1 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign ...

MILLER: The building was only – the consulate was only one block away, and it faced
the Mojasemeh, and bordered on the north by a small stream which was dry part of the
year, but was part of the irrigation system, they are called mahdis in Isfahan and the
mahdis are part of some comic events later. This was a feature of Isfahan, that it had
canals, so to speak, for irrigation. From the Zayandeh Rud River, the main stream that
comes down from the Zagros Mountains. The word Zayandehrud means “the living
river,” which it literally is, it gives life to that whole part of Iran.
So the consulate was on one side and the bicycle shop was under us and next to us on the
other was the home of an Armenian, doctor/antiquarian named Doctor Caro Minassian,
who was one of the few good physicians of Isfahan. He was a leader of the Armenian
community, and an extremely learned man. We became very good friends. He introduced
us to the world of archaeology, antiquities and learning in Isfahan. He cared for us
medically on occasion when we were in need of help. He and his wife were very, very
good friends. He gave us an introduction to the art and literature and history of Isfahan
from the 16 th century to the present day. He himself was living example of a descendent
of those Armenians who came in the time of Shah Abbas and prospered in this Persian
landscape.
He also kept various animals in his garden next to ours, including, as I recall, two
enormous land tortoises. They were the size of coffee tables. They were enormous. They
were delight for children who would ride them. He had desert birds and so on. He was a
wonderful, wonderful man – a kind of Dr. Doolittle.
The consulate itself was made out of a 19 th century building that had been a merchants
residence. It was basically an entry hall with one or two offices on the ground floor for the
Iranian staff of which we had three, not including the guards. The senior Persian assistant
was Baquer Dehesh, a courtly, very handsome well educated well respected citizen of
Isfahan. Mr. Dehesh, whose polite manners exemplified the best of Iranian culture was
educated in Tehran at Alborz College under the legendary Dr. Jordan. Alborz College, a
Presbyterian missionary college which educated many of Iran’s leaders during the 20s,
30s, 40s, and fifties. Mr. Dehesh was well known to all the key officials, bazaari, clerics
and tribal leaders of Isfahan and it was through Mr. Dehesh that I met all the key leaders
of Isfahan and was able to learn about many of the particular ways of Isfahan. He and his
wife made our entry into Isfahani life an easy transition. There was also Khalil Ghazagh,
who a was jack-of-all-trades administrative assistant – he translated, he was the
receptionist, he typed unclassified material. He was an access to places and people that
we needed. Then there was a man named Sayed Soroosh, who was a university professor,
but was the assistant to the USIA, USIS person. He, of course, knew the university
people, and many of the learned of Isfahan.
Then there was a third Persian named Abol Hassan Sepenta, a brilliant poet and
filmmaker who worked for the Americans because he needed money. He was also a
newspaper man, he was the editor of a one man Isfahan newspaper Spenta. He became a
very good friend right to the end, right to his death. He really knew the country and loved
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