Kashan city

Kashan

Kashan, located in altitude of 1,600 m. above see level, is one of the main cities of Isfahan province. It is 240 km. to the south of Tehran and 220 km. to the north of Isfahan and can be reached via a first-class highway, national road, or railway from Tehran and Isfahan. Its famous souvenirs are carpets that are world-famous; it’s also well-known for its silk and the glazed earthenware tile called kashi.
Kashan is a beautiful large oasis town on the western edge of the Great Desert Kavir. The city has long been noted for its silk textiles, ceramics, copper ware, rose water (golab) from the well-known rose fields of Qamsar, as well.
The town has many picturesque bad-girs (wind-towers), essential in the towns hot and airless summers before the introduction of air-conditioning. Modern industry plays a part in Kashan, in parallel with the ongoing social development. In bazaar, however, carpet-weaving, embroidery work, the making of rose water and scent, pottery and other crafts are carried on in much the same and with the same skill as of old.
The geographical and climatic location of Kashan provides an appropriate condition for life and commerce as well as an enjoyable tourist center.

Highlights
The presence of a wide variety of houses, shrines, mosques, underground water supply, and historical Bazaar, historical has added to the glory of Kashan. The most important of which are:

Sialk Ancient Hills
This hill is in the south-eastern Kashan in about 3 km from it. At the present time SiaIk consists of a northern hill and one southern hill with 500 m distance from each other. In front of these hills there are cemeteries of prehistoric people. The oldness of this region and the remained antiquities goes back to the 5000 years till the beginning of B.C. some antiquities from these hills are kept in Louver museum in France, Iran National museums and Finn Garden.

Fin garden
The network of Persian gardens means a collection of gardens which encompasses the most significant historical gardens. Fin garden is one of the most authentic and prominent gardens in such a network.
Although there are some hints in several sources about the background of Fin garden prior to Safavid Dynasty especially on the manner of construction in the new place and abandonment of the Old garden. In Qajar dynasty, it has been highly regarded in the reign of Fath-Ali Shah and many annexations have been added to the building. The garden has been paid less attention to after the fath-Ali Shahs decease till 1935 and even some parts have been destroyed. It was finally inscribed in the list of National Properties in 1935 and it received a new phase of attention.

The Borujerd Old Houses
The said premises are located in Kashan and were constructed during the years 1292-1310 AH. by Haj Seyed Jaffar Natanzi a merchant who conducted business in Borujerd and Kashan as well. He constructed this house in order to evade religious levies. On either side of the building is the main or entrance staircase leading to the southern part of the structure. Here there is a large porch with a high ceiling giving way to an entertainment hall; behind which, on a lower level is an octagonal area with a pool of the hauz khaneh. The same has a domed shaped roof and beautiful skylights. Here the ceiling is vaulted and worked with tiles in harmonious colors. On the walls, portraits of the Qajar sovereigns can be noted, with their guards in formal European apparel. This building is also equipped with cellars that are cool and pleasant for use in the heat of summer. Materials used in the construction of this structure are, stone, brick, sun baked bricks and a composition of clay, straw and mortar.

The Tabatabaie House
It is a famous historic house in Kashan. The house was built in the 1840s for the affluent Tabatabaei family. It consists of four beautiful courtyards, delightful wall paintings with elegant stained glass windows, and all the other classic signatures of traditional Persian residential architecture such as biruni and andaruni. It was designed by Ostad Ali Maryam. He is the same person who later on built the Bourojerdiha House for the Tabatabaeis newly married daughter.

The Ameris House
The House of the Ameri family is a traditional house in Kashan. Built in the mid 19th century during the Qajar era, the house is one of several large spectacular old houses in the central district of Kashan. Like the other houses around it, it was re-built after Kashan was ravaged by a series of massive earthquakes in the 18th century.
The house is now a public museum, and is protected by Irans Cultural Heritage Organization.

Carpet Washing Ceremony at Mashhad Ardehal
The presence of a rich culture that has preserved its national-religious values, as well as admiring the great and international religious authorities through various ceremonies like Carpet Washing Ceremony at Mashhad Ardehal , in the south-east of Kashan.