In today’s global community, the Iranian carpet has a worthy position to declare Iran to others. Iranian carpet is a fluffy mat which is woven using silk, cotton, wool and coat according to the traditions and rituals of each region of Iran.

Many of the archeologists believe that the oldest carpet of the world which is called Pazyryk and now is kept in The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg with the antiquity of about 400 years B.C. is an Iranian carpet woven in Achaemenid Empire (330-550 B.C.). Although there is not any salient sample from Sasanian Empire (224-650 A. D.), based on the proofs it can be said that Iranian carpet was globally valid and famous in this era. In this regard, the most obvious sample is the famous carpet of Baharestan which has been mentioned in different historical sources. Many of the travelers who visited Iran in Islamic period have pointed out to the carpets of different regions of Iran and finally, in Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722 A. D.) the Iranian carpet was promoted from a rural art/ industry to a national activity and turned into a prominent part of Iran economy.

From the Safavid Dynasty onwards, the valuable samples of the Iranian carpet can be observed in different museums of the world, for example the Ardabil carpet which was woven for the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, the great ancestor of the Safavid, it is kept in Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  In this period, Kashan dealt with many orders due to goodness and elegance of the carpets which were produced there and manufacture of brocaded carpets woven with gold and silver threads was flourished upon the orders of other countries specially Poland.

In Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925 A. D.) and by the boom of European markets, a lot of carpet-weaving workshops were established in different cities of Iran like Tabriz, Kerman, Mashhad, Kashan and other cities and the Iranian carpets were exported to the Europe. On the whole it must be said that the most prominent centers of carpet weaving in Iran were Isfahan, Tabriz, Ardebil, Qom, Kashan, Nain, Kerman, Yazd, Mashhad and Hamedan from the past. It is worth mentioning that in 2010 the skill of carpet weaving of Fars and Kashan were globally registered as the spiritual heritage by UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Besides, in 2015 Tabriz was known as global city of handmade carpet.

Designs in Iranian Carpets

In addition to its decorative aspect, designs of the Iranian carpets attempt to reflect Iranian identity, beliefs and goals. These designs were divided into 3 general patterns: plant designs, animal designs and human designs from among them, plant designs are the most frequent ones used in Iranian carpets. The most important plant designs in Iranian traditional arts including carpet design are Eslimi (Arabesque) and Khatai (Floral).

Eslimi: Eslimi is derived from the word “Islamic” and points out to the interwoven lines of plants with spiral foliage. Although there are proofs which show the use of eslimi designs before the history, using it developed in Islamic period, especially in Safavid Dynasty. The base of eslimi design is nature, stems and leaves. Eslimi is a design consisting of rotational arcs, stems, ties and branches and has different types.

Khatai: it is basically a design with main and perpetuated form of flower bush, leaf or blossom. In khatai design, fewer broken lines can be observed and are mostly curved, they connect flowers to each other through proportionate tortuosity. As these lines picture the branches of tree, the more they get far from the main body, the narrower they will be. The most important khatai flowers are Shah Abbasi and Botteh.

• Shah Abbasi: a design in carpet which was soared in Safavid Dynasty. The main feature of Shah Abbasi flower is the stem drawn at the end of flower and is used as 5, 7 and sometimes 12-petal flower. It is the most perfect type of khatai and its design is retrieved from lily and pomegranate flowers which was common in Iranian arts from the past, a typical example of using this design can be seen in Persepolis which was converted into Shah Abbasi flower through a lot of manipulations.
• Botteh: it is an abstract design and the Iranian believe it is retrieved from cypress tree  as it was a sacred tree in ancient Iran, its natural samples and not decorative ones can be observed in relief designs of Persepolis. Besides, cypress tree is a symbol of endurance and freedom among the Iranian and in this period Botteh design was used decoratively which was similar to the bent cypress and in its evolutionary stages, with respect to the artist’s taste and creativity of each region and cultural history of Iran, it is currently known as paisley.  Some individuals believe that Botteh is created from birds’ feather which was used by the Iranian kings on their hats.

Different Parts of Iranian Carpet Infographic
Infographic by Negar Ganji

Different Parts of Carpet

Selvedge of Carpet: it is the surrounding part of carpet which is usually designed and woven in a wide or narrow way. The selvedges lead to a special organization and beauty which are like a frame. An ordinary selvedge consists of three parts: one main selvedge and two subsidiary selvedges.

• Main Selvedge: the wide selvedge is located between narrow selvedges and forms the collection of carpet selvedges with them. Usually in wide selvedge, the motifs used in carpets are also applied. The pattern and design of this selvedge is commensurate with background of the carpet. In wide selvedge, different designs and inscriptions are used and characteristics of the carpet including name of carpet weaver, name of client, date and place of weaving are registered as well.
• Subsidiary Selvedge: it is located in two sides of main selvedge and is usually decorated with tiny geometric and floral designs.

Lachak: the four corners of the carpet are called lachak and if there is harmony between lachak and toranj with similar designs, the design of carpet is called lachak – toranj.

Toranj: the shape located in the center of carpet is called toranj. They are usually in the form of circle, diamond and oval. They are usually accompanied with sar-toranj which make the carpet more attractive. The dimensions of toranj are different in various carpets and their bigness or smallness depends on type and design of the carpet.

Sar-toranj: it is connected to the central toranj from top and bottom of the carpet. Many of the carpet designers call it “Shamseh” as well.

Katibeh (Inscription): in some carpets, there is a part between toranj and sar-toranj which is called katibeh, name of some individuals who are related to the design of carpet will be designed and registered in katibeh.

Zamineh (Background): different parts of the carpet such as flowers, branches, animals and geometric shapes are woven and registered on a background which specify the main color of the carpet.

Gelim Baaf: in order to preserve the durability of the carpet, its upper and lower parts are woven with chains which are called gelim baaf.

Risheh (Fringe): white threads woven to the width of both sides of the carpet.

Shirazeh (Binder): the longitudinal sides of the carpet which are sewed for more protection of the main part of the carpet.

What was explained above is related to the commonest design of the carpet in Iran i.e. lachak toranj (corner-medallion) but based on the classification of Iran carpet company, the main designs of the Iranian carpets are: designs of ancient works and Islamic buildings, Shah Abbasi, Eslimi, Afshan (overall flower), Eghtebaasy, Bandi, Bottheh, Derakhti (Tree), Turkmen (Bokhara), Shekargah (Hunting), Ghabi, Golfarang, Goldani (Vase), Mahi Dar Ham, Mehrabi (Prayer), Moharamat (Striped), Hendesi (geometric), ili and Talfighi (mingle).

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The Zoroastrian fire temple, also called the “Fire Temple of Bahram” or “Fire Temple of Varhoram”, is one of the sacred buildings of the Zoroastrians located in Yazd province.

The fire temple consists of a garden and a building where sacred fire is kept in. The architectural design of the fire temple is a reminder of the Persian temples in India. The building is located in the middle of the courtyard with evergreen trees and eight stairs to take you to the main entrance.

The Farvahar statue and the bell rock paintings have given a magnificent beauty to the building. The floral patterns of the walls are the art of Isfahanian artists who came to Yazd for this purpose. The interior is decorated with pictures of Zoroaster and some holy verses of Avesta. The large circular pool at the entrance of this temple is full of different coins, a costume of visitors to make a wish and throw a coin. The Persian-Indian association built the temple about 80 years ago in a donated land.

During the reign of the Sasanians in Iran, three fires were more important than the others because of their long history which are as follows: Fire of Varhoram, Fire of Adouran and Fire of Dadgah. One of the temples that Varhoram was kept in it was Azar Faranbagh Fire Temple located in Karyan town.

In the 10^th century AD, the Karyan fire was brought to Yazd to be kept from the enemies that attacked the place. The temple was destroyed and the Zoroastrians took their holy fire and sheltered it in the cave of Eshkaft Yazdan in a mountain, located between Aqda and Pars Banoo. The sacred fire was hidden in the cave for 30 years, and then it was moved to Zoroastrian villages around Yazd for 200 years.

Years passed and more Zoroastrians moved to the place and the conditions became safe to move the fire to the village of Turkabad near Ardakan. 300 years later, the sacred fire was taken back to Sharif Abad, and about 1775, it was returned to Yazd to be held in a secret house until Reza Shah Pahlavi formally gave the permission to build a fire temple.

The fire is kept in a large bronze container and a glass compartment in a relatively large room away from the sun surrounded by the praying hall. A person titled “Hirbad” is responsible for keeping the fire clear. The fire temple of Bahram Yazd, which is listed on the list of Iranian national monuments, has opened its doors to tourists in recent years and attracts many domestic and foreign tourists.

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Dakhmeh or Tower of Silence is a place used by Zoroastrians to place the corpse of deceased. The body of a dead person is considered to be polluted, and left on a stone in the highest part of a hill to be eaten by wild animals. In Zoroastrianism, the elements are sacred and must be saved from pollution; therefore, the body that is the epitome of pollution can’t be buried under the soil or burned by fire and is left on a stone platform away from the city until nothing is left but a mass of bones, then the bones are placed in a small pit in the middle of the tower.

The burial ceremony begins in the foothill when the family of the deceased say their final goodbye and then the body is carried by two members of the family to the tower accompanied by a priest and two of tower’s keepers. Beside the keepers, no one is allowed to enter the tower, so the body is given to them outside the tower’s door and then carried to the tower by the keepers.

Dakhme or Dakhneh means the house of evil and although today the word is used to refer to scary places it was originally meant a place of burning, a place that was used by Arians for burning the bodies of the dead. When Zoroastrianism became the main religion of the country the burning places were turned to towers of silence. Whether made by human or as a result of a natural phenomenon, they were made to be easily accessible by the animals and therefore were mostly roofless with small holes in the surrounding walls. They were made outside cities and villages over hills so that the smell and possible pollution wouldn’t reach the city.

The tower is a circular construct where the floor is covered with stones and there is a pit in the middle. The pit was used for the bones of the commoners whereas the royals and nobles were placed in Ostudan that were hand carved holes on the mountains, the best example of which is the Naghsh-e Rostam of Fars Province.

Yazd’s Towers of Silence are a a pair placed on the top of a hill in the southern parts of the city. As a city with the highest population of Zoroastrians, it is considered a traditional Zoroastrian place among all Iranian. The tradition is no longer observed as before but the area surrounding the city is still used to bury the deceased in cemented cells. The towers are not used anymore and have turned into a tourist attraction.

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The historic square and complex known as Amir Chakhmaq is perhaps the highlight of Yazd located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of the city. Amir Jalal Al Din Chakhmaq, a general and ruler of the Timurid era, was assigned as the governor of Yazd. With the help of his wife Fatemeh Khatoun, he ordered the establishment of a series of constructs that included the mentioned square, a bathhouse, a caravanserai, a monastery, a water well, and a mosque.

The complex was known with the same name in the Safavid era too; when Shah Abbas ordered parts of it to be restored; namely, four souks built on the caravanserai. In the 18th century, the square in front of the mosque and the facade of the bazaar were turned into a gathering place. We know that the place could not have had a religious function back then, because the building of religious gathering centers began in the Safavid era and continued afterwards. It is commonly believed that the square turned into a religious center in the 18th century and a Tekyeh, or the religious center was built on the façade of the bazaar at that time. The inscription of the place proves that it is about 130 years old.

In the 18th century, the square in front of the mosque and the facade of the bazaar were turned into a gathering place.

In the eastern part of the square there is a bazaar that locals call Haji Qanbar which takes its name from Haji Qanbar Jahanshahi, a person that was assigned as the governor of Yazd by Jahanshah Kara Koyunlu. The Kara Koyunlu that literary means the owners of black ships were a Turkman tribe based in north-west of Iran. They used to be under the control of Timurid rulers but their indomitable nature didn’t accept being ruled by others and soon they declared independence, starting their own kingdom

Another significant thing regarding this square is its Nakhl. Nakhl is a wooden object made in different sizes and used as a symbol of a martyr’s coffin. It is also known to represent a cradle and refers to the innocence of the martyr and the life of that person in heaven. Since it has the shape of a tree, it came to be known as Nakhl or palm but in reality it is the representation of Sarv or cedar that is the symbol of resistance and is known to stand as the symbol of Iran. The Nakhl of Yazd is the biggest Nakhl of the country known as Heidaries Nakhl. On the annual anniversary of Imam Hossein’s martyrdom (the third Shia Imam) the Nakhl is moved around by more than 100 men. With an estimation of 450 years of age that dates back to the Safavid Era, the Nakhl is known to be one of the oldest such structures in Iran.

Another significant thing regarding this square is its Nakhl. Nakhl is a wooden object made in different sizes and used as a symbol of a martyr’s coffin.

The Amir Chakhmaq Tekieh was registered as a national heritage in 1951 followed by the Amir Chakhmaq mosque, registered 11 years later. Later the whole complex that included the square, the bazaar, the tekyeh and the mosque were registered as one.

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The Water Reservoir of 6 Wind Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Yazd province. This Water Reservoirs was made in the Qajar Era. It is located in the Tappeh neighborhood of Yazd, and has two doors, one on its northern side and the other on its southern side. The Faucet of the Southern door is reachable through 55 stairs. The capacity of the water Reservoir’s circular tank is about 2000 cubic meter. The tank is roofed with a beautiful dome that has six Wind Catcher.

The towers are made in an octagonal shape and each are 10 meter tall. Half of the Wind Catchers were made first, when the water reservoirs itself was made, but the other half were added later, when the water reservoir was restored and repaired. They were made with precise mathematical calculation, considering the climate, speed, and the direction of wind to have the most efficiency. The six wind-towers of the water reservoir cooled the water and helped residents to have access to cool water even in the hottest time of the year.

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Located in the heart of Iran plateau, the city of Yazd was close to the traditional Silk and Spice Roads. Residents of Yazd have been adapting themselves to live in this arid land for thousands of years. By employing indigenous techniques, qanat to draw underground water, Badgir or wind-catcher to cool their houses, people of Yazd have sustainably used their limited available natural resources to survive in the desert.

Yazd is also known as the city of wind-catchers. In the past, every house had wind-catcher and so, a forest of win-catchers could be seen above the roofs. Wind-catchers cooled the inside the houses via even small breezes. People of low income had small two-sided wind-catchers while affluents used to construct bigger four-to-eight-sided ones.

Dowlat Abad garden of Yazd has the world’s tallest wind-catcher reaching to some 40 meters with eight sides.

Yazd has also been hosting plenty of Ab Anbars. Ab Anbar is the oldest desert construction for reserving water. Some Ab Anbars were public and made in neighborhoods but some rich people had private Ab Anbars in their houses. Wind-catchers were constructed above some Ab Anbars to circulate air into the water reservoir and keep the water cool and fresh.

The old city of Yazd having kept its authenticity embraces many elements of Iranian urban design such as old houses, bazaar, water reservoir, and mosque. Each district is shaped in different eras in history. The district of Kushk-e Now is famous for its water reservoirs, hosayniya, and bazaar. The fame of Fahadan district is for its narrow and twisting alleys and authentic old houses. Lab-e Khandaq district is also known for its historical constructions such as bazaar Khan, hosayniya, caravanserai, Sa’at or Markar square in the vicinity of Jameh Mosque of Yazd, and its historic houses.  Ghale Kohneh, Sar-e Dorah, Chahar Menar, Mosallah, and Yaghoubi are among other historic districts of Yazd.

The historic districts of Yazd are fraught with religious elements. The city has long been one of the most religious towns in the country and a center for Zoroastrianism after the arrival of Islam. However, Islam became the dominant religion gradually, and the Islamic rituals in Yazd gained both national and international reputation. Amir Chakhmaq square and Shah Tahmasb hosayniya played central roles in Safavid and Zand dynasties. Nowadays, several sacred places of Muslims, Zoroastrians, and Jews have turned Yazd into a city of various regions, living in symbiotic peace for centuries.

Historic City of Yazd was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.

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Water Reservoir – Ab Anbar Haft Badgir – Asr Abad, Yazd Province, Iran
Photo by SeyedMahdiSalehi via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

The importance of water and its storage led to the creation of an architectural structure calling water reservoir (Ab Anbar) which is one of the tourism attraction in Iran. It is an important traditional architectural structure in Iran, a sealed and covered water tank which was built lower than ground level to store drinking water to be used during the days with low storage of water or to have cold water during summer.

One of the most ancient water reservoirs in Iran is next to Chogha Zanbil region (an ancient Elamite complex in Khuzestan province) which goes back to the 2nd century of B.C. and was built upon flourishment of Elam civilization. Building different types of qanats and dams was developed during the dynasty of Parthian and Sassanian which shows a great achievement in techniques used for building structures to store water.

Water Reservoir – Ab Anbar Rostam Giv- Yazd, Yazd Province, Iran
Photo by Meysamwiki via Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

After Islam, building water reservoirs was developed in the villages and roads where caravans passed over there, by the appearance of cities and new neighbors, the water reservoirs were built next to the mosques, schools, bazaars and governmental palaces as part of a joined architectural complex. One of the most ancient water reservoirs is “Azodi Pool” which was built in Istakhr city in Fars province on 10th A.D. by the command of Adud al-Dawla Deylami. In Iran building water reservoirs was developed after 16th & 17th A. D. centuries.

Different Types of Water Reservoir

The water reservoirs were built either privately (in rural or urban houses) or publically. The most important water reservoirs of Iran are: Seyed Esmail, Saheb Eyvan, Yuzbashi, Imamzadeh Yahya (Tehran), Gholi & Sorkheh (Semnan), Haj Kazem & Sardar (Qazvin) and Mosalla (Yazd).

Depending on the size of water reservoirs, the tanks of water reservoirs are with or without pillar and their section is square, square-rectangle, octagonal or circle. The tanks of mountainous water reservoirs were built by cutting stones with hammer and other required tools and their ceilings were covered but in other regions, tanks were made by digging the ground.

The water reservoirs were connected to the qanats or fountain by canals. Most of the water reservoirs which were located around the roads were filled by spring floods of rivers near them.

Some of the private water reservoirs and most of the public water reservoirs have pashir (a place to pick up water) which is connected to the ground by brick or stony stairs. Some of the public water reservoirs do not have pashir and there are stairs in the tank (from the ground level till its bottom) and water can be directly picked up. There are some other water reservoirs with a low capacity which do not have any stairs and their water can be picked up through a hatch which are directly connected to the tanks.

Ways to keep water cold

Some architectural ways were being applied in order to keep water healthy and cold in the water reservoirs, ways such as building tanks lower than ground level, building thick walls or building wind-catcher over the ceiling of water reservoirs. The wind-catchers play a crucial role in keeping water tanks cold, especially in deserts and southern regions of Iran. The 6-wind-catcher water reservoir in Yazd with the height of 12 meters is one of the most salient wind-catchers.

Water reservoirs have been constantly among the tourism attractions of Iran and currently have been used as dining salons, café, museum and theater hall to be preserved and displayed to others.

Water Reservoir – Ab Anbar Haji Abdol Karim- Yazd, Yazd Province, Iran
Photo by MREZA1977 via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

Ways to keep water cold

Some architectural ways were being applied in order to keep water healthy and cold in the water reservoirs, ways such as building tanks lower than ground level, building thick walls or building wind-catcher over the ceiling of water reservoirs. The wind-catchers play a crucial role in keeping water tanks cold, especially in deserts and southern regions of Iran. The 6-wind-catcher water reservoir in Yazd with the height of 12 meters is one of the most salient wind-catchers.

Water reservoirs have been constantly among the tourism attractions of Iran and currently have been used as dining salons, café, museum and theater hall to be preserved and displayed to others.

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The archaeological findings in Narin Qal’eh, Meybod city, referring to the Elamite Empire (2700- 539 B.C.) indicate that Yazd province was on the way from Ray city to Kerman and from Pars to Khorasan. Furthermore, it was one of the lands of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.).

In the aftermath of the advent of Islam in 651 A.D., the central regions of Iran fell to the hands of Muslims, and a group of Arab tribes settled in this area. Later, Yazd became a part of the Daylamite’s territory but when they were dethroned, Rokneddin Sam founded the Atabegs of Yazd as a local Dynasty (1141-1319) in the city.

During this period, many monuments and mansions were built which are still considered among the city’s most magnificent historical buildings. Timurid Dynasty (1370-1507) also expanded the city by valuable buildings. Although Yazd province was not raided following the invasion of the Afghan tribes to Iran, Ashraf Afghan took control of the region including this province. Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925) also contributed to the splendor of Yazd by numerous monuments that are still in place.

Because of the geographical status of Yazd province, various natural attractions including desert areas are of special interest to both domestic and inbound tourists.

However, what makes the province more attractive are architectural styles of its clay buildings, introducing it as the second-largest clay city in the world according to UNESCO.

Importantly, the overall historical part of Yazd has been registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while the province has other UNESCO-registered attractions i.e., Hasan Abad Qanat and Zarch Qanat, Dowlat Abad Garden, and Pahlavanpur Garden.

Other important attractions of this province are Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, Old Bazaar of Yazd, Historical Complex of Amir Chakhmaq, Yazd Jam-e Mosque, Chak Shrine, Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, Narin Qal’eh of Meybod, Hojat Abad  Vazir Historical Complex, Kharanagh Caravanserai and Mosque, Abarkooh Ice House, and Jameh Mosque of Fahraj.

The city also has special rituals like Nakhl Gardani, Sadeh, and Mehregan. Nakhl Gardani is the tradition of carrying a huge wooden cradle around the city to commemorate the tragic death of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein, and his companions, in Muharam which is the first month of Islamic Calendar. The province is also known for hosting the largest population of Zoroastrians and their different events and rituals including Mehregan and Sadeh.

Of the Yazd’s handicrafts, we mention hand-made Termeh (handwoven fabric), curtain, carpet, velvet, Zari Douzi (a kind of brocade), saddlebag, handkerchief, woven mat, canvas, Boqcheh, and blanket.

The eatable souvenirs of the province include various traditional sweets, while some of the local foods are Shouli Shalgham, Zucchini Stew, Lappeh Kufteh, Vinegar Aush, Sour Meat Stew, and Quince-Plum Stew. Finally, Vahshi Bafghi (poet), Mohammad Karim Pirnia (architecture and historian), and Mohammad Hossein Paply Yazdi (geographer) are among the prominent figures of the province.

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