Tourists traveling to Iran can see unusual structures - yachts. These domed structures made of clay are an ingenious invention of the ancient Persians, which makes it possible to produce ice in hot climates and store it for a long time.
Today you will learn about the unique Iranian refrigerators - yachts.
Yakhchal, which translated from Persian means "ice pit", the oldest invention of the Persians, which is more than 2,000 years old. The unassuming building is the prototype of the refrigerator, and its design is such that it allows you to produce a large amount of ice and even store it in the summer. The resulting ice was used for storing food, as well as making desserts, soft drinks and ice cream. Its construction did not require any expensive materials or special knowledge, so yachts were widespread in the territory of modern Iran.
Yakhchal is not just a clay dome, but a whole piece of engineering art. The traditional yachkhal consists of an above-ground part - a dome, which is visible on the surface, and an underground storage where ice and food supplies were located. Ice in yachts is formed from water that flows through the aqueduct system or is brought from the mountains. The water flowing through the underground tunnels enters the lower part of the yacht and freezes here during cold nights.
The walls of the yacht, made of adobe bricks, were coated with a special mixture, which, after hardening, increased the thermal insulation properties of the building and prevented the effects of precipitation. In addition to traditional clay and sand, this mixture included animal hair and egg white. The walls of the yachts are very thick, about 2 meters at the base, which also serves as additional thermal insulation in the summer.
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There is an opening in the upper part of the yacht through which warmer air leaves the freezer. In addition, the yachts were also equipped with a ventilation system, which made it possible to maintain a low temperature inside the refrigerator.
Today, when modern homes have long had electricity and refrigerators, yachts are no longer used for their intended purpose. But they can still be found in some settlements of Iran, and large food freezers or refrigerators are often called yachts here.
Olga Frolova
