Borujerdi House is one of the most beautiful historical buildings in Kashan, central Iran, and in terms of style and architecture, antiquity, decorations, and stucco paintings, it is considered to be one of Iran’s most exquisite historical monuments. It was designed by the architect Ustad Ali Maryam in 1857 for Borujerdi’s bride, a wealthy merchant. The bride came from the wealthy Tabātabāei family, for whom, several years earlier, the architect had designed the nearby Tabātabāei House. An example of a wealthy 19th century Kashan family residence is the Borujerdi House. This house was part of the Borujerdi family and is an excellent Persian architectural masterpiece. Along with Tabatabaei House, Ameri House, and Abbasi House, Borujerdi House is one of Kashan’s most popular tourist sites. It is located on Alavi Street in Kashan, Iran, in the Soltan Amir Ahmad district. This 1700-meter house was designed between the years 1913 and 1931 in the Qajar period by a merchant named Haj Seyed Hasan Natanzi. It became known as the Borujerdi House because the owner of the house imported merchandise from the city of Borujerd. It took 18 years to create and no wonder 150 craftsmen are one of the city’s most impressive buildings. Hao Ping, President of the General Conference of UNESCO, visited Kashan in 2014 and nominated Borujerdi House as Asia’s most beautiful historical house. Borujerdi House was selected as the UNESCO Top Choice for a visit to Iran in 2015.
(Borujerdi House)
A mixture of soft clay, sieved straw, and the cob was used by the builders of this building to decorate the ceilings and walls. Also, the paintings of the building are done in different styles, in oil paint and watercolor, under the supervision of the famous Iranian painter, Kamal al-Molk. There are also paintings of the Qajar kings on the Shahneshin wall, influenced by European paintings. The Borujerdi House consists of the biruni (“exterior”, the public area) and andaruni (“interior”, the private quarters) features of Iran’s traditional residential architecture, including a courtyard with a fountain pool and a two-story iwan (balcony). A rectangular courtyard, adorned with a garden and a water pool, separates them. There is also a 40-meter-tall wind tower in the building or ‘badgir.’ Thanks to this engineering decision, even during the hottest summer days, the air inside the house remains cool. Borujerdi House’s main hall is topped by a domed roof, adorned with excellent ornaments. The roof looks like a fairy-tale castle from the outside. Once upon a time, the form of the exterior of Borujerdi House was compared to the buildings designed in Barcelona by Gaudi. The interior of the house is decorated with paintings by Sani Ol Molk and sophisticated multi-parcel carvings. The importance of the House of Borujerdi is so great that its windcatchers have become an emblem of Kashan City. Some rooms have plenty of sunshine, mainly used in the winters. The kitchen is situated in the northeast of the city. Visitors can see the latticed windows at the bottom of the courtyard downstairs. During hot summers, these rooms have a perfect temperature. The exterior view of the house resembles a fairy-tale castle. It can be compared to a building constructed in Barcelona by Gaudi. This marvelous museum, Boroujerdi Building, is open to all visitors from 9 am to 6 pm. Kashan is usually hot and dry in terms of climate, so the best time to visit this historic city is autumn and spring.
