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www.ccsenet.org/ach Asian Culture and History Vol. 4, No. 2; July 2012
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 133
Assessment of Ancient Fridges: A Sustainable Method to Storage Ice
in Hot-Arid Climates
M. Mahdavinejad1 & Kavan Javanrudi1
1 Department of Architecture, Art and Architecture faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Correspondence: M. Mahdavinejad, Department of architecture, Art and Architecture faculty, Tarbiat Modares
University, Tehran, Iran. Tel: 98-21-8288379. E-mail: Mahdavinejad@modares.ac.ir
Received: December 26, 2011 Accepted: March 7, 2012 Online Published: July 1, 2012
doi:10.5539/ach.v4n2p133 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ach.v4n2p133
Abstract
This article is an attempt to introducing ancient fridges as sustainable method to store ice in hot-arid Climates.
Architectural heritages are considered as fundamental issue in the life of contemporaryworld.Hence, researches
around this category despite of historical interest attractscientific scopesto providesustainable society through
tourism industry and green architecture. In this paper among different Iranian heritage buildings, ancient fridges,
or Pachal (in Persian), has been analyzed. Because of great importance of water and especially cold water in
hot-arid climates, Hundreds of Pachals have built in central plateau of Iran. The interpretive technique has been
applied to assessment ancient fridges. In addition, observation as a part of the authors` field work, and Historical
documentsconcerning the traditional buildings built techniques and the architectural heritage of the
Iraniantraditional fridges, are another part of this research. This article is atry to indicate that vernacular
architecture of “Pachals” are very responsible monuments to fit the hard-life situation of hot-arid climates in
ancient world.
Keywords: ancient fridges, pachal, vernacular architecture, historical heritages
1. Introduction
Ancient fridges are a pit with a sophisticated method to store ice in hot-arid climates. Ice prepared in winter
season and reserves until hot seasons to keep meat, fruits and dairies, and also used as a method to making water
cold and tasty. Considering a large hot-arid region in Iran and long summer season with high degree warmth,
these buildings had a major role in providing comfort for human. Matthews (1987) comment that Chinese
reserve ice thousands years before Christ, Greeks and romans makes their potables icy with stored snow, and
finally in 18 century noble Europeans interested in icy potable, but storing ice method in Iran was such
sophisticated that poor people also reached these facilities (p. 91). With such perspective, this article is an
attempt to introducing ancient fridges in Iran.
Unfortunately there is not historical record about fridges until Safavid period. Tourists through the times had
recorded several itineraries about these fridges. Sharden comments that “storing ice in Safavid era especially in
Kashan city (in Isfahan province) was usual tradition” (Yaghmaei, 1995, p. 271). Also Brouin (1693) pictured a
fridge in Qum city that is one of the oldest one that is destroyed today. The content of this article relies heavily
on two bases: The interpretive technique has applied to assessment ancient fridges. Also observation as a part of
the authors` field work, and historic documents concerning the traditional buildings built techniques and the
architectural heritage of the Iranian traditional fridges, are another part of this research Here in, the architecture
of Iranian ancient fridges are analyzed with respect to the following factors: The architectural background of
fridges in each hot-arid regions, Construction methods and materials, and Formation of the plans and sections.
2. Methods
2.1 Ancient Fridges Main Parts
Fridges consists of several parts, here in, three major part of this building inclusive shade wall, ice cavity and ice
storage, Entrance space is described. Shade Wall which is a high (up to ten meters) and lengthy (5 to 12 meters)
wall has been built from East to west. Sometimes despite of main wall, other walls will be built. Also thickness
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of Shade Wall decreases from bottom to overhead of it (Figure 1, 2, 3). Ice Cavities were rectangular shaped pits
which are built parallelism to Shade Wall with less length regard to it and 40 to 50 centimeters depth in ground.
The role of Ice Cavity was making ice in cold winter nights. Ice Storages were a store with six meter depth
which kept ice from solar radiation and raining, with roof covering (Bahadori, 1978, p. 1976).
Figure 1. Ancient fridges main parts
Source: Image Archive of Tarbiat Modares University
Figure 2. Ancient fridges main parts Figure 3. Ancient fridges main parts
Source: Image Archive of Tarbiat Modares University Source: Archive of Tarbiat Modares University
2.2 Natural Ice Making Method
Utilization climatic aspects to create suitable environmental situation is primal element of traditional architecture
of Iran. For making ice, first people dig shallow pounds with square dimensions with 40 to 50 centimeters depth
which called basin (Tash-taki in Persian). Then they filled these shallow pounds with water in cold winter nights,
and the day after it they divide ice huge pieces to little pieces as possible and transfer these pieces to fridge near
the cavity and in each layer of pieces they spread water to increase density of ice pieces. The range of frizzing
depends on weather degree and sky’s condition. After about eight days and nights process of production will be
stopped with an usual tradition ceremony. The last step is covering the ice with straws and brushwood and
closing the fridge’s entrance with sea sedge, which called Bi-Zur in Persian. Also in summers opening the
entrance of fridge with another ceremony will be held (Ghobadian, 2007, p. 102).
Fridges are natural way for making Ice. To figure out the ice making process the following explanations are
presented. If we have a piece of ice in shallow pounds with a determined height, and some water with a Diameter
equal to “s”, following relationships can be expressed to determine the size of ice making production (Figure4),
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Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 135
which Eq one is for cooling water up to freezing point. Also Eq2 shows an equation for freezing water in zero
degree water’s layer:
Eq 1: (Q
r1+Qe1+Qc1-Qs1)∆t1= ρw*As*Cw*twi
Eq 2: (Q
r2+Qe2+Qc2-Qs2)∆t2= ρw*As*hif
Which the parameters are: (Bahadori, 1987, p. 54)
Qr1transitive heat of radiation
Qe1transitive heat of evaporation
Qc1transitive heat of convection
Qs1transitive heat of water above ice surface
∆t1Time to cooling the water from twi to zero
∆t2Time to freezing the water
ρw Density of water
As Area of ice surface in cavity
hif Freezing enthalpy
twi Primal temperature of the water
Cw Specific Heat of water
So the ice making size would be calculated from Eq3
S´=ρw * s/ρi* ∆t
∆t=∆t1+∆t2
The size of ice making at specific temperature, moisture and transitive heat coefficient is shown in Figure 10.
FI
Figure 4. Section of cavity of ice making Figure 10. Rate of ice making in natural fridges
(Yaghubi, 2010, p. 715) (Yaghubi, 2010, p. 717)
3. Investigating Ancient Fridge’s Typology
Architecture of fridges shows the intelligent methods had been used for insulating and preparing enough cold to
reserving ice. Because of large land usage of fridges and expensive land price in cities, these buildings had been
built in countryside. Fridges have three main types: domed roof fridges, underground fridges and pool fridges.
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3.1 Domed Roof Fridges
Domed Roof Fridges are built in margins of central dessert and eastern north of Iran (Figure5). This fridge
consists of a huge conical pit. In bottom of the pit, there was a water path to lead the extra water to the shaft.
Figure 5. Location of different types of ancient fridges
The dimensions of pits were different. For example, diagonal of Meybud Pachal in Kerman is 13 meters and 6
meters depth (Figure 6). Doomed Roof Fridges has a stage and after it fridge has a squatty doom shell. Fridges
dome was dowr-chin kind and the main materials are adobe and brick. Thickness of the dome decrease from
bottom to overhead of it for structural and thriftily reason to reducing material usage.
Figure 6. Different domed roof fridges in Iran (Ghobadian, 2007)
Yearly layering new adobes for reparation of dome from rain and solar radiation damages, and Echelon form of
dome is for easing of this reparation. Usually a high wall has built in the northern side of the dome to provide
direct south solar radiation. Fridges had 2 enteral doors, one in south side for taking ice from icebound to pit, and
north side door which end to a long stairs to approaching ice pieces (Figure 7). The height of domes for
climatically reasons was tall, like Meybud Pachal with 15 meters height.
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Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 137
Figure 7. Different domed roof fridges in Iran
Source: Archive of Tarbiat Modares University
3.2 Underground Fridges
Underground Fridges were built in north and western north of Iran (Figure 5). Stone and bricks are main material
of these fridges. In addition, this building has vaulted or arched roof. After frizzing ices in pit to fridge and after
each layer of ice they spread ice to cohere it. Because of enough coldness of these regions, isolating the fridge
was easier. Fridge has a door ending stairs to delivering ice to people. The Sa-ve Pachal in Markazi province and
eastern north of Sa-ve city is one of the eminent cases of these kinds of fridges. Sa-ve Pachal height is five
meters from ground surface and 3.5 meters width and 12 length. Thickness of wall is 80 centimeter and brick’s
dimension is 25 in 25 centimeter (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Different domed roof fridges in Iran (Ghobadian, 2007, p. 135)
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ISSN 1916-9655 E-ISSN 1916-9663
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3.3 Pool Fridges
Pool Fridge is another kind of fridges had built in southern provinces of Iran. These fridges consist of a pool with
five to six meters depth, 12 meters length and five meters width and a wall in north side of the pool with four to
five meters height and to 12 meters length. Like another fridges making ice was in cold winter night to use it in
hot summer days. After filling, the pool had been covered with straws and brushwood. Unfortunately this kind of
fridges is completely destroyed today (Figure 9).
Thus, we can categorize ancient fridges to three main types. First, and more extant one, is dome roof fridges,
which are located in central part of Iran. Second, is underground fridges, which are located in western and
northern part of Iran. At last, pool fridges, which founded in southern part of Iran (Table1).
Figure 9. Different Pool Fridges in Iran (Ghobadian, 2007, p 138)
Table 1. Typology of ancient fridges
Typology Domed Roof Fridges Underground Fridges Pool Fridges
General forms
Figure
Destroyed
Location Kerman, Isfahan, Yazd,
Mashhad, Sabzivar and etc.
Tehran, Zanjan, Tabriz and
etc.
Boushehr, Khozestan and
etc.
4. Results and Conclusions
Until the second half of the 20th century, ancient fridges were a dominant way to keep nutrition from mildewing
and have cool water for human comfort in hot seasons in Iran. Therefore, intelligent local architects by
compatibly to climate constructed different types of fridges. Nowadays ancient fridge lost its importance for
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Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 139
some reasons such as development in technology, fast urbanization, and changes in living styles in Iran.
However, structures built for fridges still beautify the landscape and create a fairy tale atmosphere at their
regions. They are valuable components of Iranian vernacular architecture. Architecture of fridges shows the
intelligent methods had used for insulating and preparing enough cold to reserving ice. As a result, this survey
has established a basis for valuing these monuments. They are not only historically important, but due to their
elegant profiles and the harmony of their internal spaces, could considered as tourist attractions in Iran.
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Diolafava, M. J. (1990). Itinerary of Madam Diolafava.
Ghobadian, V. (2007). Climatic Assessment of Traditional Architecture of Iran. Tehran University publications.
Mahmood, Y., & Mahdi, B. N. (2010). Ventilation and Natural Cooling Systems In Iranian Traditional
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