The Water Museum of Yazd | A museum in desert climate

The Water Museum of Yazd | A museum in desert climate

The Water Museum is located in a historical house named Kolahdouz-ha. This museum displays the relics related to the ten-thousand-year water industry in the heart of the desert and its distinctive point compared to other water museums is that a Qanat line, with hundred years of history, passes through it.

There are about 200 historical relics kept in this museum, reneging from a collection of the equipment used for digging Qanat, to the documents and papers of Yazd’s main Qantas and a collection of the dishes and equipments related to water’s storage and transportation. One of the attractions of this museum is a jar with thousand years of history which has been referred to in old historical books.

The architecture of Kolahdozha House

Kolahdozha House is one of the precious monuments of Yazd, which was built by Seyed Aliakbar Kolahdoz, a well-known merchant in Qajar’s dynasty, during three years.

The plaster works of Kolahdoz-ha House, flowers, plant and animal drawings, Orsi windows and colorful glasses have given a unique display to the structure. The plasterworks of the fourth floor have a very elegant background of clay and straw. Mirror Hall is one of the other very admiring parts of the house, which is admired by many architectures and artists. This monument has 5 stories:

The first floor, a place where Qanats cross

The house’s lower story is where the two famous Qanats of RahimAbad and Zarej cross. Today, RahimAbad Qanat, with a history of more than 2000 years and a length of 75 kilometers, continues to be active.

Museum’s second floor, Payab

The second floor of Yazd’s Water Museum, which is also called Payab, is located 10 meters below ground and in an octagonal form. A blue pond which is located right in the center of the Qanat’s water flow is seen here which makes the air in the environment cool, fresh and pleasant and a suitable place for storing different kinds of fruits and foods.

Third floor, the place of residence

The third floor, the house’s basement, has many rooms and corridors that were the family’s habitant place on the hot and long days in the summer. The basement was located on the yard’s four sides and the base of each room was for its own habitant and only that person could use it the hot season.

Fourth level, the ground floor

After the summer residence, we reach the house’s fourth level which was a place for people’s inhabitant on chilly days and winter. In addition, Panjdari rooms, the hall, Orsi room, kitchen and servants’ room are located on this floor.

Fifth floor, Chah Khane (the house of well)

The last floor is the house’s roof which is called Chah Khane and there is a well wheel on this floor. In that time they used to pull water from the well for the ground floor and stored it in AbAnbar for cleaning, washing drinking and usage of the house’s members. The note-worthy point is that in this house you can see the water works which were established 150 years ago.

* Written by Tannaz Akbari and Translated by Arefeh Firouzan .

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