Introduction to Fahadan area
Fahadan area is the oldest neighborhood in Yazd, which is said to be the living place of the lords in the past. Yazd is a historical city with a thousand years chronicle that carries many memories about the inhabitants. The city is a valuable and inexhaustible treasure of architecture in Iran. The registration of Yazd as the first historical city of Iran and the first mud-brick city in the world in the UNESCO World Heritage List shows the extent to which the urban texture of the ancient region of Yazd has spectacular architectural and aesthetic values .In the heart of Yazd, a city where the pleasant aroma of clay can be drawn into the lungs at any time, there is a neighborhood with originality and antiquity called Fahadan. The region is the oldest neighborhood and has the most exclusive architectural style in this city.
History of Fahadan area
Fahadan area takes us to the far corners of history. Each part draws the attention of every viewer to itself, a neighborhood that is made only of soil and water! The passages where pedestrian life flows and its cyclists pass by you. Entwining alleys, some of which are known as Ashtikonan (reconciliation) Alleys, where two people cannot cross side by side, therefore if two people enter the alley from two different directions together, one of them had to pass with the other. In the past, the elders used to meet people unconsciously who were annoyed with each other in these alleys to solve their problems. A memorable passage with a human scale that creates intimacy, peace, comfort, security for the passer-by.
Fahadan is the area of the knowledgeable and educated because it is rooted in the word Fahd which means wise people. Kindly roofed alleys that do not want the desert sun to burn their guests’ heads and faces; Sabats are canopies to be cool and away from sunlight! The spiritual sound of Adhan (the Islamic call to prayer) when passing through these alleys conveys a pure feeling in the soul and psyche of every person.
The Fahadan area was one of the aristocratic quarters of Yazd in the past. Historians and archaeologists have found artifacts related to the Sassanid period, but the formation of the neighborhood with today’s appearance began in the early fifth century AH. The prosperity peak of Fahadan dates back to the Qajar period, which coincided with the growth and development of merchants and the construction of their picturesque houses. The nobles and merchants lived in such a neighborhood, so we see the most magnificent mansions of the city in Fahadan. Residences belonging to Malekzadeh, Arabzadeh, Lariha, Mahmoudi, and Navab Vakil, as well as valuable historical monuments such as water reservoir, Fahadan Mosque, the tomb of Sheikh Ahmad Fahadan, Hussainiya, Bazaar, and workshop show the neighborhood’s value. Moreover, one of the most famous historical monuments of Yazd, The Shrine of the Twelve Imams, is in the Fahadan neighborhood. In the past, a barrier was built around the region. There were two gates on either side of the neighborhood, the Keshno gate, which dates to the fifth century, and the path that connects it to another gate, Malmir, dating back to the seventh century. These two gates show the incredible antiquity of the Fahadan area in Yazd and contribute to its prosperity.
Bath of Abu al-Maali Yazd
Abul-Maali bath, in the heart of the historical context of Yazd and Fahadan area, was built using the basis and logic of architecture. Materials used in the building are brick, sand, plaster, and mortar. The embellishments on the roof are stunning, delicate, and original. It is interesting to know that the traditional bath was active until forty years ago. The building contains complete and intact parts of the old bath such as a porch, staircase, entrance space, numerous hot and cold water pools, treasury, restroom, Shahneshin, and the hothouse, which are perfect examples of Qajar architecture.
Alexander Prison in Fahadan area
Ziaiyeh School or Eskandar Prison is another place of interest in Fahadan area. The construction of the building began in the seventh century AH by Zia al-Din Hussein Razi and lasted until the early eighth century AH. His sons, Majd al-Din Hassan and Sharaf al-Din Ali completed the building. Ziaiyeh School in Yazd is on Imam Street in the Fahadan neighborhood. You will probably be amazed when visiting a building without any tile decorations, the only element used for illustration is raw clay.
The Shrine of the Twelve Imams or Davazdah Imam
Another place of interest in Fahadan area that bears the heavy antiquity burden of the historic city is the Twelfth Tomb remained from the fifth century AH during the Seljuk rule. The ancient mansion is a quadrangle that has been turned into an octagon with a dome above it. There are Gooshvareh (a Persian architectural element) on all four sides of the building. There is a particular port inside each Gooshvareh. The materials used in the building are also bricks. For interior decoration, artists applied Islamic plastering with a simple design. You can see the arch of the front door with a rectangular frame, which must have had eminent inscriptions in its heart. The engravings around the entrance door are also unique features of the historical monument.
Chehel Mehrab Mosque (Forty Altar Mosque)
Another of the most enchanting spots in Fahadan area is the Chehel Mehrab Mosque. The reason for attributing this name to the mosque is the presence of forty altar stones in the building, but only three of these tiles remain today. The mosque is on the west side of Imam Khomeini Street, Fahadan neighborhood, and in the alley of Chehel Mehrab Mosque, including a courtyard, a nave, and Agha’s mausoleum room on the south side. On the eastern side of the yard, there are three pavilions in one of which you can see a turquoise altar tile. The nave is on the west side of the courtyard, and the pavilions contain two floors. In one of the booths, also a turquoise altar tile is installed. You will see the third altar tile in the room of Agha’s mausoleum.