Iran has ancient structures, some of which have a world reputation, and others are known only among international architects who study old works. The ancient structures of Iran are worth a lot of attention from the point of view of aesthetics and also construction methods and innovations. Among these, there are structures whose historical and architectural documents do not tell us precisely what they were built for in those past centuries, and what was their purpose. The series of writings, “The Most Amazing Historical Structures of Iran,” is a brief look at this part of the history of Iranian architecture and a search to understand their secret.
Not only do the tall porches and sky-high columns of the historic structures of our land inspire every viewer to wonder, but also the subtlety in the construction of the structure and the adoption of scientific and technical methods in their construction are such that they can indeed be called “bewildering”.
Iran’s ancient structures have different styles. They are divided into Persian, Madi, Parthian, Khorasani, Razi, Isfahani, and Azari. Although each method has its particular structure, they all originate from continuous knowledge passed down from generation to generation. They evolved and developed more artistically in each period. In such a way that signs of ancient Iranian architectural art can be found in other periods of our country’s history.
Several famous structures of Iran have been registered in the World Heritage list. Structures include Takht-e Jamshid, Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Takht Suleiman, Pasargad, and many others. But other structures are hidden from the eyes of many or are less known. Although these structures do not have the stunning glory of Iran’s global structures, and many of them have not been spared from damage, they show a part of the Iranian architectural art. Therefore, investigating and recognizing such structures has great value and importance. Some of these structures that we will discuss in the series “The Most Amazing Historical Structures of Iran” are Shasousa Monument of Aran and Bidgol, Asbad of Nashtifan, Brick Minaret of Khorram Abad, Dome of Jebeliya Kerman, Alamut Fortress, Stonehenge of Darabgerd, Belgheys Esfareyn City, Khorhe Mahalat, Konglo Fortress of Sawadkooh: Maragheh Round Tower, Rudkhan Fooman Fortress, Ardabil Adamkhor Fortress, and several other structures.
Tourists often overlook Some of such structures in remote cities and villages. For some of them, as they rightly deserve, not much has been done to introduce them, or reports and research on them are in bits and pieces. While these structures should not only be closely examined from the perspective of Iran’s architectural history, each can contribute to Iran’s tourist attractions and the economic rotation of this income-generating industry.
The surprising (and unfortunate) point is that sometimes, structures need to be recovered and added to the new constructions in Iran’s big cities. For example, we can mention the historical Pirnia House on Manochehri Street in Tehran or Amin-Soltan Square, one of the oldest squares in the capital. In the hustle and bustle of the city and new constructions coming up, their charms of the past have faded. In other big cities in Iran, such structures need to be identified, researched, and introduced.
All the historical structures of Iran (both those that are known and those that are less visible) bring to mind the concepts and signs rooted in the history and culture of Iran, as well as how the people of this land have lived since ancient times. These structures show innovative techniques and arrays that came to the minds of Iranian artists and architects and show a face of Iran’s cultural past that is magnificent and a sign of the genius of Iranian people over the millennia and centuries.
Architecture in Iran has unique cultural and social methods that are compatible with the climate of this land. There, it is not an adaptation but full of innovation and creativity. These structures show how Iranians overcame the hardships and difficulties of their habitat and how they coped with the sometimes aggressive and rainy nature of Iran and sometimes the dry and desert nature of this land.
There are many architectural and structural wonders in Iran. A fresh look at them will take us to other aspects of the architecture and craftsmanship of Iran’s architectural masters, through history’s tunnel.
