Qom souvenirs | They don’t sum up in the tasty Sohan!
Qom is a small city located 140 km to the south of Tehran. The city is one of the most important pilgrimage cities of Iran; and because Fatima Masoumeh’s shrine and also Jamkaran are located in the city, every year many tourists visit it. After visiting Fatima Masoumeh’s shrine in Qom, probably the next thing you want to do is to buy some handicrafts and souvenirs from Qom city. Just like the attractions that are more than the famous shrine of Fatima Masoumeh, Qom souvenirs are more than the tasty and famous Sohan! Keep reading, because in this article we will introduce them to you!
Qom souvenirs
The name of Qom city and Qom souvenirs are reminiscent of Sohan. But did you know that Qom has various other souvenirs? The city has a great variety of handicrafts and souvenirs. Hand-woven carpets, pottery, brick and ceramic works, mosaics, halva types, hand-made rings, beads, decorative accessories, inlays and etc. are among the souvenirs of Qom that are less known than Sohan of Qom. It is not without grace to get acquainted with these souvenirs of Qom before traveling to this city.
Sohan | The most famous and delicious souvenir of Qom
Sohan is the most famous souvenir of Qom. However, in all cities of Iran, you can buy sohan from confectioneries; but if you are looking for the best and highest quality sohan, you should look for it in Qom.
The main ingredients of this delicious souvenir are: wheat, butter, saffron and cardamom for flavor and color. Different types of Sohan are: gezi (a mix of gaz and sohan), honey, sesame, traditional, morsel, pastry, almond, nut and butter flavors.
Regarding the background of sohan cooking in Qom, it is interesting to know that this profession became one of the traditional occupations of the people of this city from the Qajar period. It also has a story behind it; they say that on the opening day of the shrine of Fatimah Masoumeh in Qom, a person made a very tasty and delicious pastry. They named this halva “sohan” (means scraper) because it digested food easily.
Gaz | Competing with Isfahan‘s gaz!
Gaz is actually one of the most famous souvenirs of Isfahan; and most people don’t think that they can buy gaz from other cities. But this popular sweet is also very famous and popular in Qom and is one of the souvenirs of this city.
We can say that they cook gaz in all sohan cooking workshops in Qom! Fresh and delicious gaz that can compete with the unique gaz of Isfahan. If you go to this city and Sohan stores, do not forget to buy a fresh package of gaz.
Halva | Is there anyone who is not a fan of halva?!
Halva is one of our traditional Iranian dishes and in almost every city you can find a type of local halva specific to that city. It is a super delicious dessert that they cook from: Flour, saffron, butter, water and sugar. The city of Qom, like every other city in Iran, also has it’s own traditional halva. They make various halvahs in Qom, including sesame halvah, hemp seed and ardeh halva.
Kasmeh bread | The unknown souvenir of Qom
One of the most delicious souvenirs of Qom is Kasmeh bread that they bake it in home ovens. The ingredients of this bread are flour, eggs, turmeric, saffron and juice or sugar. This bread is lexically another form of cookie; they are available in three types of sesame in the form of round, oval and special. The special Kasmeh has more amount of sugar in it and is a little brighter than the 2 other kinds. Also it has more saffron and is full of ginger and cardamom; and they sprinkle sesame on it. Special Kasmeh bread it is more expensive, which is sometimes called ginger bread too.
Rugs and carpets | Carpet weaving in Qom is internationally famous.
If you are looking for valuable and precious souvenirs in Qom, silk carpets are beyond your expectations. Many years have passed since the beginning of the weaving silk carpet in Qom; but this carpet still retains it’s originality. In the texture of this Qom souvenir, excellent materials and natural colors are used. Also, the design used in this carpet is one of the Iranian sights.
What distinguishes Qom silk carpet from other silk carpets is it’s pure silk taropod. The silks you see in the texture of a carpet from Qom are very delicate. In the combination of color and role of Qom carpet, there is a special and unique innovation and harmony. This carpet has a lot of color variation; Twenty to thirty colors and in some cases up to a hundred colors are included. They use completely natural materials including pomegranate skin, walnut skin, alum, spruce, rhubarb and… in silk dyeing.
You can buy Qom’s silk carpets from bazaar of Qom. This place is in the center of Qom city and is more than 400 years old. So even if you don’t want to buy a carpet, we recommend you to visit this place and enjoy the beautiful architecture and alluring view that carpets make.
Kharmohreh | A special souvenir!
Kharmohreh (meaning big bead) is one of the famous handicrafts of Qom, which has a high reputation and prestige in Iran and in the world. The history of the construction of Kharmohreh dates back to 5000 years ago and in the relics left by Sumer. Kharmohreh means a large bead that is made in various forms and has different uses among different ethnic groups in Iran and the world. It is often made in blue; but there is also glass and black and white from of it available too. The use of persimmon for jewelry, repelling negative energies, repelling eyes and false thoughts, brings luck, and so on.
Handmade rings | The religous souvenir from Qom
Due to the large presence of religious tourists in Qom province, ring making is expanding in Qom and it’s prosperity is increasing day by day. The history of production and use of this souvenir of Qom dates back to two thousand years BC.
The bases of the rings has different shapes such as hinges, V-shaped hinges, walled or holes, channels, paving stones, beads, clusters, alignments and ballerinas. The jewels of the rings are precious and semi-precious stones which are emerald, diamond, turquoise and… . Agate is one of the stones needed to make a ring; and due to the existence of agate mines in Qom province, ring making has flourished among the souvenirs of Qom.
Pottery | A souvenir with a long history
The art of pottery is very popular in Qom province due to it’s good soil and it is also a souvenir of Qom. The history of production and use of pottery in Qom is very long. In Qom pottery, traditional forms and techniques have gradually changed over time. Containers that are first made from flowers and finally become attractive works with handicrafts and carvings, paintings and embossed designs on it. Today, these products are marketed with enamel coating and have their own lovers. Qomi green glaze has long been a characteristic of Qom pottery and distinguished from other pottery products of other regions.
Which of Qom souvenirs did you like the most? Let us know by commenting your favorite one!
