From a Living Settlement to an Abandoned Fortress: Explaining the Bio-Historical Identity of Amirabad Fortress in Varamin in Relation to the Pattern of Inhabited Farms

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Master's degree graduate from the University of Tehran

2 Master's degree graduate from Isfahan University of Art

10.22034/ahdc.2025.22870.1854

Abstract

From a Living Settlement to an Abandoned Fortress: Explaining the Bio-Historical Identity of Amirabad Fortress in Varamin in Relation to the Pattern of Inhabited Farms

Abstract:

This study aims to reinterpret, examine, and analyze Amirabad Fortress in Varamin—dating back to the Qajar era—in relation to the settlement patterns of inhabited farms and historical residential complexes. The inhabited farm, as a lesser-known type of historical settlement, is defined as a dynamic complex with a structure composed of residential, productive, religious, and service elements, based on agriculture and in close connection with the land. The primary issue addressed in this research is the lack of recognition of this pattern and the threat of gradual decline and functional loss of Amirabad Fortress as a living settlement. Once an active and coherent structure, the fortress is now perceived merely as an "abandoned fortress" and an architectural monument. This reduction in identity and function results from the neglect and lack of awareness of the ecological potential of this type of settlement. Amirabad Fortress not only holds historical value but also represents a coherent structure with an independent identity as an agricultural living complex.

In this regard, through an interpretive-historical approach and using mixed methods—including field studies, historical document analysis, aerial imagery analysis, and spatial-functional analysis—the fortress’s features were compared with the criteria of inhabited farms and rural settlements. The findings reveal significant spatial, functional, and architectural overlaps between the fortress and the structures of inhabited farms and rural settlements, suggesting that it can be considered a hybrid example with a unique bio-architectural identity. Sustainable conservation and utilization of this historical site play a crucial role in preserving the cultural heritage of the region and enhancing the understanding of Iranian ecological architectural patterns.

Keywords:

Historical Inhabited Farm, Amirabad Fortress, Varamin, Comparative Analysis

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

راعی، حسین.1397، فهم و تقرب به مفاهیم حفاظت درمزارع مسکون تاریخی( مزارع مسکون اربابی نیاسر در دوره قاجار)،دانشگاه هنر اصفهان
-عباس زادگان، مصطفی (1396). منظر روستاهای ایران، چاپ اول، تهران، انتشارات دانشگاه تهران
-راعی، حسین،1403،نقش مالکیت اربابی در زیست مزارع ایرانی در دوره های قاجار و پهلوی با نگاه ویژه به مزرعه قاضی بالا در قم،https://civilica.com/doc/2030871
- کدخدا، نوید ، 1397-کتاب سیری در تاریخ هنر و معماری ورامین-انتشارات نظری ،شابک   978-622-209-088-3
-راعی،حسین،1401،تاملی بر شناخت مزرعه قاضی بالا بر پایه معیارهای شش گانه مزارع اربابی،https://civilica.com/doc/1645445
-راعی، حسین،1400،گونه شناسی مزارع تاریخی در اقلیم گرم و خشک با تکیه بر ویژگی های کالبدی و کارکردی آن،https://civilica.com/doc/1421151
راعی، حسین. (1401). بررسی جایگاه مزارع مسکون تاریخی در نظام «زمانی- مکانی- فضایی» ایران. دو فصلنامه دانش‌های بومی ایران، 9(17). بازیابی از https://journals.atu.ac.ir/article_15483.html
راعی، حسین. (1401). صورت‌شناسی مزارع مسکون تاریخی در اقلیم گرم و خشک ایران. بازیابی از https://ensani.ir/fa/article/591346/
- سازمان نقشه­برداری کشور.(1335). عکس هوایی سال 35 از روستای امیرآباد ورامین
- جمهوری اسلامی ایران.(1362). مرکز پژوهش­ها: قانون تعاریف و ضوابط تقسیمات کشوری/
- جمهوری اسلامی ایران. (1366). مرکز پژوهش­ها: قانون تغییر نام بخش پلشت تابع شهرستان ورامین از استان تهران به پاکدشت و ایجاد و تشکیل 8 دهستان شامل روستاها و مزارع و مکانها در شهرستان مذکور/ https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/print_version/110331
- سازمان برنامه و بودجه کشور-مرکز آمار ایران-نقشه آماری دهستان­های کشور بر اساس سرشماری سال 1395/ https://amar.org.ir/
- سازمان برنامه و بودجه کشور- مرکز آمار ایران- دسته­بندی تقسیمات کشوری منتشر­شده توسط مرکز آمار در سال 1398/amar.org.ir/
-مصاحبه میدانی با خاندان اصفهانی و اهالی روستای محمدآباد عرب‌ها (1403)
-میتل هولستر، و. (۱۳۰۴). مجموعه عکس‌های هوایی از زمین‌های زراعی اطراف ورامین. [تصاویر بایگانی‌شده در منابع پژوهشی].
FAO. (n.d.). GIAHS: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/giahs/
Gleim, E. B. (2012). The Role of Environmental Stewardship in Sustainable Agriculture: Lessons from Shelburne Farms. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture.
Kennicott, P. (2009, November 19). Brewing new sense of Colonial relevance: Coffeehouse project is steeped in Williamsburg's shift to modern storytelling. The Washington Post.
National Park Service. (1995). Historic Residential Farms: Understanding Agricultural Landscapes. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture.
National Trust for Historic Preservation. (n.d.). The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved from https://savingplaces.org/
Schattman, R. E. (2010). The Farm-Based Education Movement in Vermont: Shelburne Farms as a Model. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.
UNESCO. (1972). Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/
Van West, C., & Hoffschwelle, M. (1984). “Slumbering on its old foundations”: Interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg. South Atlantic Quarterly, 83(3), 157–159.
ICOMOS. (2005). Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites. Retrieved from https://www.icomos.org/
Historic England. (n.d.). Farm Buildings and Traditional Farmsteads. Retrieved from https://historicengland.org.uk/
Shelburne Farms. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://shelburnefarms.org/
Heritage in Transition: Vernacular Architectural Patterns in Rural Iran. (2024). Heritage, 7(7), 3393–3416. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7070160
A Study of the Characteristics of Historical Farmsteads in Iran. (2021). Iranian Journal of Architecture and Urban Planning. https://www.iust.ac.ir/ijaup/article-1-621-fa.pdf
Heritage Landscapes and Vernacular Settlements: An Inquiry into the Evolution of Historical Iranian Gardens. (2024). ISVS e-journal, 11(4). https://isvshome.com/pdf/ISVS_11-04/ISVSej_11.04.10.pdf
The Unfolding Tragedy of Kandovan: The Loss of the Last Inhabited Cone Village. (2019). Journal of Cultural Heritage, 39, 1–9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197397519307611
Journal of Architecture in Hot and Dry Climate
Volume 12, Issue 19
August 2024
Pages 183-198

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics