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Being a village of great antiquity, Abyaneh is like a
living architectural and anthropological museum. It affords an
impressive exponent of the adaptation of man with his environment.
It is located on the north-western slope of Mt Karkas, 2 kms away
from Natanz (a town in Isfahan province). It is 2500 meters above
sea level. At a place called Hanjan is 55 kms away from Kashan and
25 kms away from Abyaneh.
Abyaneh is mainly watered by the river of Barzrud. Set on the slope
of the lofty mountain of Karkas, this village has a cold climate and
enjoys numerous springs creating a favorite condition for
agriculture.
Considering the evidence found in Abyaneh, it dates back to
antiquity, but its golden age was during the Safavid period. The
word Abyaneh has been derived from the word "viona"
meaning willow grove. (In the local dialect "vey" means
willow.)
The village is expanded along the river, and its configuration
indicates that in the past the people showed much consideration for
security. Although the village itself is situated on high ground,
there are three castles that protected the people when the enemy
attacked.
furthermore, the configuration of Abyaneh protects it from strong
winds and floods.
Abyaneh has a compact fabrication with narrow and steep alleys. Set
on the slope of the mountain, the houses are arranged in a
stair-step shape, so that the mountain, the houses are the yards of
the others. The materials used for building the roofs are timbers,
straw and clay. The materials use for building the roofs are
timbers, straw and clay. The walls, built by red mud bricks are
impressive. The mud bricks are of quality that become harder when
they are exposed to the rain. To use the sun as much as possible,
the houses face the east. An impressive aspect of Abyaneh's
architectures is that the houses are uniform in appearance. The
doors, most of which have two knockers, are wooden and built in
traditional styles. There are beautiful patterns, poems and the
names of the owner and mason carved on some doors. These poems
afford a good picture of the old Iranian culture. Many facades date
back to the Safavid period. Beside the door of many houses there are
small platforms providing place for passers-by or local residents to
rest for a while.
The simplicity found in Abyaneh's houses affords a picture of life
in rural Iran. Each room is used for various purposes. For example,
a single room may be used as a dining-room, a sitting-room, a
bed-room and a guest-room. To economize in the use of fuel, the
rooms and used in winter are architecturally different from those
used in summer. For providing equal light for all parts of the
rooms, there are several small openings in the roofs. The size of
the rooms, windows and doors all indicate the simplicity of life in
this old village.
Abyaneh is called an entrance to the Iranian history. In some of the
houses there is earthenware belonging to a few hundred years ago.
The local traditional clothes are in style of great antiquity. It is
said a woman of Abyaneh has inherited her wedding dress from her
grandmother. The language (an Iranian language of the Parthian
people who were inhabitants of an ancient country to the
southeast of the Caspian Sea, now a part of NE Iran).
In addition to natural beauties, there are several historical
monuments in Abyaneh, of which the following are of more
significance.
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