The Story of the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse: 25 Years of Global Friendship
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Both cities are about the same size, share the same latitude and have similar topography. The establishment of sister cities was a grassroots effort to connect people across cultures. A time for people to gather and talk over warm cups of tea, the Teahouse was a fitting gift to the city of Boulder. Forty Tajik artisans hand-made the teahouse over a period of two years, took it apart, and then packed the pieces into about 200 crates to be shipped to Boulder.
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And once locals could see its intricate and colorful beauty on display, any lingering concerns turned to praise. In the central pool of the Teahouse there are seven hammered copper sculptures created by artist Ivan Milosovich. The life sized sculptures are based on a 12th century poem, “The Seven Beauties ” the 4th poem of Nizami Ganjavi’s “Khamsa”. They chronicle the adventures of Shah Bahram Goirr, son of Yargourd the 1st from the Sasanids dynasty. Nizami uses the well documented events to explore the themes of social justice, morality, and appreciation of nature.
Dushanbe Tea House
At the western end of the Himalayas, its terrain is 93% mountainous, with peaks towering to 24,000 feet. Prior to being named capital to the Soviet Republic of Tajikistan in 1929, Dushanbe, which signifies Monday, was a village of 400 – 600 people and was the site of the weekly bazaar, held on Mondays. Dushanbe now has a population of 600,000 and its people are struggling with the aftermath of civil war following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. “The Seven Beauties is the 4th poem of Nizami Ganjavi’s “Khamsa, which means “Five Treasuries”.
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Our Teahouse accurately reflects this artistic tradition that dates back nearly 2,000 years. The master woodcarvers, including Manon Khaidarov and Mirpulat Mirakhmatov who helped reassemble the Teahouse here, have carved their names in the ceiling. The artisans who have painted it have written their names on a green painted area above the entry to the kitchen.
Afternoon Tea
Lenny’s creative vision has extended to his other restaurants, Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, The Huckleberry, Zucca Italian, and The Chautauqua Dining Hall, one of Boulder’s historic landmarks. In addition to the restaurants, Lenny has created a large, successful catering business, Three Leaf Catering. The incredible hand carved plaster walls were carved here in Boulder during the construction of the Teahouse in 1998 by Kodir Rhakimov, one of the original artists who was visiting to help with the building of the building. The panels are meticulously carved using a sharp scalpel, and are some of the most traditional forms of Persian art at the Teahouse.
The works were completed in 1197 ad, and chronicle the adventure of Shah Bahram Goirr, son of Yargourd the 1st from the Sasanids dynasty. Nizami uses the well documented events to explore the themes social justice, morality, and appreciation of nature. The poem is notable for its deep content and social sense, as well as its rich composition and prominent poetic value. The City of Boulder and Three Leaf Concepts entered into a partnership in 1996 that has proven beneficial to both parties, as well as the larger community.
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Three Leaf Concepts – the management group formed to support several locally owned, award-winning restaurants – fit the bill. Afternoon tea is a special treat the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. Enjoy white linens, tiers of sweet and savory pastries and a pot of premium tea. Sara and Lenny Martinelli were selected by the city to operate the teahouse as a restaurant and café. The city of Dushanbe sent a small crew to Boulder to help assemble the teahouse. The Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse finally opened to the general public in May 1998.
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We love to host large parties and private events, and we’ve been so fortunate to share so many important moments with our guests as they celebrate in the Teahouse. The Exterior of the Teahouse boasts hand crafted ceramic mosaic tiles and a roof border of exquisite beauty and craftsmanship. The rose gardens in front of the Teahouse include over 50 varieties of heirloom roses, which were first grown in Central Asia. In the 7th Century BC, the area we now know as Tajikistan was settled at the eastern periphery of the Persian Empire. Situated a bit south of the Silk Road trails, the area has seen invasions by Alexander the Great, Mongols, Arabs, Turks, and Russians. Today, Tajikistan, with a population of 7 million, is about the size of Iowa, and is bordered to the east by China, to the north by Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan, and to the south by Afghanistan.
The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse: Humans, Tea, and Humanity About Boulder County Colorado - Visitor and Local ... - About Boulder
The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse: Humans, Tea, and Humanity About Boulder County Colorado - Visitor and Local ....
Posted: Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The trades used by the artisans were passed from generation to generation within families, such as the use of nature, and repetition of patterns, descendant from traditional Persian design. Also, no power tools were used in the original construction of the tea house. LENNY MARTINELLIOwner, Executive Chef & CEO of Three Leaf ConceptsLenny graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Environmental Design.
On the proper day of the week, Bahram would dress himself in the appropriate color, and go to visit the wife that corresponded with the day. Each woman would relate to him a story from her native land and praise the attributes of her own color. All the tales are closely related to popular folklore and combine the scientific and philosophical views on the symbolic effects of the colors. The poem inspires honesty, virtue and kindness, while denouncing arrogance, villiany, greediness and treachery. And so, the princesses’ tales serve not only to entertain the Shah, but to ponder life and consider the secrets on the universe and human nature. Kodir carved the ganch during his visit to Boulder, and it took many months to complete the job.
As the name suggests, tea is the raison d'être here, and the selection is comprehensive. From apple strudel and samosas to feijoada and plov (a buttery rice dish studded with chickpeas, dried fruit and grilled beef), the menu reads like a world explorer's diary. Naturally, tea time and afternoon tea are reason alone to visit, and the dessert selection is particularly tempting. Once here, they were repositioned together by Victor, who was visiting to help with construction. Inside the Teahouse are eight large, intricately carved white plaster panels, designed and executed by Kodir Rakhimov, whose contemporary oil paintings are framed by this art of Persian antiquity. When Mayor Maksud Ikramov of Dushanbe, Tajikistan visited Boulder in 1987, he announced the gift of a teahouse to celebrate the establishment of the sister cities.
This exhibit will follow the evolution of the teahouse, which is the only authentic Persian tea house in North America. On exhibit will be pieces from its earliest days to objects seen by patrons enjoying delicious food and of course distinctive teas. The uniqueness and the cultural importance of the teahouse created the desire for the city to find a thoughtful and sensitive way to manage the structure.
Sara is the tea specialist and blender at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse and has created a number of the Teahouse’s exclusive tea blends. In addition to her clinical practice for humans, Sara also consults for both equine and canine clients, and creates customized formulas to increase health, performance, and vitality. Sara teaches numerous classes and workshops at Three Leaf Farm and has written a number of articles for publication. The Teahouse takes great effort to sanitize and protect the health of our guests. The days of the pandemic have been challenging but our community has rallied around the locally owned restaurants. On Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, April through November, the Boulder Farmers Market happens right in front of the teahouse.
He was welcomed back into the Three Leaf Family with the opening of Aji Latin American Restaurant (now closed) as a partner, and now supports all of the concepts in the Three Leaf Group. Afternoon Tea is one of our most popular offerings, with a traditional linen-draped table, a three-tiered serving tray with sweet and savory delicacies, and a pot of our premium tea. Carved in Tajikistan of Siberian cider, the 12 majestic columns are all hand carved and no two are alike. The 7 bronze statues of the Seven Beauties, characters in a traditional folk tale, were an exciting surprise when we opened the crates that the Teahouse was packed in. Today the Beauties make up the gorgeous central fountain of the Teahouse. Throughout the Teahouse, every ceiling square or alcove is painted differently with traditional Persian designs.
First, Kodir mixed his secret blend of plaster, allowing it to cure to a specific consistency. Then he placed it on an easel and began the painstakingly slow process of carving the delicate material. Each panel is composed of a number of “tiles” that when put together create the whole.
The entirety of the interior ceiling is handpainted and delicately carved to create a space that is both magical and airy. Originally crafted and painted in Tajikistan, the Teahouse gets periodic “touch up” from visiting Tajik artists. In his youth, our hero sees portraits of the seven daughters of the continents in a luxurious palace loses his heart to them. Later, when he becomes the Shah of Iran, he sends for the seven women and marries them. He has the renown architect, Shidda, build a palace with seven cupolas, each colored a different color with a corresponding planet.
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