Monday 6 October 2014

The 8 day cultural trip to Iran - "Iranian Treasures" - (Day 4 morning cont.) - Isfahan, a pigeon Tower - The 19th of September 2014



Our next visit was a pigeon Tower, which taking into account the artistry used in its construction can easily be called an artistic building. The technique is said to have been developed in the Sassanide dynasty, of which it is still a well preserved example in what resembles a gigantic chess piece, with hundreds of pigeons nesting in its numerous multi-storey boxes.
 
Despite the sacred connotation attributed to these birds, the main idea was to collect the guano to fertilise the melon fields. To prevent snakes from getting in there were no windows and only one door, which was opened once a year to collect the guano.
 
 









The interior which we had access to clearly showed the overlaid brick mixed with plaister and lime, but what I don't think any of us was prepared for was the real size and grandeur of its main tower as we made our way up to the open roof by climbing the never ending stairs, whose steps were quite high.






















Once on the roof we had a magnificent view over the city and the mountains behind before starting our "journey" back down.














 

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