Farashband, in Fars province, is so full of ancient quadrangular (pentice) structures that it is famous as “the capital of Iran’s chartaqis”. More than 26 chartaqis (penthouse or pentice) have been identified in Farashband. Some of those structures have collapsed over time and only remnants remain. Among them the Nagharkhaneh Chartaqi has outstanding artistic and architecture values and stands out with pride.
Farashband is one of the four sections of Firozabad district in Fars province. The other three parts are Qir, Kazeroon, and Meymand. Farashband’s warm weather and vast lands are suitable for seasonal migration of nomads. Farashband is surrounded by the cities of Kazeroon and Firozabad and, in the south and west, by Lar and Bushehr. Farashbandis consider Bahram V Sasanian (Bahram Gur) as the founder of their city. The people of Farashband believe Bahram V of the Sassanid dynasty (Bahram Gur) to be the founder of their city. This statement could be true, and many surviving works from the Sassanid era in Farashband show that this area had an excellent reputation in that ancient period. Farashband is divided into two parts: one is called “central”, and the other is called Dehram. The villages of Nujin, Aviz, and Dezhgah also welcome tourists there with their beautiful and historical ecosystems. Farashband is more than 170 kilometers away from Shiraz.
Chahartaqi Naqarakhaneh (one of the many chartaqis in Farashband) is located on spectacular sight on the road 4 km away, on the road that starts in Farashband and ends in Dehram. This ancient structure is built on top of a hill, and as mentioned, it is another sign of the Sassanid glory in Iran.
Chartaghi Naqarakhane has a courtyard built in the center of the complex. Each wall of this square yard has 12 chambers (hojreh), and their arches are semi-circular. The entire complex covers a more or less wide area, and three structures of plaster, mortar and stone can be seen in it, but the main structure is the chartaqi, known as Naqarakhane. There are two rooms in the western chartaqi and one in the northern region. In constructing these structures, rubble and plaster mortar have been used, and the inner body of the chartaqi is plastered. The height of the structure should also be 9 meters.
In Azar 1399 (December 2020) a film was published in cyberspace, giving a report that Chartaqi Nagharkhaneh structure is neglected. “In this video, it shows that several vehicles belonging to ABFA company employees, who are laying pipes on the side of the road four kilometers from Jahrom to Farashband, have entered the territory of the historical monument of chartaqi Naqarakhane” (Javan Reporters Club report – 27 Azar 1399). But the cultural heritage officials of Fars province considered this film to be from a year ago and said that it “did not happen recently” (same report). Anyway, for some time, this news worried the lovers of historical heritage, and there were discussions about how to protect the chartaqi Naqarakhaneh.
In the past years, the chartaqi Naqarakhaneh has sometimes been a place to hold meetings! For example, in Azar 1394 (December 2015) the ground of the chartaqi was covered with handicrafts and the Poets’ Association of Farashband held a meeting there! This meeting was held under the dome of the chartaqi. The arrangement of the poets was held under the dome of this old chartaqi, and “the final part of the ceremony was performed with the recitation of the Masnavi and the interpretation of the Masnavi” It is not clear why the poets held a meeting in a structure, each brick of which needs to be so carefully protected.
In Esfand 1395, the Farashband Cultural Heritage Administration renovated this chartaqi. It reinforced the foundations of the columns and a part of the dome and floor of the chartaqi. In Esfand 1395 (March 2016) Farashband cultural heritage department made some renovations on this chartaqi.
