Afrashteh House, Ferdows

🕰️When was it built?

The building dates back to the late Safavid era and was added to the National Heritage List on 15 November 2006 as number 16347. Part of the kitchen was lost in an earthquake; the Sardasht quarter is one of the parts of Tun where some buildings survived the 1968 earthquake.

🏛️What was it built for?

The entrance vestibule divided the routes to the different parts of the house. Four ways led from it to the cistern, the upper floor, the north-west iwan and the courtyard. Windcatchers were used in the architecture of hot, dry regions to bring air into the rooms.

👀What you will see

• The iwan on the north-east side has regular panels that divide its face into smaller sections.
• The tall windcatchers stand behind the iwan; look from a distance at how their height compares with the body of the house.
• The house is built of sun-dried mud brick and clay; look at the earthy texture of the materials without touching the walls.
• The vestibule is where the ways to the cistern, the courtyard and the other parts of the house divide; if you may go in, notice how the routes split.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Ask the person in charge or the owner for permission before going in.
• Don't enter the damaged kitchen, and don't climb onto the roof or walls to see the windcatchers up close.