This building is placed in the historical part of the city of Zanjan and was used as a laundry house. The name literary means the same. Zanjan has very cold weather. During harsh winters, washing clothes was a challenge for women. In 1925, Ali Akbar Khan Toufighi, the first Mayer of the city, bought a piece of land and built a construct inside for women to wash their clothes there in winter. The architectural style of the Rakhtshur Khaneh is a popular style of the late Qajar and the Early Pahlavi era, a combination of the traditional style of the former with the modern style of the latter.
During harsh winters, washing clothes was a challenge for women. In 1925, Ali Akbar Khan Toufighi, the first Mayer of the city, bought a piece of land and built a construct inside for women to wash their clothes there in winter.
The water needed for this place came from the Qalche Kariz aqueduct. The place has two main sections:1) the Washing Area and 2) The Management and the Residential Section. The square yard of the construct is surrounded by these two sections. The entrance area has separate doors that lead to the Washing Area, the Residential Area and the yard which make access easier; in a way that if you enter the place you can reach each section without being forced to pass through the others.
Immediately after the door that opens to the washing area, there are two sets of stairs; one leads you above the ground level and the other leads you down. Going up, there is a terrace like the area that was used by the manager of the Rakhtshur Khaneh. By standing there, she could monitor the whole washing area.
The lower area is a vast hall with water canals running through that leads water from the water source or Khazineh to the end of the hall. The water source of this place is 17 m long, 11.55 m wide and 8 m tall. The structure of the place proves that the architect had been well aware of the principles of Persian architecture. The arches and domes of the place with colored windows give a wonderful atmosphere to the hall.
The hall has 11 columns and two water canals creating three passage ways where women could sit and wash their clothes. The hall is 62 m tall and 13.7 m wide and the whole place covers an area of about 850 square meters.
The place is now filled with wax statues, showing women as they once used this area. There is also a handicraft shop selling different goods like shoes and jewelries all made by masters of these crafts.
