Dushanbe Tea House – Boulder, Colorado

I like to do a little research before any trip. This helps me find the hidden gems others have shared and make sure I have enough time to see everything I can while I’m there. I’d started researching Colorado and planning about a month before leaving and I was especially excited to visit the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House.

This architectural masterpiece is located right in downtown Boulder, sitting pretty behind greenery and roses. Although it’s beautiful, you could easily pass by if you weren’t seeking it out directly. I won’t give you every detail (because this would be approximately 17 paragraphs long) but I thought I’d share a little taste of each beauty this gem has to offer.

Lets start with the outside. The front of the tea house is graced with 8 colorful ceramic pieces created by Victor Zabolotnikov depicting the “Tree of Life”. Zabolotnikov created these in Tajikistan, cut them into pieces, and had them carefully packed and reconstructed together for the outside of the building.

Now close your eyes and take a journey inside with me. Look to the center of the room and notice

The “Fountain of Seven Beauties”. Based on the 12th Century Poem “The Seven Beauties” by Nizami Ganjavi; seven copper sculptures stand strong and lovely as the Tea House’s center piece. Each sculpture represents seven princesses:

THE INDIAN PRINCESS/ THE ROMAN PRINCESS/ THE PRINCESS FROM KHARAZM/ THE SLAV PRINCESS/ THE PRINCESS FROM MAGRIB/ THE CHINESE PRINCESS/ THE IRANIAN PRINCESS

Now look to the back walls…

the  intricately carved plaster panels kissing the back walls were hand carved by Kodir Rhakimov, to portray ancient Persian art.

Standing as the backbones around the teahouse are

12 intricately carved cedar columns, each column is unique and sent directly from Tajikistan.

Now for the best part (if you haven’t noticed already)…DON’T FORGET TO LOOK UP!

The traditional Persian carved and hand painted ceiling was originally built, carved, and painted in Tajikistan. Just as artists did centuries ago, Zabolotnikov used no power tools in the construction. He then came to Colorado and helped oversee the contraction of the teahouse and touch up anything so each square inch of the building was perfect.

For lunch I ordered the:

Spicy Indonesian Peanut Noodles
tofu   11    chicken   13
rice noodles, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts,
peppers, spicy peanut sauce

A treasure chest of flavors and textures; this dish was amazing. It’s one of those meals that you keep eating yet it never gets smaller, but you keep eating anyway because every bite is so delicious. A definite order to share. I didn’t order tea (What the hell right?) I thought we would have a chance to go back and hot tea in summer didn’t trump a rum drink named Rainforest Downpour. So lesson learned, do it while you’re there because you never know if you’ll have time to go back.

This is just a tiny glimpse into the wonders of Boulders Palace Teahouse. I hope if you’re passing through Boulder, you take time to stop into the Dushanbe Tea House for lunch, tea, and breathtaking artistry. (And maybe match your outfit to the building.)

HAPPY WANDERING

All information was gained from research, visiting, and the Tea House website.

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