TODAY I'M VISITING MY COUSINS AND RELATIVES IN IRAN THESE ARE MY COUSINS I'VE COME TO
THE CITY OF ESFAHAN TO SEE FAMILY THIS IS ALI RIZZAT AND THIS IS ROSE GOLD
MY NAME IS ROSE THEY BOTH GREW UP HERE WE'RE EXPLORING THIS HISTORIC DISTRICT THEN I'M
GOING TO THIS FAMOUS SQUARE TO HAVE LUNCH WITH A COUSIN WHO GREW UP HERE BUT NOW LIVES IN THE
U.S AFTER I'M VISITING THIS FAMOUS BRIDGE WHERE PEOPLE COME TO SING WITH BEAUTIFUL ACOUSTICS
THEN I'M GOING TO SEE ALI RIZZO'S OFFICE OFTEN IS MY COUSIN AS HE WORKS AS AN ARCHITECT AT
NIGHT WE'RE GOING TO A FAMILY FARM WHERE I GET TO EXPERIENCE A SLOWER PACE THAN I'M USED TO
MY GREAT GRANDPA HAD 11 KIDS WHICH MEANS MY MOM HAS 10 AUNTS AND UNCLES
MANY OF THEM LIVE HERE TODAY WE'RE VISITING THEM MY NAME IS ROSE GOLD AND MY NAME IS ALI REZA
WELCOME TO SWAN ALI RAZAL WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN ESFAHAN HE'S AN ARCHITECT WITH HIS OWN CLIENTS
THEN THERE'S ROSE GOLD SHE'S A PROJECT MANAGER WHO WAS ALSO BORN AND RAISED HERE HER MOM USED TO BE
AN ENGLISH TEACHER SO ANYTIME I ASK THEM TO SPEAK ENGLISH THEY LOOK TO HER THE EXPERT I'M YOUR AUNT
ONE OF THE FAMOUS MATERIAL IN THE WORLD IS THE CARPETS AND THE ROCKS IN ISLAM
ALL RIGHT LET'S GO EXPLORE LET'S GO WE ARE HERE
JOLPHA WAS ESTABLISHED MORE THAN 400 YEARS AGO AS AN ARMENIAN QUARTER IT'S A HISTORIC AREA
BUT ALSO MIXED WITH MODERN VIBES AND MANY COOL COFFEE SHOPS AS WELL WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD
WE COME TO THIS BEAR UNI RESTAURANT BEAR UNI IS A VERY UNIQUE FOOD SPECIFIC TO ESVAHAN IN FACT
WHEN RESTAURANTS MAKE THIS YOU WON'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE ON THEIR MENU BECAUSE THIS IS SO POPULAR IT'S
FRIED MEAT USUALLY LAMB SERVED WITH ONIONS AND GREENS AND A FRESHLY MADE BREAD IT'S QUITE FATTY
BUT KNOWN TO BE THE MOST FAMOUS FOOD FROM THIS PART OF IRAN THIS IS A VERY TRADITIONAL PERSIAN
TRADITION TO HAVE A LITTLE UH POOL OF WATER THAT'S NOT FOR SWIMMING BUT IT'S JUST KIND
OF LIKE A WATERFALL WITH PLANTS AND FLOWERS IN THERE IT BRINGS ME TO THE CHILDHOOD MEMORY I
REMEMBER MY GRANDPA HAD A HOUSE JUST LIKE THIS WITH A LITTLE A WATERFALL AND A POOL
NEXT WE COME TO WHAT'S CALLED NAZCA JAHAN SQUARE THIS AREA DATES BACK TO 1598 AND IT'S HERE WHERE
WE GO TO THE BAZAAR TO MEET UP WITH ALI RAZAL'S OLDER SISTER SHE NOW LIVES IN THE U.S AND HAPPENS
TO BE VISITING BACK HOME AFTER MORE THAN FIVE YEARS SHE'S BROUGHT HER KIDS WITH HER TO VISIT HER
HOMETOWN AND FAMILY MY NAME IS SARAH I'M TRAVELING AFTER FIVE AND A HALF YEARS I'M ORIGINALLY FROM
HERE BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME I'M BRINGING MY DAUGHTER AND MY SON THIS PLACE AND HOW DOES IT
FEEL TO BE BACK IT WAS GOOD EXCITING BUT NOT SOME CHANGES DON'T ASK ME HOW BUT WE SOMEHOW FIND THIS
UNIQUE RESTAURANT IN THE BACK ALLEYWAYS WE ORDER KEBABS THAT'S SERVED WITH BREAD OR RICE MY NAME IS
AVA AND I'M EIGHT YEARS OLD AND THIS IS MY FOURTH TIME COMING TO ASIA FOOD IS REALLY GOOD THAT IS
THE BAZAAR IS BEHIND ME THE MOSQUE IS OVER HERE I WANT TO REALLY EXPLORE THIS PLACE
AND GET TO SEE WHAT IS INSIDE
THIS MOSQUE WAS BUILT WHEN ESFAHAN BECAME THE CAPITAL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE
IT'S SAID TO HAVE 18 MILLION BRICKS AND NEARLY HALF A MILLION TILES
THE ARCHITECTURE SYMBOLIZES ONE OF THE PRIDES OF PERSIAN DESIGN AND ALI RAZA IS VERY EXCITED
TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE LITTLE DETAILS KHAJU BRIDGE IT'S ONE OF THE HISTORICAL BRIDGES HERE
ON THE ZAYANDER ROUTE WHICH IS THE LARGE RIVER IN THE PAST THIS PLACE SERVED AS A
MEETING POINT FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS IT WAS BUILT 370 YEARS AGO THE BRIDGE IS CONSIDERED A TOKEN
OF IRANIAN AND ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE TODAY IT'S A POPULAR GATHERING PLACE FOR FAMILIES IT'S
ALSO A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GATHER TO LISTEN AND HEAR PEOPLE POUR THEIR HEART INTO SINGING
OH
ALI RAZA HAS MADE HIMSELF A HOME OFFICE I COME AND SEE HIS NEW PLACE
HE'S ALSO EXCITED TO SHOW US HIS NEW CAT
HE HAS HIS ROOM IN ONE AREA AND HIS OFFICE IN ANOTHER THIS IS WHERE HE CAN HAVE CLIENT
MEETINGS WE ALSO GET TO SEE RENDERINGS OF HIS UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT HE'S DESIGNING
AT NIGHT WE GO TO MY MOM'S UNCLE'S FARM
AS SOMEONE WHO IS ADMITTEDLY LIVING MUCH OF MY LIFE ON THE INTERNET I APPRECIATE THE SLOWER
PACE OF TAKING A WALK THROUGH A FAMILY FARM NOT JUST THE NATURE I'M IMMERSING
MYSELF IN BUT THE JOY IT BRINGS TO THEM TO SEE FRUIT GROWING OR A NEW TREE THAT WAS PLANTED
I WISH I COULD APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS MORE THE WAY THAT THEY CAN
AFTER EXPLORING THE FARM IT'S TIME FOR DINNER
IS
UH
I DON'T KNOW