Yakhchal - Persian Ice Pit

Vaulted yakhchal in Arbakooh-Yazd, Iran

Yakhchal in Persian literally means "ice pit", it is an adobe reservoir to preserve ice. The ice was produced in the coldest period of winter and people would use the preserved ice during the summer. Ice was used to keep meat, dairy, and other foods fresh. It was also used to create dishes such as ice cream, chilled beverages, and traditional desserts. Although most cold dishes were a luxury for the privileged in ancient times, ice was still accessible to the entire public. It could be purchased straight from the yakhchal or from a vendor at the market. In a country where a large portion of the climate is very hot-arid and the summers are long, access to ice makes for a more comfortable life style. Even though these structures are categorized as ancient you could still find them in use as recently as the 21st century.

Map showing different styles based on location

Illustration of a vaulted dome yakhchal

 There are a variety of techniques used to execute the ice making and preserving process, above is a common lay out found in the central and eastern north regions of Iran it has three main components; a shade wall, pool, and domed roof reservoir. The wall is constructed to project a northward facing shadow, stretching in length both east and west. The size of the wall depends on the capacity of the reservoir but can reach heights of 12 meters. Along the wall a pool is made it is usually 40-50 cm deep. To create a water tight layer tiles would be placed in the pool. The wall is made of rammed earth and mud brick excavated from the pool. This pool is used to hold water at night which will freeze by morning. The ice is broken into smaller pieces than transported into the reservoir where it is stored until the summer season. The water comes from a variety of natural sources, in some regions snow or ice blocks can be brought directly into the yakhchal or the use of qanats can be found in the Yazd, Khorasan, and Kerman regions.

Aerial and cross section illustration of yakhchal

The vault is not always a dome but may be underground or even unnecessary depending on the climate. For large quantities of ice and harsh climate conditions domed vaults were constructed to trap cold air at the bottom of the well while hot air rises and is released through a hole in the ceiling. An example of one of the largest domed yakhchals can be found in Meibod in Yazd province. The diameter of the vault was 13m and a pit depth of 6m. The height of the dome was almost 15m, the thickness was about 240 cm (8ft) at the bottom and 20 cm (.5 ft) at the top. They were constructed with a step like wall to make maintenance possible, this included covering the external layers with thatch to protect it from rain, snow, and solar damage. There is normally two entrances to a domed yakhchal, the one on the north side was utilized to transfer the ice via a sloped surface into the pitfall. The southern door was used to serve and sell ice in the summer.

Illustration of temperature control inside domed vault

The historical background of Iranian ice repositories is unclear until the 17th century ( Safavid era) but the estimated time it was introduced is before 400 CE. There may be recorded history of using ice in this part of the world but none describing how it was produced. Much of the recorded descriptions and illustrations are provided by tourist or travelers to the area. Iranian bio-climatic architecture has thrived to create comfortable living for its native people with conscious design for individual regions. Such a simple yet sophisticated design should not be left to ruins but instead preserved and used to educate about architecture inspired by climate conscious designs. 

Sirjan, Iran

1: "An Overview of Iranian Ice Repositories, An Example of Traditional Indigenous Architecture", Bahareh Hosseini, Ali Namazian

2: "Historical Ice Houses: Remarkable Example of Iranian Cultural Heritage", Amirkhani Aryan, Okhovat Hanie, Pourjafar Mohammad Reza, Zamani Ehsan

3: "An Overview of Some Vernacular Techniques in Iranian Sustainable Architecture Reference to Cisterns and Ice Houses", Amir Ghayour Kazemi & Amir Hossein Shirvani

4: "Assessment of Ancient Fridges: A Sustainable Method to Storage Ice in Hot-Arid  Climates", M. Mahadavinejad, Kavan Javanrudi