Looking at the architecture of Iran's ruined pigeon towers today. 
These towers were built to encourage pigeons to roost in them, & deposit their droppings over the side of their little nests.
Once a year, the towers were opened & all the guano was swept out & used as fertiliser.
(goingiran.com/pigeon-tower-y…)
Once a year, the towers were opened & all the guano was swept out & used as fertiliser.
(goingiran.com/pigeon-tower-y…)
Built using brick, gypsum & lime, the towers had their greatest flourishing during the 16-17th centuries, particularly around the time of the Safavid reign.
They are mostly found in the dry central Isfahan region of Iran.
(amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-pi…)
They are mostly found in the dry central Isfahan region of Iran.
(amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-pi…)
The Isfahan area is well-known for its melon and cucumber fields, which were once fertilised exclusively using these pigeon towers.
The towers range from 10 to 22m in diameter & can be as much as 18m high, housing up to 14,000 pigeons.
The towers range from 10 to 22m in diameter & can be as much as 18m high, housing up to 14,000 pigeons.
The structures differ greatly, but many have these little inlet towers on their roofs, allowing the pigeons to come & go as they please.
The towers were sealed for most of the year to prevent snakes from entering.
(amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-pi…)
The towers were sealed for most of the year to prevent snakes from entering.
(amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-pi…)
While oldest pigeon towers still standing date to the 16th century, it's believed that they have been in use for over 1,000 years.
Pigeon towers are an example of what's called "vernacular architecture".
That means there is no fixed design, & no original creator, but they still form an architecturally unique signature that shows distinct regional variations.
That means there is no fixed design, & no original creator, but they still form an architecturally unique signature that shows distinct regional variations.
The adobe & sundried brick constructions need to be renovated often, & begin to deteriorate after 100 years or so.
I'm modern times, movement to the use of synthetic fertiliser in Iran has caused many of the pigeon towers to fall into disuse & ruin.
(antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/pourj…)
I'm modern times, movement to the use of synthetic fertiliser in Iran has caused many of the pigeon towers to fall into disuse & ruin.
(antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/pourj…)
Today the pigeon towers form melancholy monuments in the landscape, pointing to abandoned practises of sustainable farming.
Only a few hundred of the towers are actively maintained, compared to the thousands once in operation.
Only a few hundred of the towers are actively maintained, compared to the thousands once in operation.
While synthetic fertilisers are a much less labour-intensive alternative, it's thought that Iranian food production actually fell in the 1960s due to their increased use, which scorched the soil & led to water shortages.
(notechmagazine.com/2016/10/pigeon…)
(notechmagazine.com/2016/10/pigeon…)
I love that despite their humble purpose, the interiors of pigeon towers suggest the repeating patterns of sacred architecture.
Some of these ceilings reaching up to sky could belong to a mosque or a church.
The design of functional architecture creeps into the sacred!
Some of these ceilings reaching up to sky could belong to a mosque or a church.
The design of functional architecture creeps into the sacred!
That's enough for now! If you enjoyed reading about this, I've collected more of my research here:
(and on a final note, I started reading about these towers after a tweet from @PicsSilkRoad, who is a delightful follow)
