile image of the
Armenian in Azerbaijan. Once again the head of NKR emphasized the
importance of full-right participation of Karabakh in the talks
without which the problem of settlement will aggravate. Speaking about
the processes Arkady Ghukassian mentioned that the process of
democratization in all the public and political spheres in Karabakh
has already been deeply rooted. He added that Nagorni Karabakh goes on
to have its contribution to the process of integration and become part
of Europe. The participants of the meeting appreciated the fact of
maintenance of the cease-fire and emphasized the inadmissibility of
solving the conflict through force. At the end of the meeting the
president of NKR said that hopefully the visits of representatives of
European organizations to Nagorni Karabakh will be regular.
AA.
02-07-2004
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPECTING PROGRESS
Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004
In the framework of the regional visit the special representative of
the EU on the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie was in Stepanakert on
June 29-30. Heikki Talvitie summed up the results of the visit during
the press conference. He mentioned that his mandate is not limited to
coordination of relationships between the EU and Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia but supposes aid for the peaceful regulation of the
regional conflicts. Heikki Talvitie stated that the EU pays serious
attention to the South Caucasus and would like the countries of the
region to profit from the possibilities provided. In particular it was
mentioned that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are already involved in
the program ` Wider Europe: New Neighbours’. Speaking about the role
of the EU inthe peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Heikki
Talvitie mentioned that in 1996-1998 he was the co-chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and
naturally is directly acquainted with the conflict. He emphasized that
formerly the EU was for implementing rehabilitation programs in the
Karabakh conflict area only after the political settlement of the
issue but now the situation has changed. The EU intends to implement a
progressive policy and undertake projects for maintaining an
atmosphere of mutual confidence and restoration of the economy and
communications as soon as there is the least progress in the
negotiation process. Heikki Talvitie did not say whathe meant by
saying progress but he pointed out that there are situations when we
have to understand once another. In regard to the negative reaction of
Azerbaijan to the upcoming elections to the municipalities in NKR
Heikki Talvitie mentioned that the European Union has not yet worked
out mechanisms for dealing with such situations. He said that similar
situation occurred in Abkhazia, and now the EU is thinking whether to
send there official observers or not. According to him, most probably
they will send representatives of non-governmental organizations. He
also emphasized that each society must organize their lives themselves
and not to wait for the interference of the international community.
Actually the representative of the EU confessed the simple truth
against which Baku makes appeals. Heikki Talvitie mentioned the
importance of the settlement of conflicts for the development of the
region. In this context he pointed out that the new policy of the
Georgian authorities and their attempt to establish relationships with
Russia shifted the process of peaceful settlement to a new plain. Now
the restoration of communications is considered. The same will be
possible in the Karabakh conflict area again in the case of progress
in the peaceful process for which the OSCE is responsible. As Heikki
Talvitie mentioned at the beginning of the press conference, it is
impossible to assist to the peaceful process not being in Karabakh. He
emphasized that he came to get acquainted. In this reference the
representative of the EU emphasized that he noticed significant
differences between the present situation and the situation ten years
ago. He said that the people of Karabakh managed to restore much with
their own efforts and this corresponds to the interests of the EU. He
mentioned that during the meetings they clarified the frames of what
the EUcan do for Karabakh. According to him, for this first of all the
wish and will of the conflict parties is required. At this moment
three countries of the region are involved in the program `Wider
Europe: New Neighbours’, said Heikki Talvitie answering the question
what status the EU accepts for Karabakh. Although he added that they
try to view the region as one entity. Heikki Talvitie mentioned that
he does not expect miracles from his visit because the negotiation
process lasting for ten years did not produce results. However, he
hopes that there will come the time when an atmosphere of confidence
will be established and they will try to understand one another.
NAIRA AHYRUMIAN.
02-07-2004

STATEMENT OF MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF NKR
Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004

On August 8, 2004 the elections to the municipalities of NKR will take
place. The NKR government considers the democratic procedure of
elections to governmental bodies of all the levels as one of the
important steps on the way to a free civil society. We start from the
consciousness that only the legitimate power is granted the necessary
authorities and they are responsible for the fate of the people living
in the territory entrusted with them. In the statement of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan it is said that the elections cannot
be considered legitimate as they contradict to the principles of the
international law and the legislation of Azerbaijan, are held without
the participation of the Azerbaijani population of Nagorni
Karabakh. According to the NKR MFA press service the position of the
Azerbaijani party is cut from the actual situation. The Republic of
Nagorni Karabakh which has been independent of Azerbaijan for 16 years
now has no relation to its legislation therefore this appeal is
senseless. The fact that, on the one hand, official Baku considers
Nagorni Karabakh an uncontrollable territory and, on the one hand,
criticizes the fact of formation of legitimate bodies of power and
government. All the claims that the Azerbaijani population of NKR does
not take part in the elections do not stand trial. If follow their
logic, it would be necessary to consider invalid all the elections
held in Azerbaijan from where half-million Armenian population was
repressed in the result of ethnic clearings. The press service of the
NKR MFA thinks that the upcoming elections to the municipalities, as
well as former elections held to the governmental bodies of all levels
correspond to the international standards and provide for the right of
free elections. It is doubtless that development and maintenance of
democratic processes in Nagorni Karabakh, as well as all the other
countries of the region will enable to provide conditions for
establishment of long-lasting peace and stability in the South
Caucasus.
AA.
02-07-2004

Pravda.RU:Russia:More in detail
CIS informal summit in Moscow
15:20 2004-07-03
An informal summit of the CIS leaders will continue in Moscow on
Saturday.
The presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Belarus
arrived in Moscow at Vladimir Putin’s invitation yesterday.
The CIS leaders will hold an informal discussion of preparations for
the September summit in Astana and the celebrations of the 60th
anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin
press service told RIA Novosti.
Moreover, the sides will consider the CIS development and
implementation of these or those decisions, said Russian First Deputy
Foreign Minister Valery Loshchinin.
At this summit the CIS leaders will hold a free discussion of
interesting issues, he added. In his words, they are likely to raise
the problem of the Georgian-Ossetian settlement to promote peaceful
talks. [South Ossetia is a self-proclaimed republic in Georgia].
“We expect Tbilisi to cease attacks against the mixed control
commission for Georgian-Ossetian settlement,” Mr. Loshchinin said.
“This commission is the single mechanism of negotiations, which was
formed to discuss Georgian-Ossetian problems,” he stressed. According
to him, no bilateral talks are planned during the informal summit.
© RIAN
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse
July 2, 2004
Azeri teenage soldier held prisoner by Armenia:
defence ministry

BAKU (AFP) Jul 01, 2004
Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry said Thursday that one of its soldiers
was being held prisoner by Armenian forces, apparently after he
wandered across the front line which separates the two neighbours. A
statement from the ministry said the 19-year-old private went missing
while serving in Azerbaijan’s Agdam region, close to disputed
territory which has been occupied by Armenian forces since a war in
the early 1990s.
The statement said the serviceman may have been taken by Armenian
troops after he got lost on the heavily-militarised front line, which
is dotted with landmines.
The Red Cross was helping negotiate the soldier’s release, the
statement added. There was no immediate confirmation of the report
available from the Armenian side.
Azerbaijan and Armenia, two former Soviet republics, fought a
five-year war for control of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh
which cost the lives of an estimated 35,000 people.
A ceasefire was signed in 1994, leaving Armenian forces in de facto
control of Karabakh and surrounding Azeri regions.
Skirmishes along the ceasefire line are a frequent occurrence. Dozens
of soldiers are killed each year in landmine accidents or by snipers
on the opposing side.

USA Today
July 2, 2004
Where Britney met Kevin (and destiny)
By William Keck, USA TODAY
HOLLYWOOD – It’s the place where Britney Spears met fiancé Kevin
Federline and where you can get lamb souvlaki with a side of rice
pilaf for just $16.

This is the place, in Hollywood, where Britney met her fiancé.
By Amedeo Buhler
Located in the heart of Tinseltown, the Mediterranean-themed Joseph’s
Café has been attracting Hollywood elite since it was opened by the
Armenian/Greek Abrahamian family in 1977.
Joseph’s brother (and co-owner), Robert Abrahamian, showed USA TODAY
the famous “Britney” booth next to the dance floor. In the new People,
Spears says of Joseph’s: “I always sit at the same table. On the far
right. In the corner, where I can see everything.” And that’s where
she spied Federline.
“Britney Spears is really down to earth,” Abrahamian says. “Sometimes
she’ll have one or two bodyguards with her because of the
paparazzi. She’ll come in with friends, have a few drinks and get up
and dance.”
Abrahamian says there has been a lot more to see since his supper club
was given a cobalt blue/dark wood/wrought-iron face lift and
entertainment was added in 2000. Since then, the clientele is “a
regular who’s who,” he says.
Spears’ ex, Justin Timberlake, and his current steady, Cameron Diaz,
have been part of the action, and Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg and Vince
Vaughn are regulars. Janet Jackson chose Joseph’s for one of her
birthday bashes.
In a month, Britney’s dining room will be given a Moroccan makeover to
provide an even more romantic setting.

Gulf Daily News, Bahrain
July 2, 2004
A land of history and rich culture

BY AIDAN PAYNE
Iran, a land with more than 2,500 years of rich culture and history,
is a living museum with its pre-Islamic monuments, great palaces,
historical mosques, churches, ancient fire temples, vast mountain
ranges and two vast deserts.
With all this in mind, I was set to make my first visit to the
mainland of Iran and spend at least two weeks exploring and travelling
from city to city.
Doubts arose from friends, colleagues and family about the wisdom of
making the trip, but I wanted to prove them all wrong.
Armed with my Lonely Planet guidebook and useful information from the
Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam I was all set.
A 21-day visa was secured after spending 72 hours on the Free Trade
Zone Island of Kish by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a cost of
$78 (BD29.5).
My plans were almost shattered while cycling on the Kish coast. I was
going too fast and crashed into some metal barriers used to stop cars
using the track.
I smashed my head against the ground and needed emergency treatment at
the island’s main hospital and 50 stitches for gashes above the eye
and an almost ripped-off ear.
Heavily bandaged, I visited the island attractions, as I had on
previous visits, including the marooned Greek Ship, the ancient city
of Harireh, Derakht-e-Sabz (Green Park) and the Ahovan Wildlife Park
and Aquarium.
My visa came through and an air-ticket on Aria Air, costing 269,000
rials (BD12) got me to the capital Tehran.
TEHRAN
After leaving the airport an official airport taxi for 30,000 rials
(BD1.500) gave me my first look at the sprawling metropolis.
I passed the 45-metre high Azadi (Freedom) monument built in 1971 to
commemorate 2,500 years of the Persian Empire and it suddenly hit me
that I was in Iran.
On my way to the Atlas Hotel at $35 per night I got a glimpse of
Tehran’s traffic nightmare with cars changing lanes without
indicating, motorcycles moving in all directions including on
pavements and little or no observance of traffic signals. I did much
walking and managed to avoid becoming a traffic statistic!
I took a stroll on a cold Thursday night and stumbled across the old
US Embassy, now known as the US Den of Espionage.
Central Tehran with its wide avenues is eerily quiet at night.
The next morning, I met Sadegh a friend I’d first met a year before on
Kish, and the two of us took an early lunch at the Dizi Restaurant,
which serves traditional abgusht, a famous dish of Tabriz in the
northwest of Iran.
It’s a combined soup/stew of beef or lamb, chickpeas, potatoes, onions
and a chunk of fat served in a dizi or small upright container. You
drink the soup and eat the stew (after mashing it into a paste)
separately with bread. It was very tasty and is a favourite amongst
Iranians.
After parting ways, I made my way to the Armenian Sarkis Cathedral,
situated in an area with a sizeable Christian population. Though the
church was closed, I had a quick look around the courtyard which has a
number of graves.
Built between 1964 and 1970, this white-coloured building is one of
the most important non-Islamic buildings in the city and is open to
visitors free of charge most days except Sunday.
As in most cities you have to be careful if you are a stranger and
Tehran is no exception.
Beware of ‘bogus police’ – I was stopped by one guy who stepped out of
an unmarked car who asked about passport, money, mobile phone and even
what I had photographed. I demanded to see his identity card which was
flashed briefly in my face. It could have been anything.
You should never get in a car and insist they come with you to your
hotel which should frighten them off. Telling them I had the
registration number of the car, they quickly moved on!
A bit rattled, I informed the hotel and they said that this often
happens to foreign tourists.
One of the most interesting and least known museums is the Reza
Abbasi, so named after the artist who lived in the Safavid period
1502-1722 AD.
The top floor has collections from the Achaemenid period 550-330 BC,
such as drinking vessels, armlets, carvings, tools and daggers dating
back to 1000 BC and the Sassanian period 224 to 637 AD.
The Islamic Gallery houses pottery, metal objects from the Seljuk
period from 1051-1220 AD, along with oil lamps, incense burners and
metal works through the Safavid period up to the end of the Qajar
dynasty in 1925.
In the Calligraphy section, you can see ancient Qurans, leaves of
copies from the books by the great poets Ferdowsi and Sa’adi and
paintings by Reza Abbasi.
The bazaar in the south of the city is a city within a city,
containing mosques, hotels, banks, a church and even a fire station.
It is a labyrinth of alleys and streets and a first-time visitor will
easily get lost. The whole complex is a mass of humanity where just
about any commodity can be found. Each area sells different items such
as copper, gold, spices, carpets, shoes, electrical and tobacco to
name but some.
Inside the bazaar a couple of mosques stand out – a 600-year-old one
containing the shrine of Emamzadeh Zaid, with beautifully coloured
Quranic and mosaic inscriptions and the Imam Khomeini or Shah mosque
from the 18th century which is in an open courtyard. Picture taking
is frowned upon because the faithful are praying at all times.
Nearby is the Golestan Palace complex, which originated as a citadel
during Safavid era, becoming a palace during the mid-18th century.
Golestan was mainly for receptions during Pahlavi era and Reza Shah
crowned himself here in 1925 in what is known as the Takht-e-Marmar
(Marble Throne) and supported by human figures and constructed from 65
pieces of marble.
Other sections include collections of art, calligraphy, furniture and
vases and a historical photography gallery.
The National Jewels Museum, is a must-see with exhibits dating as far
back as 500 years. It is heavily guarded and even touching the glass
cases is likely to set off a piercing alarm. Photography is not
allowed.
The main attractions include a throne encrusted with 26,733 gems,
crowns worn by the last Shah and his wife Farah Diba in the coronation
of 1967 and a 34kg Globe of Jewels made in 1869 and using 51,366
precious stones.
My third day took me to the Sa’d Abad Museum and Niyavaran Palaces,
both former residences of the last Shah.
Sa’d Abad has 54 rooms and you get to see the private quarters and
banqueting and ceremonial halls for visiting dignitaries and
diplomats.
Outside is a giant pair of bronze feet, all that remains of a statue
of Reza Shah cut down during the revolution.
The Niyavaran Palace is now split into four museums. The best was the
Sahebqerameh Palace or King’s Special Office, which houses a
collection of paintings, photographs and calligraphy, a teahouse and
even private dental surgery facilities.
My final day in Tehran took me down to the Holy Shrine of Imam
Khomeini and the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery. The shrine is the resting
place of Ayatollah Khomeini, who died in 1989.
It was an incredible experience being in a vast room and the hundreds
who pay their respects to the founder of the Islamic Republic.
The huge Behesht-e-Zahra Cemetery is a sad place and it is estimated
about 200,000 soldiers are buried here, killed during the Iran-Iraq
war.
QOM
My next stop was the holy city of Qom, a religious centre with many
clerics and scholars. My hotel, the Kowsar Hotel, at $13 per night,
was located opposite the Hazrat-e-Masumeh shrine, the burial place of
Fatemeh (sister of Imam Reza) with its magnificent dome and minarets.
Many people visit the shrine each day but non-Moslems are not
permitted. The next morning I visited Khan-e-Khomeini, which was the
former residence of Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1960s.
A very modest dwelling, I felt overwhelmed and privileged to be able
to go inside this place with all the history behind it.
ESFAHAN
I arrived next in Esfahan, one of Islam’s great cities and one of
Iran’s jewels.
For an amazing $15 per night, I stayed at the Aria Hotel near the city
centre and barely five minutes walk from the Imam Khomeini or
Naghsh-e-Jahan Square. At 5,200 feet above sea level, it was very
cold at the time.
Chahar Bagh (four gardens) is the main street originating from 1597
and once lined with many palaces. One of the main features of the city
is the River Zayandeh and its 11 bridges, five of which are
historical.
The next day would be spent exploring the old bridges which would take
up most of the time.
A second day of walking took me to the Safavid era Hakim mosque, which
has a portal dating back to the 10th Century.
It’s easy to get lost in the older part of the city with all its
restored old houses in the narrow lanes and in the same area is the
Bazar-e-Bozorg or Great Bazaar, one of Iran’s biggest and built in the
16th century.
A number of shrines are in the bazaar area, one dedicated to
Emamzadeh-y-Jaafar and another to Emamzadeh-ye-Ismail and the
Mausole-um of Harun Vilyat.
One of the most visible sights is the towering 48m high brick minaret
of the Ali Mosque which soars 48m into the sky.
My third full day began with a tour of the Jameh (Friday) mosque
dating back to the 11th Century.
It is also one of the largest mosques in Iran, even surviving bomb
damage during the 1980-88 war with Iraq. Another mosque is the Manar
Jomban (Shaking Minarets) about seven kilometres outside the city.
They truly do shake! Every half hour visitors see a demonstration by
the Official Minaret Shaker and it does look to the eye that they
move. Sitting on the low wall you can definitely feel the
vibrations. It is an amazing experience.
Esfahan also has an Armenian quarter called Jolfa, established in the
early part of the 17th century, where you can find 13 churches today.
Vank Cathedral, established in 1606, is decorated with themes from the
old and new testaments. lt also houses more than 700 handwritten books
on display, a section on Armenian culture and religion, a memorial to
the 1915 Armenian genocide and even a small drawing by Rembrandt.
A good way to wind down after a day of exploring is to try the local
Qalyan (sheesha) at a teahouse and admire the view of the square.
Other attractions include the Chehel Sotun Palace, Natural History
Museum, Hesht Behesht Palace and the Madraseh-ye-Chahar Bagh
Theological School and Esfahan’s most expensive hotel the Abbasi.
On the way to Yazd more than 400 kilometres away, I passed through the
geographical centre of Iran at the town of Na’in. It is a carpet
centre and has a 10th century Jameh Mosque.
Next Friday, we travel to Yazd and Shiraz.

Macon Telegraph, GA
July 2, 2004
Successful artists gain notoriety outside gallery circuit
By Ariella Budick
Beyond the cozy network of museums, auction houses and New York
galleries that establish the market value and reputations of the
contemporary artists they dub “important,” there is a vast world of
artists with followings that make Picasso’s seem piddling.
Hawaiian marine artist and long-tressed surfer Christian Lassen paints
throbbing Pacific sunsets above preening waves. Jane Wooster Scott’s
placid folk tableaux of snowy New England villages have made her the
“most reproduced artist in America,” according to the “Guinness Book
of World Records.” Scotsman Jack Vettriano plies his fans with
fantasies of aristocrats frolicking in evening dress, attended by
liveried servants. And, of course, Thomas Kinkade’s cozily glowing
cottages and riotous gardens have brought forth a multimillion-dollar
franchise.
Buying even original works of popular art doesn’t require an excursion
to the forbiddingly chic precincts of Chelsea or SoHo. They can be
purchased aboard cruise ships or on the Internet, at upscale malls and
in hotels. A Wooster Scott oil sells for $15,000 to $20,000, and a
typical Lassen goes for $225,000. That’s peanuts compared to what a
Vettriano can fetch: The art world was stunned in April, when the
original of his widely disseminated “The Singing Butler” sold at
auction for $1.3 million.
Aficionados don’t necessarily have to shell out that kind of
cash. Images can be found on calendars, mugs, screen savers and
lottery tickets. There are lithographs, serigraphs and, most
eye-fooling of all, giclees – hand-retouched digital prints that can
cost thousands. Lassen’s limited editions start at $2,950 and go to up
$20,000.
These artists ply their trade outside of what is commonly known as the
“art world,” beneath the radar of critics and curators. While the
museum is the pinnacle of achievement for those who aspire to a place
in history, popular artists appeal directly to the paying public.
So separate is this parallel art world that its inhabitants see the
museum not as a temple of quality, but as a public relations vehicle
of marginal usefulness. “I could put a Lassen in any museum,” says
Paul Olson, the director of Galerie Lassen Las Vegas, the largest of
the artist’s six franchises. “He’s just not interested in that kind of
promotion. He’d rather give a $100,000 painting to charity than (to) a
museum.”
If curators control the prestigious but limited institutional wall
space, the market for popular art is driven by casual shoppers
furnishing a home. While many galleries keep themselves out of the
public eye, operating from the upper floors of office buildings and
dealing mostly with a small coterie of collectors, popular-art dealers
aim for the fortuitous encounter with the passer-by. Their goal is to
exude an aura of anti-elitism, to make novice buyers feel as if they
can trust their own taste.
“When you’re talking about avant-garde artists, people look to others
to tell them if it’s good or not,” says Rich O’Mahony, who runs the
Wentworth Gallery, a chain with 31 outlets throughout the
country. “Here, though, people can walk into a setting and say, ‘I
like that, it makes me feel good.’ ”
The artwork that O’Mahony sells tends to be easy on the eye, and the
goal is not to challenge but to soothe. The roster includes Salvador
Dali and the ever-popular Peter Max, but also names that are
completely unfamiliar. In the same way that Pottery Barn imports
foreign handicrafts, Wentworth recruits painters from countries such
as Croatia and Armenia and puts them under contract.
Wentworth’s sales strategy is to chip away at the intimidation and
insecurity that could inhibit customers from spending several thousand
dollars on a work of art.
“As long as millions of people are going to have pictures on their
walls, there will always be a market for pictures that are agreeable
and easy to enjoy,” says Robert Rosenblum, an art historian at New
York University. “Business offices, hotel lobbies, hospital corridors
– art’s just like furniture, part of necessary decor.”