ASIAN GAMES TORCH IN ESFAHAN

Peninsula On-line, Qatar
Nov 9 2006

A man astride a horse carries the 15th Asian Games torch in Mashad,
Iran.

Esfahan ~U The 15th Doha Asian Games Torch Relay left the Holy City
of Mashad, Iran, and reached the 2006 Cultural Capital of the Islamic
world, the ancient Iranian city of Esfahan.

A bright and clear, sunny day greeted the Flame Plane as it touched
down at Esfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport yesterday.

H E Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the 15th Asian Games Torch Relay
Ambassador, was welcomed by girls and boys dressed in brightly coloured
traditional outfits as he walked down the steps from the aircraft.

Sheikh Joaan was welcomed by the dignitaries from the province of
Esfahan, Governor, Dr Mourteza Saghaian Nejad; Mayor, Dr. Sayaid
Morteza Saghaiannejari; together with the Secretary-General of
Physical Education, Behrouz Momtakhabi and representatives from
the Iranian Olympic Committee; President Dr Reza Gharakhanlou and
Secretary General Ali Kafashian.

The Torch Relay started the day with a reading from the Koran at
Monar-e-Jonban, the Shaking Minarets.

First Torch-bearer, the city Mayor, Bakhtiari, stood under the famous
minarets which both shake in harmony if one is vibrated by someone
inside. Once the shaking began, the Relay was off on its six hour,
40km route through the city. Bakhtiari ran across a small footpath
then exchanged the Flame with Momtakhabi. The Relay continued on
along the Atashgah Boulevard before crossing the 186m Marnan Bridge,
built in 1636CE by the Armenian administrator, Khaje Sarfaraz.

After a loop up to Sofeh Park, taking in the beautiful Armenian Vank
Church, the Torch Route hugged the banks of the Ziyande River:

Three more bridges were crossed, the Khagou Bridge, built during the
Safavid Dynasty; the Sharestan Bridge, the oldest bridge in Esfahan and
the Siospol Bridge, a unique construction with 33 spectacular arches.

Some of the alternative modes of transport used in the Esfahan leg
of the Relay included grass skiers, a first for the 2006 Relay,
kayaks on the Ziyande River – the kayaks escorting the Flame showing
their commitment to the day by capsizing to show the Torch Relay
logo emblazoned on their bottoms – and a horse and carriage along
Charbagh Street.

As dusk fell on the city, the Flame arrived on horseback at the UNESCO
World Heritage Site and second largest city square in the world,
the Naghsh-I Jahan Square.

Overlooked by the breathtaking Shah and Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosques on
the southern and eastern sides of the square, the Flame was handed
to Ahmad Reza Kiani and Ali Malekpour who were joined by taekwondo
world champion and Athens 2004 gold medallist, Hadi Saee.

Saee, Malekpour and Kiani walked along 76 metres of beautiful,
hand-woven Persian carpet to the Torch Relay celebration site.

Together they ignited the cauldron which initiated the performance of
a traditional Iranian song sung in three languages; Arabic, English
and Farsi, and a performance from a twirling dance troupe.

Today, the Flame travels to its last stop in Iran, the capital city
Tehran, which hosted the 1974 Asian Games.
From: Baghdasarian