Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1885 — In Teheran. [ARTICLE]

In Teheran.

One of the most common sights in the streets •of Teheran is a man seated on the pavement against a wall while a barber shaves the crown of his head. The barber’s trade is one of the most important in Persia. The customs enjoined by the Koran, or religious law, make it indispensable that barbers should abound in this country. The Koran makes it honorable for a man to wear a beard, but commands the shaving of the head. There are two great sects among those who accept the Mohammedan faith—the Sheas and the Sunnees. The latter are all Turks, and they shave the whole crown, excepting a tuft in the center by which the archangel may draw them out of the grave. But the Persians are Sheas, and they shave the center of the head, from the forehead to the neck, leaving a long curl on each side. It is curious to see even little boys with their heads thus polished. The Persians consider it a great disgrace to lose their side curls. As they all wear turbans, or black, conical caps of Astrakhan lambskin, no one would suspect the head to be shaved until the cap is taken off. Then, indeed, the appearance of the head is exceedingly grotesque. It is evident that the care of the hair is a very important question in Persia. But that is not all. One rarely sees a gray beard or gray locks in Teheran. Even the most venerable men have dark or red hair. The reason is because all, from the highest to the lowest, dye their hair. This is done first with henna, which gives it a reddish tint. Many prefer to leave it thus. But others add to the henna a second stain of indigo, and the combination of the two colors imparts to the hair a dark-brown hue. The tails and manes of horses are sometimes tinged with henna. Those of the royal stables are dyed a beautiful rose color. The use of red for curtains, awnings, and umbrellas is forbidden. It is a color reserved in such cases for the palace and the King* alone. There are other remarkable restrictions in every Persian city. No Christian is permitted to enter one of the public baths. These baths are on the plan of what are called Turkish baths in America. The women bathe in the morning, and the men in the afternoon. After the bath the bathers lounge in an outer room and gossip and smoke. For the women, especially, the weekly visit to the bath is like resorting to a woman’s club. They take their sewing and embroidery, and after the bath sit for hours chatting, sewing, and smoking the water pipe. When the woman returns home from the bath she is full of the gossip of the neighborhood and has plenty to talk about for a week to come. In Turkey all sects can visit the bath, but the Persians allow no one to bathe with them but the faithful followers of the Prophet.— Exchange.