Photo of the Day

I took this photo on the side walk of the courthouse in Kerman in May (1998).

In the old days illiteracy was rampant in Iran. People who wanted to have a letter written to their parents, children or spouse, had to refer to a "mollaa-benvis" - a professional scribe - who would do this for a modest fee. Their place of business was on the sidewalk or the steps of the post office, and they were equipped with a few sheets of paper, different pens and an ink-well, etc., sitting on a lamb skin, resting the paper pad on their knee while writing.

A modern version of the same is seen here. Of course they are now armed with a typewriter, a desk and chair, and they satisfy the clients' demand of letters of "arz-e haal" in legal lingo.

Farivar Yaghmai
FYAGHMAI@mail.mcg.edu

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