Built in the 1880s for the wealthy carpet merchant Seyyed Jafar Tabatabaei, this is the most elegant of Kashan’s historic houses. Like all traditional Persian homes it turns inward: from a modest street door, a winding corridor leads into four courtyards with sunken gardens and pools, separating the family’s private quarters from the rooms where guests were received.
The main hall facing the largest courtyard is a showpiece of Qajar craftsmanship — lace-like stucco carving, mirror work, painted panels and tall windows of coloured glass that scatter light across the floor. Windcatchers and a basement level kept the house cool through Kashan’s scorching summers.
Highlights
- Lace-like stucco of the main hall
- Coloured-glass windows (orsi)
- Four courtyards with sunken gardens
- Windcatchers and cool basement rooms
Gallery
