Travel to the most beautiful traditional houses in Iran
Kashan is one of the oldest cities in Iran and the first civilization of urbanization is laid in the Sialk hills with more than 10,000 years of historical history. This old and historic city with the most beautiful buildings is located on the edge of the central desert. In this historic city, you can visit the unique monuments such as the Sialk Hill, Feen Garden Jalalieh Fort(1000-year-old), and the Bazaar also you can visit the most beautiful traditional houses with their special architecture. Kashan's houses are one of the most beautiful traditional houses in Iran, with different architectural decorations.
 |
KASHAN is a city of 300,000 people located in the Iranian province of Isfahan. Kashan faces the mountains to the west and desert to the east where Iran's largest astronomical telescope sits. Almost everyone who travels to Iran likes to visit Kashan. because of all the beauty and fame attributed to the name: Kashan. Part of this fame comes from archaeological sites, manor houses and historic houses, fantastic sand dunes and salt lakes in the desert, and so on. Kashan enjoys being located in the south-north Iranian corridor, making it a two- or three-hour drive to Tehran or Isfahan, although visitors prefer to stay longer than two days to enjoy everything they can. Chronologically, various historical sites in and around the city indicate its historic settlement. Kashan is known as one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a city built in Sialk 5,000 BC. Traces of such an ancient civilization have been pursued in pottery, copper, and bronze objects found in the Sialk Hills. These objects decorate a number of famous museums around the world. Today, Kashan's name is closely associated with carpeting, velvet, and rosewater, but more recently with its particularly romantic historic homes. Twice, Kashan was destroyed by invading armies: the Mongols and Mohammad Afghan and once in 1778, most of the city was turned into ruins by the earthquake. After the devastating earthquake, Kashan was rebuilt under surveillance and committed a loan from his governor: Abdolrazaq Khan Kashi whose house is waiting for a renovation inside the old texture of the city. Here are some remarkable sites to see:
The Sialk Hills is located southwest of the right side of the road that connects the city itself to the district of Feen. The Sialk territory was the oldest and richest in central Iran. The oldest settlement in Sialk dates back to 5 millennia BCE. This area is composed of two main hills: the North Hill (Site A) and the South Hill (Site B), 600 meters apart. The remaining portion is a 15.94-meter high ziggurat comprising a three-story deck with a landing on the first platform and a flight of steps. It is one of the oldest ziggurats in Iran.
 |
The AQABOZORG Mosque is a multipurpose center offering religious programs. This monument, one of the most important buildings of previous centuries, has remained intact but, fortunately, it has fulfilled its responsibility for religious education since the Qajar period. The construction of this building was carried out on the basis of traditional Persian architecture. The main courtyard is surrounded by two-story buildings and a special corridor called Taromi, connecting different sections of the monument.
BAZAAR
Kashan's BAZAR has been developed and developed as an example of an Islamic market throughout history. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who visited Iran in the Safavid era during the reign of Shah Abbas, said, "Kashan Bazaar is unique in the world and is two thousand feet long. beautiful, with well-covered vaulted roofs and large comfortable caravansaries. "The Kashan Bazaar with a large number of mosques, shrines, caravanserais, timbers, baths, and water reserves is one of the most enjoyable in Iran.
Feen garden and neighborhood
The Feen district seduced kings and rulers and offered its exhilarating freshwater from the good old days. Feen Garden has a great history. The construction of this garden dates back to the Buyid period. The garden buildings were demolished earthquake. later, the buildings were redesigned and rebuilt by al-Kashi in 1591 with the approval of King Abbas Safavid. The monument has structures such as a building on the doorstep, many towers, and bastions.
The Qajar Shotorgeloos (specific irrigation systems), a public hammam (royal bath), a Royal Karim-Khan retirement palace, a royal hall, and finally a museum, a garden, where the abundance of buildings, swimming pools, and ditches with fountains in their beautiful beauty portrait, represents the design of the Persian gardens to perfection Feen Garden was listed in the national heritage of 1936. Later in 2012, next to 8 other Persian gardens, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. the garden follows:
Water distribution: The Soleimanieh spring travels a distance of 2 km and crosses 17 wells before draining from its qanat outlet, just behind the Garden of Fin. Under the command of Shah Abbass, Feen Garden was located right next to the spring exit, making it the first place where water flowed.
Safavid Kooshk: A Kooshk is a small palace generally located in the center of a Persian garden, at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical axes. The central two-story Kooshk was built during the period of Shah Abbas Safavid I for various purposes, ranging from recreation to the holding of celebrations and public meetings. A fascinating pavilion was added later to the top of this building, of which no trace remains. The Kooshk Safavid is a four-seater building with an extroverted design, that is to say, it overlooks the four sides of the garden. The presence of a pond in the center of the building creates a very pleasant space. Water flows on the pond by gravity as a source of water. Water flows from the female water source (the female source) down the earth's slope through the underground channels and finally reaches the pond.
Baths: There are two adjacent Hamams (Baths), big and small, on the east side of the garden behind the rampart. Historically, these baths are known to belong to the Safavid and Qajar periods. These two baths are connected today and their exterior entrances are closed. In 1852, Amir Kabir was assassinated in the public bathhouse. He was Prime Minister from 1848 to 1851, under the regime of Nasir Al-Din Shah.
Bubbling Pool: This admirable example of hydraulic engineering was built during the Qajar period. This pool introduces an amazing water flow system. There are 160 holes in the bottom of the pool; Water flows through 80 holes in the pool and then through the other 80. Then, the clay drainage pipes bring the water into a pool with 12 fountains, which operates the fountains.
 |
VILLAGES and CITIES
You can also visit Kashan and the suburbs on daily tours program:
Niasar City has located 30 km on Kashan-Mashhad Ardehal road. The historical a natural tourist spots of this city include the Sassanid fire temple, a waterfall Point cave, a historical bath and mill, and shrine pilgrimage
Ghamsar City: Every year in May, the festival of Rose and Rosewater is held in Kashan. The rosewater distilled in Qamsar is already globally renowned, especially among Muslims because the holy Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed with Qamsar Rosewater.
Mashhad Ardehal is the village where the shrine of Soltan Ali Ibn Imam Mohamad Bagher son of Shiite fifth Imam is located, 41 kilometers northwest of Kashan. On the second Friday of Mehr (the first month of fall) in a religious ceremony called Qali Shuyan, the Shiite mourners wash the carpets of the shrine which is the symbol of the holy body of Soltan Ali wrapped in a carpet.
Aran & Bidgol neighboring cities house Imamzadeh Helal Ibn Alis holy shrine which enjoys a specific architecture characterized by a dome, two minarets, and spacious northern and southern courtyards with guest rooms. The Maranjab Desert is a 40-km trip on a gravel road from Aran & Bidgol. It houses sand dunes, a salt lake, and an old caravanserai which makes it a unique place to experience intact deserts.
The Underground City of Noosh Abad is a remarkable complex of tunnels, 8km north of Kashan, originally grew up around a Freshwater spring, credited with supplying delicious, crystal-clear water. Considered a masterpiece of Sassanian architecture, the underground city was conducted on three levels between 4m and 18m
•The city merited a number of ingenious devices to 10 ambush hostile intruders, such as curving or and disguised pits covered with stones.
Abyaneh:
The ancient village of Abyaneh in Natanz County is 72 km far from Kashan. The village has been called an entrance to Iranian history. The language spoken by natives is an old Persian variety and people still wear their traditional clothes. Abyaneh is a warren of steep, twisting lanes and crumbling red mud-brick houses with lattice windows and fragile wooden balconies.
Kashan Houses & Architecture
Traditional Persian residential architecture is an architecture used by local craftsmen. This was inspired by various cultures and elements from the Islamic and pre-Islamic periods. All houses enjoyed a courtyard and flowerbeds, four main residential sections were located in four geographical directions so that they could be used in all seasons of the year. A small garden was either in the middle or in the northern part of the central pond. The garden consisted of an orchard, various flower species, and decorative trees. Almost all houses were about one meter lower than the vestibule or the alley level and usually included basements as the sitting room or for storage. The builder would use the soil of that very property as the main material to make mud bricks used in building the house. Using the land's soil would cleverly provide a suitable depth to build the basement, a crypt, or for drainage.
Iranian houses usually consisted of two main spaces. The Andaruni was for the family and household, and the Biruni for the guests and visitors. The Biruni space was made up of different parts, including a Shahneshin. This alcove was the most beautiful and artistic part, being embellished with frescoes, mirror work, and stucco work in a very eye-catching style. It would be designed with a high rise ceiling up to 4 or 7 m tall, and included sash windows adorned with stained glass, facing onto the courtyard. There are 5- or 8-door rooms as well as some labyrinthine chambers with their specific decoration in other parts of the house. Rooms and spaces occupy most of the area but little is taken up by stairways.
 |
This is the reason we find stairs with very steep, space-saving, 30 or 40 cm high steps in these buildings. The summer part of the house is located in the southern part of the courtyard enjoying tall ceilings, void spaces, and sometimes including Badgirs such as what is seen at the Broujerdi's Mansion. The winter part is located in the northern part of the courtyard where the room has small doors and windows The central room of the house. hold's winter quarters was considered a place for family gatherings sitting around the Korsi. Other winter rooms were equipped with fire. places in the wall. The ceiling was made of adobe and wood and the roof was covered with mud and straw. Adobe or brick walls were covered with plaster or mud and straw. In some winter rooms, double-layer doors or windows increased the thermal insulation. The space between the two layers was 40 to 60 cm.
Traditional Houses of Kashan have many commonalities but their own distinct individualistic characters too. They were designed to look plain and modest from outside and no one exceeded the height of others. They share a common principle of design which obliged the buildings to be arranged around a series of interlinked courtyards, each with a separate function; interior VS exterior. The Interior was used by family members where they could have comfort and seclusion from other parts of the house. The Exterior acted as an external area used for entertaining and receiving guests and conducting business. There is also a servant section, which could have its own entrance sometimes. It was used by the crew who offered services from this part of the house. The kitchen and a cellar were inside this section. The servants lived in this area and appeared on other sides whenever their services were required. All of the windows opened inside the building, except a few that opened to the courtyards. This was for greater security and privacy. On top of these, you have Badgirs (wind-towers) in historical houses connecting to cellar basements in order to create areas inside the building where could remain cool and pleasant during the hot summer of Kashan.
 |
Boroujerdies' Mansion
Boroujerdies' Mansion has a love story. It is narrated that Sayyed Jafar Natanzi, a samovar merchant known as Boroujerdi, met a carpet merchant Sayyed Jafar Tabatabaei and proposed that his son marry Tabatabie 'daughter. Then the groom had to make a house that could compete with the one belonging to his father-in-law. The result which finished some 18 years later was Boroujerdies' House in the historical neighborhood of Alavi street for the couple to live in. The house is mainly famous for its marvelous wind towers, natural ventilation systems used in traditional Persian architecture. Priceless paintings and plasterworks decorating this house are masterpieces created by the well-known Iranian painter Kamal-el Molk.
The Borujerdi House is a historic house museum in Kashan city. It was built in 1857.The mansion dates to the Qajar era and is located just north of the citadel at the southern end of the historic city. Over 150 craftsmen worked on the home, which includes elaborately carved and painted decorations in a variety of shapes. The house takes the form of a rectangular with different parts:
A nice wooden entrance door, an octagonal input environment courtyard, backyard, series of different rooms, Shahneshin or the best room for the guests, tall windcatchers, kitchen, and rooms for servants. The house is famous for its unusual wind towers, which are made of stone, brick, sun-baked bricks, and composition of clay, straw, and mortar. Three 40-meter-tall wind towers help cool the house to unusually cool temperatures. Even the basements consistently benefit from the flow of cool air from the wind towers. Since exceptional attention has been paid to minute architectural details demanded by the geographical and climatic conditions of the area, the house has attracted considerable attention from architects as well as Iranian and foreign
scientific and technical teams. One relief of the house, quite justifiably reads, “Persian craftsmen made gold out of dust.” While Boroujerdi House used to be a private home, it is now open to the public as a museum. The museum is divided into four sections, namely reception, ceremonies, residential halls, and rooms.
 |
Tabatabaies' Mansion
The bride of Iran's houses.
Tabatabaies' Mansion displays not only the splendor and impressiveness of its unique architecture but also the charm of its artistic and aesthetic decorations. The house was owned by Mr. Tabatabai, a well-known carpet merchant who lived in the Qajar period. The construction of this impressive mansion, reportedly by master architect Ali Maryam Kashani (the same architect who designed and erected Borujerdis House), lasted 12 years and was finally completed in 1834. The house covers 4730 M2 and has 40 rooms plus four courtyards. The elegant paintings in the house were all created under the supervision of the famous Iranian artist Sani-el Molk Ghaffari. Tabatabaies' House is replete with highly ornate decorations, luxury rooms, graceful doors, and impressive pillars. The royal room overlooks a long traditional pool. Plasterwork has efficiently been exploited to decorate this house. Its unexceptionable architecture and its flawless beautiful appearance have brought it a global reputation. Tabatabai's House is one of the most valuable houses in Iran, which the pure Iranian architecture and is a masterpiece of Kashan's architecture is visible there.
The presence of double-glazed, vertically closed light and grill windows and side windows adds to the beauty of this room and creates Iranian architecture art. On both sides of the room, there are rooms called Gushvare. Gushvare, instruments for converting a square to an octagon to execute the dome. When the number of guests was little or not important to the owner, they were accustomed to welcoming guests.
The house has three separate and independent parts, but its architect is very artistic. In general, there are 40 rooms, 4 yards, 4 cellars (basements), and 3 windmills at Tabatabai house. In Tabatabai's house, 4 yards present the Iranian architecture and its characteristics. One of them is the central or main courtyard belongs to the outer area and two courtyards belonging to the interior and a courtyard belonging to the crew. In the courtyards, trees are planted from paradise fruits such as pomegranate and figs, which reflect the beliefs of the inhabitants of that time.
 |
Abbasian' mansion
Abbasian House, the symbol of Iranian architecture.
Abbasian's mansion, having been awarded the prize for architectural excellence, is considered to be among the most remarkable houses in Iran. The construction of this house began in 1823 by Seyyed Ebrahim Tajer Kashani and was completed after 20 years. Unique architecture and decorations gave this house such a value that, around a century ago, the Abbasi family, who were crystalware merchants, purchased this house at a remarkably high price. Some notable features of the house are as follows: Built on approximately 5000 M2 of land and with a living area of about 6500 M2, 5 sunken courtyards, paintings and plasterwork decorations, decorative elements of the Islamic architecture including geometric-patterned vaulting techniques such as honeycomb strap-work. The construction of this 4-story house only with the local materials has doubled its value.
 |
Ameries' Mansion/ Hotel
Ameries' Mansion which belonged to the Ameries family was built on an area of approximately 9000 M2 with a huge foundation. Harmony is an element that could be found in every single section of this house. This house has seven courtyards, implying that seven dependent families could have lived in them at the time of Ameriha as the governors of the city. There are more than 80 rooms in the Ameris. This splendid mansion embraces four interconnected houses with big courtyards and impressive buildings. Once you visit this mansion, you will definitely be astonished by its numerous breathtaking decorations. The inner courtyard of this pleasing mansion is where you can find a picturesque great hall accompanied by a porch and a honeycomb vault ornamented by plaster and mirror works. The main cellar basement in the outer courtyard is also decorated with a rare type of miniature plasterwork. Today parts of the mansion function as a top traditional hotel.
In 1999, with the goal of restoring some of Kashan's local culture, Ameriha House was turned over to a knowledgeable and experienced catering team. Particular care has been taken to restore this precious house on the basis of its layout and its original designs. The restoration project was finally completed in 2014. The largest opening ceremony of the traditional Kashan house as a five-star hotel was held in 2014, in the presence of MasoudSoltanifar, Vice President of Iran and head of the Organization for Cultural Heritage, crafts, and tourism, and Professor Samii as well as other statesmen. Now with fifteen rooms, two restaurants, a cafe, and a gallery, SarayeAmeriha Boutique Hotel offers you a wonderful stay in Kashan, the pearl of the desert.
http://en.sarayeameriha.com/
 |
Manouchehri House/Hotel
Manouchehri House/Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the historic residential district of Kashan, a gold mine of traditional Persian architecture and craftsmanship. Fueled by a passion for design and deep respect for history, this private residence has been brought back to life with the most stringent standards in history conservation and the latest modern amenities. Eight private rooms with unique architectural details surround a peaceful courtyard with a reflecting pool surrounded by gardens with local fruit. Guests are greeted with refreshments in the elegant lobby with traditional Iranian furnishings and an art gallery located in the atrium above.
A beautiful dining room serves complimentary breakfast as well as local dishes for lunch and dinner. A state-of-the-art underground cinema, reconverted from the original basement cistern and equipped with wireless Internet service, highlights the harmonious balance between the old and the new. A spacious textile workshop with weaving looms for velvet and brocade weaving contributes to the revival of the region's traditional arts. These rare and precious textiles are available for purchase in the hotel's gift shop, which features a multitude of Iranian artisans' items. Through constant dedication and passionate teamwork, Manouchehri House has become a beacon of cultural and historical restoration and a rare gem in the landscape of luxury accommodation.
 |
Mortazavi Mansion
Mortazavi Mansion The main part of the building is composed of three space elements located on three sides of a square courtyard (see plate v). The house has a courtyard that takes the form of a narrow peripheral alley connecting spaces on all three sides. On the west side, this level of the courtyard is connected to the lower level by two stairs that appear to be later additions.
The northwest front spaces are two stories above the first floor and are higher than the other sections. This facade consists of a centrally located Ivan and a five-windowed reception hall (otaq-e panj-dari), with two rooms with three windows (otaq-e seh-dari) flanking the ivan. The southeastern front appears as an uninterrupted space divided by rows of columns into a central reception room flanked by two rooms with three windows (otaq-e seh-dari).
Banikazemi Mansion
Banikazemi Mansion is one of the oldest buildings in Kashan, construction of the BanikaZemi mansion dates back to 1770. The mansion originally consisted of an outdoor area for a guest house (Biruni) and interior living spaces (Andaruni ), but the current house only includes the latter. ; the guest house is located on the west side of the courtyard after being separated. The main areas of the house form two facades on either side of the courtyard. The baths are built on two floors, while the other two facades, which only combine arcades and Ivanes slightly set back, have only one floor. The volumes of the two main floors extend to the corners of the courtyard so that even though its long sides are only half the height, the vast expanse of the courtyard seems to be built on two floors.
Mahinestan Raheb House/Hotel
This house/hotel is one of the most luxurious places in the center of Kashan and dates back to the Qajar period. This 2005 monument has been restored and is ready to welcome guests in 2014. After being rebuilt, the building has become a modern place with modern furniture that can be used by travelers visiting this city. This traditional house has two floors and is three meters separated from each other. Each court has a different name. The inner court, the outer court, and the crew yard are the names given to them. All ancient Iranian building processes are applied in this building, such as summer and winter cloisters, louvers, basements, vestibules, and alcoves. You can see many parts of this house carved in an artistic way. Pools are an integral part of building Iranian homes. Sitting at the edge of these pools while drinking Iranian drinks, you can enjoy the sweet smell of Iranian flowers and keep this memory in your mind as long as time passes.
