Tuesday, April 30, 2024

The Story of the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse: 25 Years of Global Friendship

dushanbe tea house

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.

Dushanbe Tea House

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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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.

experience the teahouse

Rohat Teahouse demolition still under consideration Tajikistan News ASIA-Plus - ASIA-Plus

Rohat Teahouse demolition still under consideration Tajikistan News ASIA-Plus.

Posted: Thu, 03 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The work was crafted by hand exactly as it was centuries ago. Inside the Teahouse, there are 12 intricately carved cedar columns. When visitors are asked about their favorite things to do in Boulder, the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse inevitably makes the list of top attractions to see. This architecturally dazzling Persian teahouse was a gift from a sister city in Tajikistan.

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.

THE CARVED PLASTER PANELS

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 History of Afternoon Tea

Local Boulder architect Vern Seieroe traveled to Dushanbe and collaborated with teahouse architect Lado Shanidze to enclose the originally open-air structure while still preserving the integrity of the Tajik design. And in 1990, the teahouse was disassembled, packed into 200 shipping containers and sent on the long journey by train, ship and tractor trailer to Boulder. These services require a 24 hour minimum advanced reservation, with both dietary restrictions and credit card information to be confirmed. These services are seated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Keep reading to discover the unlikely story of how the teahouse came to Boulder. Who would operate it once open, and how — as a museum, teahouse or restaurant? The discussions took time, but eventually, thanks to a few stalwart champions of the project, the project came together at last. In 1987, on a visit to Boulder, Dushanbe’s mayor announced his plan to present Boulder with a Tajik chaikhona, a place to sip tea (chai), meet up with friends, play chess and enjoy light snacks. Over the next several years, a group of 40 Tajik artisans constructed, carved and painted a 1,700-square-foot teahouse in Dushanbe that, when finished, was valued at $750,000. In Central Asia, teahouses serve as gathering places where friends meet to talk or play chess over a cup of tea.

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 Topchans are traditional raised platform seating options that are often seen in Tajikistan. Our guests often request the Topchans when making a reservation. The ceiling of the Teahouse was carved and painted with intricate patterns traditional of Persian Art. The teahouse ceiling was originally built, carved and painted in Tajikistan. Absolutely no power tools were used in the original construction.

dushanbe tea house

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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