Tabatabaei Historical House

Tabatabaei historical house Kashan

Tabatabaei Historical House in Kashan is one of the most valuable and historical monuments of Iran, which is located in Sultan Ahmad neighborhood in the ancient city of Kashan.

This house, which is considered as one of the masterpieces of ancient architecture, was built in 1872 by Seyyed Jafar Tabatabai, who was one of the famous carpet merchants of that period. The architect of this magnificent building is Master Ali Maryam Kashani, who has finished the house in a completely artistic and beautiful way. After being purchased by the Historic Buildings Conservation Board in Kashan, Tabatabaei Historical House was renovated from 1994 to 1997 with the cooperation of Kashan Municipality and Cultural Heritage Organization while adhering to the original plan. This collection has been inscribed on the list of national monuments of Iran and it is currently managed under the auspices of the Welfare and Recreation Organization of Kashan Municipality.

Architecture of Tabatabaei Historical House

With an area of about 4700 square meters, the historical complex of Kashan Tabatabaei House is one of the largest historical houses in Iran, consisting of 3 parts called andaruni (private quarters), biruni (public area) and the special part, which are subtly and masterfully connected to each other. This house has 40 rooms, 4 courtyards, 4 cellars, 3 windcatchers and 2 aqueducts.

Andaruni, which was the residence of the Tabatabaei family, includes a simple five-door room in the center and two courtyards on either side and a cellar. This part has windcatchers that transmit air inside. Behind the porch in the southern part, there is a hall with Shahneshin (royal residence), which is connected to small courtyards on one side and a porch on the other. The small courtyards on both sides of the hall with an octagonal pool are surrounded by two-story buildings. The courtyard on the northwest side is larger and has more rooms and a separate reception hall. There is a large cellar under andaruni, which has its own unique features; having a windcatcher, the used materials, and a pond in it cause the cool breeze to enter the basement from the surface of the central courtyard pond. Biruni includes a large hall in the center, side rooms and a beautiful porch. On the eastern front of Tabatabaei House House, there is a cross-shaped hall and four three-door rooms that are connected to each other. In general, the principle of symmetry can be seen in the facades of this building.

Features of Tabatabaei Historical House

Tabatabai Historical House, like other historical buildings of that time, has luxurious and magnificent decorations; the originality of architecture and the design are in accordance with the specific culture and climate of the region. The presence of wooden lattice windows, stained glasses and also skylights near the ceiling control the light inside, soften the sunlight and beautify the space. As one of the main elements of landscaping, rectangular pond with clear water softens the air in the yard, creates a pleasant atmosphere, and shows a small beautiful model of a Persian Garden. Kashan Tabatabaei Historical House has a symmetrical and introverted architecture and sunken yard; sunken yard architecture is mostly used in desert areas to facilitate access to aqueduct water, insulate the house against heat and sound and increase earthquake resistance.

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This house has five entrances, the main entrance is divided into andaruni and biruni. The reason for the twist in the entrance corridors is to prevent a direct view into the house to respect the privacy of family members. On both sides of the Great Hall, two backyards and skylights have been constructed symmetrically, along with original paintings that are considered to be the most valuable works of art in Isfahan province. The available documents show that Mirza Abolhassan Ghaffari Kashani, nicknamed Sani-ol-Molk, who was one of the great painters in the court of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, had a close friendship with the owner of this house, so he himself had supervised the painting of the house; this greatly increases the value and credibility of Tabatabaei House decorations.

Decorations of Tabatabaei Historical House

Tabatabaei Historical House has many impressive and pleasant decorations. In this building, the art of plastering has been used in a beautiful way; these various plastering decorations that have been used in all spaces of the house have given a special glory to the building. The roofs of the halls and Shahneshin (royal residence) have eye-catching geometric covering called yazdibandi; in the center, a beautiful bergamot with Islamic motifs and Khatai flowers (symbol of paradise flowers) is painted in a golden monochrome. Fruit and flower shrubs, the display of two birds and the tree of life and the sun are other plastering designs used in the building; in addition to the plastering, the paintings, mirrors and muqarnas of this historical house are also very interesting. The doors and windows of some parts of the building are decorated with all kinds of “gerechini” and beautiful latticework. The use of stained glasses in orsi windows of Shahneshin has added to its splendor and beauty. In general, the decorations used in the building, the interesting architecture and the vast area of the Tabatabaei Historical House in Kashan have made this building one of the most attractive historical places in Kashan.

The splendor and grandeur of this historic house has attracted the attention of many domestic and foreign tourists. To visit this beautiful attraction, you can join Persian Trips tours.

 

Tags: Isfahan Province, Tabatabaei Historical House, Isfahan Attractions, Kashan Attractions, Historical Houses in Iran, Iran Historical Attractions

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