SAEDNEWS: From Gilan’s Historic Coffee House to the Earliest ‘Friday Prayer’ Photograph of the Era
According to Saed News’ Society Service, these photographs take us into the everyday life of people in Iran during the Qajar era: a royal hunting camp of Naser al-Din Shah, a grocery shop, Friday prayers in Tehran, and a coffeehouse in Rasht.
These images can be examined over and over, revealing new details each time—from the intricacies of clothing and facial expressions to the design of houses, streets, and countless other aspects of life that have changed dramatically over the past century.
The first photo captures a coffeehouse near the city of Rasht, photographed by a Swedish officer during his mission in Iran.
The second shows the recreational and hunting camp of Amin al-Soltan, one of the most influential political figures of the Qajar period. Amin al-Soltan himself is seated inside a tent, holding a cane, while servants stand around with dishes of food.
The third image depicts a grocer smoking a hookah inside his shop. Among the various goods, sugar loaves produced in Russia and Hungary stand out prominently.
The final photograph may be the oldest known image of a Friday prayer ceremony in Iran. The exact location is uncertain, but some records suggest it was at the Moayer al-Mamalek Mosque, while others attribute it to Tehran’s Jameh Mosque.
