Among
the symbols which the Iranians hold dear, none is as popular as the
cypress tree. Innumerable
qualities are attributed to this tree and its form.
Whenever a Persian poet has tried to best describe the
stature of his beloved one, he called her ãcypress-likeä,
comparing her balanced poise, lithe motion and enchanting
body to those of the cypress tree, and whenever he has spoken
of truthfulness, uprightness and youth, he has taken the cypress
tree as a model. Believers in free thought have adopted the cypress
tree as a symbol of freedom, an essence without deceit or falseness,
and interpreted its barrenness as a sign of its liberty. And mystics have noted that other trees ö which at times
have fresh leaves and at others appear withered and bare ö embody
both perfection and desolation, while the cypress tree is free from
the latter. Comparing
freedom to a cypress tree, Ferdowsi has written:
Cho Rostam bepaymood
bAlA-ye hasht
Be-sAn-e yeki sarv-e Azad ga
Painters
and visual artists have also focused on to the cypress tree and
adopted it as one of their favorite theme.
Whenever a painter has tried to depict paradise or an idyllic
realm, he has populated it with tall cypress trees, and architects,
stucco-makers and tile-makers have amply utilized its form in their
creations, and women have woven colorful cypress trees in their
textiles or carpets. Adding
the rows of cypress trees adorning the walls of Persepolis, depicted
under the guard of Persian soldiers, to the cypress trees remaining
from the Islamic period, one better realizes the eternality of the
cypress tree in Iranian culture, and becomes even more eager to
discover the secret of this eternality.
In this quest, one comes across more historic events related
to the cypress tree.
One
of these is related to the cypress tree of Kashmar, the felling of
which gave birth to a great tragedy in Iranian culture and
literature, inspiring many poets and writers. This cypress tree had
been planted by Zoroaster. According
to historic narratives, during his lifetime the prophet Zoroaster
planted two cypress trees as good omens:
one in Faryumaz (west of Sabzebar) and the other in Kashmar
(south of Mashhad). Both
were amazingly large. Upon
hearing their description, the ãAbbasid caliph Al-Mutavakkalä
had ordered the cypress tree of Kashmar to be felled and its wood to
be brought to him Samarra. He
had recently begun the construction of the Jaâfariyah Palace and
intended to have its wood used in it.
But the description of the majesty of the felled tree was
such that he decided to have its pieces reassembled for him to
contemplate. She he
sent the message to his appointees that no part of the truck or its
branches should be discarded and that they should be packed in felt
and sent to him, so that the carpenters of Baghdad could reassemble
it with nails and make it possible for the caliph to see it at close
range.
ÎAli
Ibn Zayd Bayhaqiâ has recorded this event, a momentous happening
at the time, and given precise indications concerning the treeâs
dimensions and the method used to fell it.
As Bayhaqi writes, its circumference measured twenty-seven
tazianebs and ten thousand sheep could rest in its shade.
There were so many birds and wild beasts among its branches
that their number could not be recorded.
Of-course, felling such a tree was not a simple matter and
required special tools and great skill.
For this purpose, a master carpenter by the name of Hossein
Najjar, who lived in Nayshabur, was called.
Hossein spent a long time preparing a special saw.
Learning
of the caliphâs decision, the Zoroastrians gathered and went to
see his emissary, Aboltayb, whom they implored for the caliphâs
mercy. They were even
prepared to pay iffy thousand Nayshabur gold Dinars, but Aboltayb
remained inflexible. He
said: ãThe caliph is not one of those rulers whose orders can be
cancelled!ä and reiterated his order to fell the tree.
Bayhaqi
has written that, when the cypress tree was fe3lled, earth tremors
were felt, water springs and buildings were severely damaged, and
all night long all kinds of birds gathered, so that the sky was
filled, and raised such a loud wail in their own voices that people
were astonished.
Bayhaqi
has also left behind figures concerning the costs of felling and
transporting the tree. According
to these, felling and transporting it from Kashmar to Jaâfariya
cost 500,000 dirhams and 300 camels were used to carry its pieces.
Despite these expenses and efforts, Al-Mutavakkal never saw
Zoroasterâs cypress tree. When it was only one stage away from Jaâfariyah, Al-Mutavakkal
was assassinated by his slaves.
Aboltayb, the carpenter and the carriers of the tree also met
death in different ways. According
to Bayhaqi, the tree of Zoroastre was felled in AD 846 and it had
been planted 1405 years earlier.
On the basis of these figures, it was planted around 550
before BC. This date
differs by only 33 years with the Zoroastriansâ traditional date,
because Zoroaster was born in 660 BC and was martyred in 583 BC, at
the age of 77. The
cypress tree of Zoroaste was never forgotten by the Iranians.
On the contrary, its memory grew ever stronger with the
passage of time and poets and artists kept depicting it in their
works. With the advent
of the Safavid dynasty, and the ensuing reversion to Iranian
national themes, the cypress tree of Zoroaster acquired further
importance, but, owing to religious and political considerations,
the name of Zoroaster was discarded and only its form was retained.
Aware
of the popularity of the cypress tree among the population, the
Safavids took advantage of it to further strengthen the Shiâite
creed and introduced it in mourning ceremonies. A type of small metallic cypress tree, called Îalam and
incised with the names of God, Mohammad, Ali and their kin, was
carried in from of mourning processions, and another type, which was
made of wood, was called nakhl (palm tree).
Traveling
in the cities around the desert, one can see these nakhls in from of
mosques and in public squares. A 12-meter-high nakhl stands in from of Amir Chakhmaq Mosque,
in Yazd. This nakhl is
believed to be 400 years old. An equally large nakhl stands in a
public square in Taft and other similar but slightly smaller ones
can be seen in Yazd, Kashan, Abuaneh and in Khorasan.
On the day of the ÎAshura they are decorated with expensive
colored fabrics and carried in procession by the population.
Almost all the men, old or young, join to carry the nakhl on
their shoulders. Some nakhls weigh several tons.
As
for the appellation of nakhl, and why such an obviously
cypress-shaped structure has become known as ãpalmä, we must
once again turn to the Safavids and their aims.
But, before that, one point needs to be made clear, namely
that the cypress tree is the national tree of the Iranians, and the
palm tree that of the Arabs. Therefore,
if a scene of Karbala and the holocaust of the ÎAshura is to be
depicted, then the palm tree must be represented, and not the
cypress. And this is
the dilemma which the Iranians of Safavid times astutely resolved by
adopting the cypress tree, a long-time symbol familiar to Iranians,
and calling it a palm tree. In
order to preclude any further discussion, once every year (on the
day of ÎAshura), this tree is given the appearance of a tent or a
coffin and, by setting two cypress trees facing each other and
covering the whole with black and green cloth, reminds the viewers
of the tent of Emam Hosseinâs family.
Although this tent does not resemble a palm tree, it
adequately does its job of evoking the ÎAshura of the year 61 AH.
On other days of the year, they are still called nakhl, but,
without any decoration of covering, they are nothing but tall
cypress trees, and cannot be unrelated to the cypress tree of Kashar
felled by order of the caliph Al-Mutavakka.
Rather than for its wood Al-Mutavakkal had the Iraniansâ
dear cypress tree destroyed in an attempt to annihilate their
beliefs and respect for nature and earth, little knowing that they
would erect thousands more cypress trees in the squares of their own
towns and villages.
Beyond
their names of Sarv (cypress tree) or nakhl, these wooden structures
are the only sculptures of past eras in Iranian public squares;
unique sculptures indeed, and I have seen innumerable sculptures in
different squares across the world, but rarely seen masses as
majestic as the cypress trees of Yazd and Taft, and as proportionate
and harmonious with their surroundings.
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Among
the symbols which the Iranians hold dear, none is as popular as the
cypress tree. Innumerable
qualities are attributed to this tree and its form.
Whenever a Persian poet has tried to best describe the
stature of his beloved one, he called her ãcypress-likeä,
comparing her balanced poise, lithe motion and enchanting
body to those of the cypress tree, and whenever he has spoken
of truthfulness, uprightness and youth, he has taken the cypress
tree as a model. Believers in free thought have adopted the cypress
tree as a symbol of freedom, an essence without deceit or falseness,
and interpreted its barrenness as a sign of its liberty. And mystics have noted that other trees ö which at times
have fresh leaves and at others appear withered and bare ö embody
both perfection and desolation, while the cypress tree is free from
the latter. Comparing
freedom to a cypress tree, Ferdowsi has written:
Cho Rostam bepaymood bAlA-ye hasht
Be-sAn-e yeki sarv-e Azad ga
Painters
and visual artists have also focused on to the cypress tree and
adopted it as one of their favorite theme.
Whenever a painter has tried to depict paradise or an idyllic
realm, he has populated it with tall cypress trees, and architects,
stucco-makers and tile-makers have amply utilized its form in their
creations, and women have woven colorful cypress trees in their
textiles or carpets. Adding
the rows of cypress trees adorning the walls of Persepolis, depicted
under the guard of Persian soldiers, to the cypress trees remaining
from the Islamic period, one better realizes the eternality of the
cypress tree in Iranian culture, and becomes even more eager to
discover the secret of this eternality.
In this quest, one comes across more historic events related
to the cypress tree.
One
of these is related to the cypress tree of Kashmar, the felling of
which gave birth to a great tragedy in Iranian culture and
literature, inspiring many poets and writers. This cypress tree had
been planted by Zoroaster. According
to historic narratives, during his lifetime the prophet Zoroaster
planted two cypress trees as good omens:
one in Faryumaz (west of Sabzebar) and the other in Kashmar
(south of Mashhad). Both
were amazingly large. Upon
hearing their description, the ãAbbasid caliph Al-Mutavakkalä
had ordered the cypress tree of Kashmar to be felled and its wood to
be brought to him Samarra. He
had recently begun the construction of the Jaâfariyah Palace and
intended to have its wood used in it.
But the description of the majesty of the felled tree was
such that he decided to have its pieces reassembled for him to
contemplate. She he
sent the message to his appointees that no part of the truck or its
branches should be discarded and that they should be packed in felt
and sent to him, so that the carpenters of Baghdad could reassemble
it with nails and make it possible for the caliph to see it at close
range.
ÎAli
Ibn Zayd Bayhaqiâ has recorded this event, a momentous happening
at the time, and given precise indications concerning the treeâs
dimensions and the method used to fell it.
As Bayhaqi writes, its circumference measured twenty-seven
tazianebs and ten thousand sheep could rest in its shade.
There were so many birds and wild beasts among its branches
that their number could not be recorded.
Of-course, felling such a tree was not a simple matter and
required special tools and great skill.
For this purpose, a master carpenter by the name of Hossein
Najjar, who lived in Nayshabur, was called.
Hossein spent a long time preparing a special saw.
Learning
of the caliphâs decision, the Zoroastrians gathered and went to
see his emissary, Aboltayb, whom they implored for the caliphâs
mercy. They were even
prepared to pay iffy thousand Nayshabur gold Dinars, but Aboltayb
remained inflexible. He
said: ãThe caliph is not one of those rulers whose orders can be
cancelled!ä and reiterated his order to fell the tree.
Bayhaqi
has written that, when the cypress tree was fe3lled, earth tremors
were felt, water springs and buildings were severely damaged, and
all night long all kinds of birds gathered, so that the sky was
filled, and raised such a loud wail in their own voices that people
were astonished.
Bayhaqi
has also left behind figures concerning the costs of felling and
transporting the tree. According
to these, felling and transporting it from Kashmar to Jaâfariya
cost 500,000 dirhams and 300 camels were used to carry its pieces.
Despite these expenses and efforts, Al-Mutavakkal never saw
Zoroasterâs cypress tree. When it was only one stage away from Jaâfariyah, Al-Mutavakkal
was assassinated by his slaves.
Aboltayb, the carpenter and the carriers of the tree also met
death in different ways. According
to Bayhaqi, the tree of Zoroastre was felled in AD 846 and it had
been planted 1405 years earlier.
On the basis of these figures, it was planted around 550
before BC. This date
differs by only 33 years with the Zoroastriansâ traditional date,
because Zoroaster was born in 660 BC and was martyred in 583 BC, at
the age of 77. The
cypress tree of Zoroaste was never forgotten by the Iranians.
On the contrary, its memory grew ever stronger with the
passage of time and poets and artists kept depicting it in their
works. With the advent
of the Safavid dynasty, and the ensuing reversion to Iranian
national themes, the cypress tree of Zoroaster acquired further
importance, but, owing to religious and political considerations,
the name of Zoroaster was discarded and only its form was retained.
Aware
of the popularity of the cypress tree among the population, the
Safavids took advantage of it to further strengthen the Shiâite
creed and introduced it in mourning ceremonies. A type of small metallic cypress tree, called Îalam and
incised with the names of God, Mohammad, Ali and their kin, was
carried in from of mourning processions, and another type, which was
made of wood, was called nakhl (palm tree).
Traveling
in the cities around the desert, one can see these nakhls in from of
mosques and in public squares. A 12-meter-high nakhl stands in from of Amir Chakhmaq Mosque,
in Yazd. This nakhl is
believed to be 400 years old. An equally large nakhl stands in a
public square in Taft and other similar but slightly smaller ones
can be seen in Yazd, Kashan, Abuaneh and in Khorasan.
On the day of the ÎAshura they are decorated with expensive
colored fabrics and carried in procession by the population.
Almost all the men, old or young, join to carry the nakhl on
their shoulders. Some nakhls weigh several tons.
As
for the appellation of nakhl, and why such an obviously
cypress-shaped structure has become known as ãpalmä, we must
once again turn to the Safavids and their aims.
But, before that, one point needs to be made clear, namely
that the cypress tree is the national tree of the Iranians, and the
palm tree that of the Arabs. Therefore,
if a scene of Karbala and the holocaust of the ÎAshura is to be
depicted, then the palm tree must be represented, and not the
cypress. And this is
the dilemma which the Iranians of Safavid times astutely resolved by
adopting the cypress tree, a long-time symbol familiar to Iranians,
and calling it a palm tree. In
order to preclude any further discussion, once every year (on the
day of ÎAshura), this tree is given the appearance of a tent or a
coffin and, by setting two cypress trees facing each other and
covering the whole with black and green cloth, reminds the viewers
of the tent of Emam Hosseinâs family.
Although this tent does not resemble a palm tree, it
adequately does its job of evoking the ÎAshura of the year 61 AH.
On other days of the year, they are still called nakhl, but,
without any decoration of covering, they are nothing but tall
cypress trees, and cannot be unrelated to the cypress tree of Kashar
felled by order of the caliph Al-Mutavakka.
Rather than for its wood Al-Mutavakkal had the Iraniansâ
dear cypress tree destroyed in an attempt to annihilate their
beliefs and respect for nature and earth, little knowing that they
would erect thousands more cypress trees in the squares of their own
towns and villages.
Beyond
their names of Sarv (cypress tree) or nakhl, these wooden structures
are the only sculptures of past eras in Iranian public squares;
unique sculptures indeed, and I have seen innumerable sculptures in
different squares across the world, but rarely seen masses as
majestic as the cypress trees of Yazd and Taft, and as proportionate
and harmonious with their surroundings.
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