 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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Jame' mosque:
This mosque is magnificently impressive. In the opinions of
many tourists, if Abyaneh had this same monument only, it
would be worth visiting. The sanctuary of the mosque has a
wooden mihrab (a nich used to indicate the direction of
prayer) around which there are eye-catching patterns and a
chapter of the Koran carved decorations dating back to the
Seljuq Period
(1038-1194). | | |
