Shish Badgiri Ab Anbar

Water reservoirs were an important part of the water supply system in the past of dry and desert regions of Iran. Yazd being one of the desert cities of Iran, has had a number of water reservoirs, one of which is the historical Shish Badgiri Ab Anbar, which was much bigger than the other water reservoirs of Yazd and was constructed during the Qajar era in the 18th century AD.

The History of Shish Badgiri Ab Anbar

The water reservoir was built by the efforts of a person named Haji Mohammad Hossein Khayyer, the son of Nurollah Yazdi. According to the existing endowment deed of the water reservoir, the donor had built this water reservoir using the income he received from the properties he had in Yazd and Taft. After the donor’s demise, a person by the name of Beheshtian used the most important running water in Yazd city to fill this reservoir. nevertheless, this reservoir is no longer functional and in 1951 Ad certain restorations were carried out to preserve its building.

Features and Usage of Shish Badgiri Ab Anbar of Yazd

This reservoir is located in the Talle Yazd neighborhood, one of the old neighborhoods of this city. Windcatchers built for the water reservoirs had an important role in air conditioning and keeping the water inside the tanks cool. The number of windcatchers varies from one to six on the basis of the size and amount of water in every reservoir. Based on its size, this reservoir has six separate windcatchers and it is the only reservoir with six windcatchers in Iran. The tall windcatchers of this building, along with its egg-shaped dome, have given this reservoir an unparalleled and beautiful appearance.

The windcatchers of this reservoir have been made in an octagonal shape to increase their efficiency in absorbing winds from all possible directions.

Like many reservoirs all over Iran, this reservoir, too, played an important role in supplying the water needed by the people of the city until a few decades ago, but today, due to the decrease in the level of underground water and the use of the piped water system, it has lost its functionality and is only a historical monument.

The space between the entrance to the windcatchers and the dome of this reservoir is used now for holding some religious ceremonies, especially the Muharram mourning ceremony, by erecting a tent as a husayniyya.

Keeping in view the shape and construction of windcatchers, it seems that three of them were built in the beginning, together with the circular tank of the reservoir, and the other three were erected during the reconstruction of the reservoir. Gholamreza and Ali Siah were the two builders who added the next three windcatchers to the building during the restoration operation.

The Architecture of Shish Badgir Ab Anbar of Yazd

The general shape of this reservoir is circular. it has two entrances in the north and south, which are decorated with muqarnas work and other designs. Considering that Muslims and Zoroastrians lived around this reservoir, it seems that the northern entrance was used by Zoroastrians and the southern entrance by Muslims. Of course, in some sources, such separation is rejected and the reason for the existence of two entrances is the large population of reservoir users.

A total of 55 steps have to be climbed down to reach the tank. The north and south entrances are built symmetrically a vestibule is built with brick paving between the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth steps after which the arch of the water tank arch begins. Thus, the steps of the water reservoir were made up of two open and covered parts.

The dome of the reservoir is egg-shaped and has a special beauty in this respect. The height of the windcatchers of the building is 10 meters. The water tank of the reservoir has been dug in the ground and the windcatchers were responsible for air flow and keeping the water cool. The roof of the reservoirs was made in the shape of a dome so that during the daytime the interior space of the reservoir would absorb less heat. The tank of this reservoir held more than two thousand cubic meters of water.

The unique historical Shish Badgir Ab Anbar of Yazd was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 1978 AD.

The historical Shish Badgiri Ab Anbar, which was much bigger than the other water reservoirs of Yazd, was constructed during the Qajar era in the 18th century AD.