This city is very
similar to a cactus in the desert, it has a very hard skin and is completely
closed. Consequently people run their lives inside this skin. All the spaces
are well protected against dusty winds and they are shaped to use cool wind
in the summer and sun in winter. The urban texture is dense and alleys
with tall walls and zig-zag form in plan do not let the wind blow easily.
Some of the alleys are just wide enough for two people to pass so as to produce more shading.
A. Very dense texture:
As you can see in the accompanying photos, Yazd has connected buildings and covered
bazaars. So that in a total overview you can see it as a single roof with
holes (courtyards), and some alleys cut in this roof. Monochrome colour
and the same material insure this feeling. This worked as a protection against
both natural harsh and enemies who attacked the city in days gone by.
|