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The remains of an
insignificant number of archaic ice houses at certain
points of Yazd province are known as one of the most
remarkable provincial monuments, of which the one situated
in the provincial city of Maybod is the most ancient.
In old days, these ice
houses, which were made of unbaked raw brick and mud, were
used by people to keep their foodstuff fresh.
Deputy head of the
provincial Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department for
cultural and communications affairs, Mohammad-Reza Shoja,
told IRNA that Maybod Ice House includes a pond, an ice
reservoir, a dome covering the ice reservoir and a
freezing compartment.
"The large rectangular
pond, half a meter in depth, is situated to the north of
the monument. The elliptical shaped ice reservoir of the
ice house has been carved into the earth and is six meters
deep.
"The dome covering the
ice reservoir keeps the ice frozen. The freezing
compartment has a mud pond with an area measuring 800
meters. It is half a meter deep, while its walls are two
meters thick and eight meters high. It includes 14 vaults
and 16 columns," he added.
He added that the freezing
compartment of Maybod Ice House with its unique design has
attracted the attention of many cultural heritage experts.
The official noted that the
monument has already been repaired by the provincial
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department.
Shoja said that in ancient
times a cold shadow was cast by the eastern, western and
southern walls of the monument on its northern space in
winter.
"During the coldest
days of the season, once the large shallow pond was
repeatedly filled with aqueduct water overnight, large
pieces of ice were formed. The ice was then broken into
pieces and taken to the ice reservoir under the dome.
"Similar to an ice
flask, the unbaked mud brick dome preserved the ice piles,
which were used by caravans and people," he added.
 Shoja
said that this historical monument is situated adjacent to
the city's historical Post Office (Chaparkhaneh) and
Caravansary and that it was registered as a national
heritage in early winter of 1996.
He noted that the ancient
ice house in Abarkouh is another cultural monument in the
province, which is quite old.
Abarkouh Ice House is
conical in shape, made of unbaked mud brick and mud and
more than 25 meters high.
"There are two more
ice houses in the provincial town of Abarkouh and one in
Sadouq, which dates back to Qajar era," he concluded.
Located 60 kilometers to
the north of provincial capital of Yazd, Maybod is one of
the most ancient historical towns of the province.
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Source: IRNA
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