In the past centuries, all of East and West Azarbaijan were full of beautiful dovecote structures. The transformation in agriculture construction and using chemical fertilizers in cultivation took the dovecote out of sight. These towers and unique structures of Iranian architecture were more or less neglected. No effort was made to revive them. One of the most spectacular dovecotes in Iran, whose system is entirely different from other dovecotes, is the Maragheh rock-carved dovecote.
Maragheh district is in the southwest of Azarbaijan province and is located next to the Sufichay River and east of Urmia Lake. This beautiful city is at the foot of mount Sahand. The dovecots left in Maragheh are not in good condition, and the need to revive them is obvious. These are the names of some of the dovecote towers in Maragheh: Dashatan in the village of the same name with an octagonal structure; Sfastana in Sfastanj village with circular architecture; Mordo in Mardagh village, which is a square structure; Kimin Ava in the village of Kamalabad with an octagonal design and many others, all of which remain from the Qajar period.
One of the most important dovecotes in Maragheh is called “Sakhrekand (rock-carved),” built in Tazehkand village. This dovecote is a square tower remaining from Qajar period. The basic knowledge about this rock-carved dovecote was obtained from the research of Dr. Saeed Sattranejad, an archaeologist. The research results of him and his colleagues have been published in a scientific journal. The short review of this article is also taken from the same searcher.
Tazehkand village is a mountainous and challenging area with cold and dry weather. Sofichay River passes within 200 m of the village. In the western part of the village you will see a series of carved structures in the rock. This complex is on the hillside. The village people call it “Dashli Goshkhana,” which means “dovecote” in Turkish. The structure and construction of these dovecotes are very different from other dovecotes in Iran.
Rock-cut architecture is a particular type in which no construction material is used to create space, and by cutting away rocks by human hands, an opening is formed in the bed of mountains and stones. This architecture can be seen in villages, houses, mosques, forts, and other examples. All of them are carved in the heart of rock and stone.
Rock-carved dovecote of Maragheh is 200m wide and 10 meters long and is in the neighborhood of the surrounding gardens. Its mouth is circular, and there are cracks inside the dovecote. Pigeons have built their nests in these tiny openings, row by row. More than 400 pigeon nests have been identified in this space. There are also vents inside the dovecote that are used to provide lighting.
Maragheh rock-carved dovecote was built with hard work, and it was owned by the previous landowners. The workers who worked for those landowners also took care of the dovecote. Since the 2015s, due to the use of chemical fertilizers and the transformation of Iran’s agricultural structure, the structures of the dovecotes have been destroyed. Maragheh dovecote also fell out of sight and turned into ruin. Weathering and erosion have also played a role in eliminating many parts of this rock-carved dovecote.
The rock-carved dovecote of Tazehkand village was identified in a survey by archaeologists in 2015. Knowing this rock-carved dovecote aroused the surprise of those familiar with Iranian dovecote structures and revealed a unique example of these places.
