Explore Amazing Historical Houses in Kashan
When you are travelling in Iran, make sure you visit amazing historical houses in Kashan to learn more about the traditional life in Iran. A careful visit and study of these houses reveal lots of points about how life used to go on in Iran in the past and before modernization.
Traditional Life in Iran Demands Such Lifestyle
You should visit Kashan at some hot season, if you can tolerate the heat in the first place, to realize why old houses of this town are built that way. When you are travelling in Iran, you will notice that in the towns and cities in central Iran, people observe siesta tradition due to the heat of the mid day. All shops and bazaar close down for a few hours until it cools down a bit later in the afternoon.
Compared to other cities of Iran, even those at more southern parts, I have rarely seen such a heat that keep people in their houses until around 6 instead of 4 or 5 pm. Just imagine how hot it could get in summer time. Now, the secret is revealed to you. People resort to their houses to stay in a cool place where they can relax and let their bodies rest and revitalize to continue their daily works.
Once you are inside Kashan's Bazaar or any other indoor working places, temperature isn't noticed, but customers cannot go to them in such heat. Therefore, instead of staying at work and do nothing, they have had to go home and take rest.
What's So Amazing About Historical Houses in Kashan?
Throughout the centuries, people have learned that thick mud-made walls or sun-dried bricks inlaid in bearing walls make good insulation system. This is the dominant way of building houses in different parts of Iran at the edge of desert. Historical houses of Kashan have used the same method, but in elegant ways.
There are beautiful sash windows with colorful glass, plasterworks, paintings on the walls and ceilings, basements and wind catchers (badgirs), etc are among the great features that add lots of beauty to these houses.
Underground water channels called Kariz or Qanat water supplement system brings water to these houses and you see it flowing through pools in the courtyards to increase the level of moisture in the dry climate of Kashan. Houses have got windows opening to the courtyard in the central part of them.
The most important of them all is the adjusted temperature inside these old houses in Kashan. You don't believe there is no electrical air-condition inside them. The temperature inside these houses is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius cooler than outside. Wind catchers are doing their amazing jobs of cooling down inside while water in the pools helps and thick walls protect you from the heat.
The southern part of these houses has a section called Shah-neshin, meaning a place for the king to sit. Actually, it means the best place of the house where Shah deserves to sit and relax. Usually house owners invited their guests to sit in those sections to be away from the heat of the days.
Introducing some Historical Houses in Kashan
Once you are traveling in Kashan, there are so many choices of old houses that you don't know which ones to visit. You can pick up one of them to visit if you are short of time, but going to all of them will not be boring to you as each one has got its own delightful setting. They all belonged to the richest merchants of the city during 19th century.
Some of the most famous ones are Houses of Boroujerdi-ha, Tabatabai-ha, Abbasi-ha, Amery-ha, etc. Ha is the plural suffix in Persian showing that this big house belonged to the family of so and so. They are good examples of wealthy families' traditional life in Iran of 19th century.
Traditional Life in Iran Demands Such Lifestyle
You should visit Kashan at some hot season, if you can tolerate the heat in the first place, to realize why old houses of this town are built that way. When you are travelling in Iran, you will notice that in the towns and cities in central Iran, people observe siesta tradition due to the heat of the mid day. All shops and bazaar close down for a few hours until it cools down a bit later in the afternoon.
Compared to other cities of Iran, even those at more southern parts, I have rarely seen such a heat that keep people in their houses until around 6 instead of 4 or 5 pm. Just imagine how hot it could get in summer time. Now, the secret is revealed to you. People resort to their houses to stay in a cool place where they can relax and let their bodies rest and revitalize to continue their daily works.
Once you are inside Kashan's Bazaar or any other indoor working places, temperature isn't noticed, but customers cannot go to them in such heat. Therefore, instead of staying at work and do nothing, they have had to go home and take rest.
What's So Amazing About Historical Houses in Kashan?
Throughout the centuries, people have learned that thick mud-made walls or sun-dried bricks inlaid in bearing walls make good insulation system. This is the dominant way of building houses in different parts of Iran at the edge of desert. Historical houses of Kashan have used the same method, but in elegant ways.
There are beautiful sash windows with colorful glass, plasterworks, paintings on the walls and ceilings, basements and wind catchers (badgirs), etc are among the great features that add lots of beauty to these houses.
Underground water channels called Kariz or Qanat water supplement system brings water to these houses and you see it flowing through pools in the courtyards to increase the level of moisture in the dry climate of Kashan. Houses have got windows opening to the courtyard in the central part of them.
The most important of them all is the adjusted temperature inside these old houses in Kashan. You don't believe there is no electrical air-condition inside them. The temperature inside these houses is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius cooler than outside. Wind catchers are doing their amazing jobs of cooling down inside while water in the pools helps and thick walls protect you from the heat.
The southern part of these houses has a section called Shah-neshin, meaning a place for the king to sit. Actually, it means the best place of the house where Shah deserves to sit and relax. Usually house owners invited their guests to sit in those sections to be away from the heat of the days.
Introducing some Historical Houses in Kashan
Once you are traveling in Kashan, there are so many choices of old houses that you don't know which ones to visit. You can pick up one of them to visit if you are short of time, but going to all of them will not be boring to you as each one has got its own delightful setting. They all belonged to the richest merchants of the city during 19th century.
Some of the most famous ones are Houses of Boroujerdi-ha, Tabatabai-ha, Abbasi-ha, Amery-ha, etc. Ha is the plural suffix in Persian showing that this big house belonged to the family of so and so. They are good examples of wealthy families' traditional life in Iran of 19th century.
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