TEHRAN – A traditional vaulted alley and its adjoining mudbrick houses, which are altogether named a “darband” in the Iranian vernacular architecture, have been restored urgently in the historical texture of Ardakan in central Iran. 

“Some parts of a draband have undergone urgent restoration in the Ali-Beyk historical neighborhood of Ardakan,” Mohsen Mirjani, tourism chief of the central Iranian city, announced on Wednesday. 
Darband is a roofed alley with an entrance door that leads onto several houses.

“This historical texture is a collection of different architectural components, and to preserve its shape, even small and minor problems must be taken into account."
Modification of worn-out parts, sloping and lightening of the roofs, replacing old roof straws, and the amendment of wall gutters constituted were the most important measures carried out in the project, the official explained.  

Located in Yazd province, Ardakan is a living testimony to the intelligent use of limited available resources in the desert for survival. Water is brought to the city by the qanat system. Each district of the city is built on a qanat and has a communal center.

The use of earth in buildings includes walls and roofs by the construction of vaults and domes. Houses are built with courtyards below ground level, serving underground areas. Wind-catchers, courtyards, and thick earthen walls create a pleasant microclimate.

The word Ardakan in Persian means "holy place" or "clean place" (Modern Persian: arda+kan / Middle Persian: arta+gan) and the city has many historical religious attractions such as the Grand Mosque of Ardakan (Masjed-e Jame’), Zire-deh Mosque, Emam-Zadeh Mir Seyyed Mohammad and Tekyeh bazaar.

This region is one of the Zoroastrian centers of Iran, and there are numerous holy sites for Zoroastrians in Sharif-Abad, a village near Ardakan. Each summer thousands of Zoroastrians from around the world gather there for pilgrimage. 

AFM/