to the French traveller Jean Chardin, who was in 17th-century Safavid Iran, drinking was mainly done in order to get drunk fast hence the appreciation of Iranians for strong wines. Alcoholic drinks were commonly drunk amongst the elite, and Muslims often visited the taverns; however, alcohol was "formally outlawed", hence it could not operate in the reality of everyday life. Thus, in turn, as Matthee explains, the drinking of wine "became a metaphor for the ardent feelings of the lover for the beloved in the imaginary world of (mystical) poetry". Legends and myths According to Iranian legend, wine was discovered by a girl despondent over her rejection by the king. The girl decided to commit suicide by drinking the spoiled residue left by rotting table grapes. Instead of poisoning the girl, the fermented must caused her to pass out to awaken the next morning with the realization that life was worth living. She reported back to the king her discovery of the intoxicating qualities of the spoiled grape juice and was rewarded for her find. Depiction in Persian miniatures Miniature painting in Persia developed into a sophisticated art in which the most important element that all these paintings share is their subjects. The subjects that are mainly chosen from Hafez’s “Ghazaliyat” or Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. Therefore, the Persian wine, Mey, and Persian wine server (or cup bearer), Saghi, are essential parts to a majority of these paintings. Usually, the old man in the painting is Hafez or Khayyam, who, having left his scholarly position and books behind, is now drunk in Kharabat (a mystical rundown tavern located in a remote and poor corner of town) or in Golshan (garden) drinking wine from the hands of gorgeous Saghis. In Persian poetry, grapes and wine appear frequently with symbolic, metaphorical, and actual meanings. See also Alcohol in Iran Persian culture Shirazi wine Beer in Iran References Sources Further reading Willem Floor, “The Culture of Wine Drinking in Pre-Mongol Iran,” in Wine Culture in Iran and Beyond, ed. Bert G. Fragner, Ralph Kauz, and Florian Schwarz (Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2014), 165-209 External links Persian wine tradition and symbolism: Evidence from the medieval poetry of Hafiz The History of Wine: It all started in Iran in the Zagros Mountains. Depiction of Wine in Persian Miniature Wine Ancient wine Wine by country Wine regions Iranian inventions