TEHRAN - An Iranian author has called for the conversion of the historic oil-extracting mill, a filming location for the movie Death of Yazdgerd, into a museum dedicated to Bahram Beyzaie, a celebrated playwright and filmmaker. The oil-extracting mill, better known as Assar-Khaneh in Persian, is located in Aran and Bidgol county of Isfahan province.

Jaber Tavazoei, author of the book A Visit to the Ancestral Home, said the transformation of the Safavid-era Assar-Khaneh into a “Bahram Beyzaie Museum” would be a tribute to the Iranian thinker and artist, IRNA reported.

The Assar-Khaneh is located in the ancestral neighborhood of Beyzaie. Dating back about 400 years to the Safavid period, it is considered the most intact oil mill in the Kashan cultural region and was used as the main filming location for Beyzaie’s 1981 film Death of Yazdgerd.

Tavazoei said location plays a central role in Beyzaie’s works, adding that the historical and cultural significance of Death of Yazdgerd, combined with the site’s connection to Beyzaie’s family origins, makes the mill a suitable venue for a dedicated museum.

He said Beyzaie consistently addressed issues of cultural heritage, architecture and urban planning in his writings and films, often warning against what he described as “memoryless” cities shaped by unplanned development and neglect of historical identity.

Beyzaie, born in 1938, was an Iranian playwright, theatre director and filmmaker known for his research on Persian literature, mythology and theatre. His play Death of Yazdgerd, widely regarded as one of his most important works, has been translated into several languages and staged internationally. He adapted the play into a feature film shot at the oil mill.

A scene from Death of Yazdgerd, directed by the late Iranian filmmaker and playwright Bahram Beyzaie.

The Assar-Khaneh of Aran and Bidgol was added to Iran’s national heritage list in 2016. Cultural observers say its dual value as a historical industrial structure and a landmark in Iranian cinema gives it tourism potential that remains underused.

Local advocates say converting the site into a museum could help preserve the structure, highlight Beyzaie’s legacy and strengthen cultural tourism in Aran and Bidgol, an area near the famed city of Kashan known for its desert landscapes and historical attractions.

AM