Identifying the Principles of Traditional Iranian Architecture in the Light of Vastu Shastra, the Traditional Indian Wisdom

Abstract

Traditional Iranian houses have always been recognized as examples of “good-design†in the context of Iranian Architecture according to many scholars. It is believed that their creation has been influenced by the systems of beliefs in the traditional Iranian society; an established system closely followed in their design process which has led to their phenomenal architectural design. The traditional houses of Kashan are excellent examples of such which have often been described as the finest examples of Traditional Iranian houses. However insufficient documentation of the design process of these architectural masterpieces has led to disputes among scholars in determining the exacct architectural system, behind their creation. The effect therefore is not only the inability in creating houses with the same quality in current architectural societies of Iran, but also their decay due to lack of attention and preservation. Historical studies point towards an influence of Indian Architectural system, Vastu Shastra, on the creation of traditional Iranian houses, which appears to be the earlier practice of house design within the Indo-Aryan communities. Using Vastu Shastra as a framework, the objective is to conduct case studies on 22 traditional houses of Kashan to identify the existence of a similar well-established system in Iran based on which all the traditional houses have been designed, and further to introduce it as the traditional architectural system in Iran. In this way the principles of traditional houses of Kashan can be identified in the light of Vastu Shastra, the traditional Indian wisdom.

Keywords: traditional houses of Kashan, Iranian housing architecture, Vastu Shastra