Water in Persian architecture
Water had a significant impact on the formation and effectiveness of urban spaces, and its various effects have constantly stimulated the human tendency to beauty in Persian architecture.
The innermost part of our nature is water's role in forming the first human habitats, and it responds to a biological need. But when, beyond a need, house-building and the construction of residential complexes take on a cultural burden, architecture emerges, and water finds an artistic place in human life and draws on the creativity of artists and architects. Understanding the concept of water in a built environment is the same as understanding the architecture of water. Understanding the physical rules of water behavior is our feelings about the action and reaction of water and, most importantly, its role and relationship to human life. Water, soil, fire, and air are the four constituent elements of the universe. In ancient Iran, architecture moved towards the water and relaxed next to it, and then "water" was used in architecture. Architects consciously try to dominate nature and bring it into order by recognizing water's physical laws and behavior and understanding its role and relationship with humans. Today, with the uncontrolled expansion of cities and the resulting pollution, the presence and impact of natural elements such as water in the field of architectural and urban spaces will bring man closer to nature and reduce people's psychological pressures.
Water in ancient architecture
For Persians, water was used to meet their needs and had a tremendous spiritual impact. Because Iran was a water-scarce country, this vital fluid had a high status among them. Water has left different feelings in the human soul and psyche with its various capabilities, such as life, freshness, radiance, purity, prosperity, and popularity of light, stillness, tranquility, and mobility. For this reason, it has always found a place for itself in various locations in artificial areas. This aspect is especially true for places like parks or gardens because water is used as one of the most beautiful fields of view and one of the complementary cases of green space. Of course, water is necessary to clean these places and irrigate trees and flowers or use it for sanitary services.
In the past centuries, Iranians used to build gardens mostly on sloping lands, and by creating stairs in the water path, the gentle flow of water became fast and noisy. The main factor that always gave life to Iranian gardens was the flowing water that moved in the four parks, streams, and low-sloping and spiral atmospheres, making the garden's air pleasant. In the ornamental gardens that joined the ponds, the tables were usually made of stone and brick. At the bottom of the waterfronts and most places where the water was flowing, they often laid white slates or different designs to give the water wave a beautiful effect. The old gardens of Iran are often built-in hot, dry, and low water areas, and the reason for their construction in such sites is the existence of natural springs or "kaareez." The size of each garden depends on the volume and amount of water available for irrigation. The gardens of arid and desert cities always had particular importance due to the warm weather in summer, including the gardens of Kashan. Kashan Fin Garden, one of the famous gardens, is always one of the most famous and attractive gardens due to the abundance of water Soleimani spring, pond, pool, abundant fountains, old trees, and historical buildings. In Persian gardens, to create a calm, cool and questionable environment, there was no choice but to build water streams along with the entire garden, and these streams were usually turned into ponds at intersections. Water would come from streams, which often started from the "Emaarat Bagh" pond and flowed into the ponds at regular intervals using the natural slope of the earth, repeating the waterfalls. The waterfront, which was one of the essential elements in creating the garden, was primarily built in front of the garden mansion. Its central dimension was in the direction of the length of the building and the form of rectangles, squares, polygons, and circles. Sometimes water fountains were built inside the mansions of old gardens, called pool houses—residents of the garden relaxed by the waterfront on hot summer days, especially at noon.
In later eras, the role of water in architecture became practical. The architects of this period consciously tried to dominate and regulate nature. With the help of the logic and technology of their time, they tamed water and vital nature and enriched it. Before, architecture rushed to the water and rested next to it. But in later eras, architects introduced water into architecture by recognizing the physical laws of water behavior and understanding its essence, allegory, and relation to human beings. Water arranged in geometric shapes is manifested in most buildings of the later eras and is formed in water in the way of centrality and unity in architecture. The centrality of water in architecture in the Sassanid era began with the fire temple of Azar Gashnesb and the temple of Anahita Bishabour.
In this way, water entered the construction and composition of our buildings so that they could not be separated from the built form. Water appeared in the center of pavilions and gardens, in the central courtyards of mosques, schools, inns, houses, etc. In the architecture of central and desert Iran, scarce and life-giving water causes the formation of reservoirs, streams, sabbats, and glaciers. In mosques, water, in addition to its purifying role, also has a symbolic aspect. Water is a symbol of life and death and acts as a bridge between the terrestrial world and the metaphysical world. Nature is pure and holy water. It washes and purifies the human soul and body, leaving it a new and free creature to be perfected in peace. Ablution cleanses the body of impurities and symbolizes the cleansing of the soul from filth and sins. Purification with water is an allegory of creation's continuous birth and brings a sense of new life. Contact with water flows for all the reasons; its ripple flows in the human mind and creates the necessary peace for the worshipers. In mosques, water appears in 5 forms.
Streams (running water)
Miansara central waterfront (stagnant water)
Pish Khan basin (fixed water)
Inlet water-rock (fixed water)
Fountain waterfront (water as a kinetic element)
"In the old shrines, they built pavilions in front of the entrance but at a great depth from the ground, perhaps because running water was scarce and they had to use the water of canals and streams." The aqueduct passes through it. The Nain Grand Mosque also has a waterfall in the corner of its courtyard. The depth of this waterfall is so great that it is located at the foot of the entrance stairs of the mosque's nave.
The role of water in the interior of the building
If buildings and spaces cause us to be separated from nature, Although it has been desirable, it has a cold and artificial quality to it as well. Therefore, there is a need for a connection between architecture and nature, which is achieved in Iranian architecture and gardening by water, a sacred, valuable, and rarest natural element. The pool house space formed for this purpose is an intermediate and semi-open space between open and closed space or inside and outside. It has been used to achieve the connection between architecture and the surrounding landscape through this common factor.
The special sanctity of water in the Orient, especially among Iranians and Muslims, has always been the central element in locating and shaping spaces. The presence of water in the Iranian garden shapes the character of the environment.
They are finding materials with difficulty in acquiring common or personal concepts. Water in the Iranian garden plays a significant role; trees, plants, and flowers have the most critical role after water; the flow of their presence is rooted in water.
The presence of water, shown in the following conditions in the environment, is the embodiment and crystallization of the beliefs and attitudes of the creators of space towards it and originated from its vain value in history and human life.
Centrality: The presence of water is the reason for the emergence of many population centers, which are often located in the center and core. In addition to architecture and urban planning, this center has also found its way to other religious, literary, and artistic concepts.
Shaping, formable: The presence of water in spaces is found in both closed and open spaces. Each of which is affected by the use and shape of the space. It indicates the meaning of finding water with its environment.
Inviter, linker, separator: The water of the climate sews or separates the environment. However, it has its inviting role.
Transient current: living and moving with water flow and associated terrestrial paradise; imagine the river's flow.
Landscape and visual display: water at the peak of scarcity has various effects, from the color of the container to the presentation methods, and creates a unique perspective to reflect the environment in which unity and diversity are crystallized.
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