Iranica Desk - IRAN DAILY
Pigeon towers, also known as dovecotes, are among the oldest architectural structures with unique features one can find in Iran. The creativity used in the designing process of the towers speaks volume about Iranian architects.
Interestingly, remains of the pigeon towers built in the past 1,000 years can be found across Iran. The bird sanctuaries, in fact, have been established in a number of Asian and European countries since a long time ago to help people collect and use manure of pigeon as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.
Studies show that building pigeon towers were more prevalent in central desert areas of Iran. Meybod Pigeon Tower in Yazd Province having unique architectural features is known as the largest and most famous pigeon tower of Iran.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily, Mehdi Hemmatpour, director of the Research Center of Meybod’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, said that thanks to their talents, Iranians have always tried to make the best use of the available facilities since the ancient time.
“They built the dovecotes to attract pigeons and collect their dung, because pigeon manure is among the best natural fertilizers which can help increase crop productivity and soil fertility,” he said.
He added that according to some studies, there are 100 pigeon towers across Iran, most of which are located in the central regions of the country.
Meybod Pigeon Tower, with a capacity of 4,000 nests, dates back to the Qajar Era (1789-1925 CE). It was registered on Iran’s National Heritage List in 1985. According to the historical documents, pigeons were used to send letters from Shah Abbasi Chaparkhaneh (post office), located near the tower to other places.
He added that Iranian architects brought together art and creativity to build pigeon towers.
“Pigeons can find their way home from even more than 600km away, but when they reach their destination, they cannot locate their nests easily,” Hemmatpour noted.
Thus, a red ring was drawn around the top of pigeon towers so that the birds can find their nests more easily.
He said that rock pigeons have the ability to fly and land vertically, thus Iranian architects used it to design pigeon towers in a way that enable the birds to land vertically and be safe from any birds of prey.
On the other hand, principles of acoustics were used in the designing of the amazing structures, as pigeons are disturbed by the slightest sound and fly away, Hemmatpour explained.
A number of pigeon towers were built in the UK and other parts of the world, most of which are square in shape, but those established in Iran have circular and cylindrical forms. Such structures create less noise and provide more space for bird nests.
He continued that to prevent reptiles from entering the structure, the Iranian architects put a line of plaster, usually 40-90cm wide, in the middle of the tower which had a very slippery surface.
“To provide natural light for the building and prevent the pigeons from getting sick in its dark environment, marble stones were used in the wall of the structure through which light could pass and spread in the tower,” he concluded.
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