In traditional

Persian architecture Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (, ''Me'māri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distr ...

, a kucheh or koocheh (), is a narrow especially designed alley.Fallāḥʹfar, Saʻīd (). ''The Dictionary of Iranian Traditional Architectural Terms (Farhang-i vāzhahʹhā-yi miʻmārī-i sunnatī-i Īrān )''. Kamyab Publications (). Kāvushʹpardāz. 2000, 2010. Tehran. US Library of Congress LCCN Permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/2010342544 pp.182 Remnants of it are still seen in modern

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and regional countries. Before modernisation, Iran's old city fabric was composed of these narrow winding streets, often made with high walls of

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

and

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

, and often roofed at intervals. This form of urban design, which was commonplace in Iran, is an optimal form of desert architecture that minimizes desert expansion and the effects of dust storms. It also maximises daytime shading, and insulates the “fabric” from severe winter temperatures. Image:Architecture58.JPG, An example of how Kuchehs were roofed. Sometimes, such as in

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, the kucheh was roofed for much of its span. This example is in Nain. File:کوچه باغ.jpg, A Kuche-Bagh (Kucheh + garden) in

Najafabad Najafabad (; ) is a city in the Central District of Najafabad County, Isfahan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Najafabad is west of Isfahan and is increasingly becoming a part of the Isfahan Metropol ...

. Image:Koocheh Amerian House.jpg, The high walls of the Koocheh provided relief from dust storms and intense sunlight. This was an efficient and ancient form of urban design in Iran. Image:Kucheh yazd.jpg, A Kucheh in

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

References

Islamic architecture in Iran Pedestrian infrastructure Islamic architectural elements Streets by type Passive cooling Passive ventilation Iranian architectural elements {{Iran-stub