I've always been interested in how the home is viewed in various cultures. Not only does the physical design of residential houses differ between cultures, but often, the purpose of the home also differs. In the US, it seems to me like homes are entities that are meant to be shown. People like to display their houses and often think about what the inside will look like to visitors. While studying abroad in France, I found it to be quite the opposite and realized that it is very rare to be invited to a person's home as the home is very intimate and often not shared with others. This led me to wonder how Persian cultures view the home. I realize that today with westernization, there are many apartment complexes and new buildings that do not reflect traditional residential architecture. For this purpose, in this post I will only examine traditional Persian homes found in cities.
Just by looking at the history and geography of Greater Iran, one can easily understand the thinking behind the architecture of traditional homes. In Greater Iran, there are typically hot summers and cold, dry winters. For this reason, traditional architecture is designed for these climatic conditions. The traditional city structure is composed of narrow streets called koocheh. These streets are then lined with high walls made of adobe and brick that minimize the effects of dust storms and also maximize shade during the summer months and insulate heat in the winter.
The history of Persian is one of many battles and conquests. For this reason, cities had to be prepared to defend themselves against foreign invasions. Thus, the koochehs are often maze-like and the combined outer walls of the homes create an inner fortress of residential neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are traditionally very cohesive and each neighborhood usually contains public facilities such as places of religious worship, baths, administration offices, schools, access to clean water, and a small bazaar.
Privacy is also an important aspect of the home. Not only do the houses collectively create a private intimate atmosphere, but each house is like its own container. Traditional houses have enclosed gardens and prevent anyone from outside to view inside the house.
The entrance to a traditional home is found on the street. The front wall is typically part of the larger wall that will connect many houses, but once inside each house is its own entity. After walking through the doorway, one enters a small space called Hashti. This is a sort of transitional space, which leads into the hallway, creating a break from the street and the outside world. The hallway is called Dalan e Vorudi. From this hallway, one has access to many of the rooms. One of the main objectives of the traditional home is convenient access to all parts of the house and so the design often flows from one room to the next. Typically, the house would also include its own courtyard that may have a pool, gardens, or trees/vines. Because Greater Iran is Islamic, the houses are designed with specific orientation facing toward and away from Mecca. This is particularly important when considering prayer areas as one must face towards Mecca when praying.
In reading about traditional homes, I've also learned a lot about Iranian values. As seen in the architecture of both the neighborhood and the home, there is a juxtaposition of inside and outside. In Iran, the inside is referred to as andaruni and is considered the most private and intimate area of a space. In this area, people are relaxed and behave in an unguarded manner. The outside is called biruni and is a public space. Furniture is a great example of this divide. Until the 20th century, furniture was not widely used in homes. People would typically sit on cushions or pillows on the floor. Today homes are designed to have furniture for visitors as a part of biruni. However, when in private, families will not use this furniture and prefer to sit on the floor as a part of andaruni.
Although there are words in Farsi for different rooms, traditionally, rooms do not have a set purpose. Instead, any room can serve any function and individual members of the family do not have personal rooms, the space is shared by all.
Replies