The Remarkable Rock Houses of Kandovan

🏡Kandovan is a village in Iran with cone-shaped rock houses carved into volcanic rock.

🌄The rock houses offer protection and insulation from the extreme climate, with temperatures remaining constant throughout the year.

🔍The houses are carved out manually, with pickaxes and brute force, leaving marks on the walls that tell the story of their construction.

🚜The villagers live a self-sufficient lifestyle, relying on agriculture and livestock farming for their livelihood.

🌿The village is known for its medicinal plants, which are harvested and sold by the residents.

How old are the rock houses in Kandovan?

—The rock houses have existed since prehistoric times, with the oldest ones dating back over 1,500 years.

Why did the villagers choose to live inside the rock face?

—The villagers settled inside the rock face for protection from robbers and thieves, as well as to take advantage of the climate and fertile land for agriculture.

How do the villagers cope with extreme weather conditions?

—The rock houses provide insulation, keeping the temperature constant throughout the year. In winter, when it can snow heavily, the houses remain warm, and in summer, they provide a cool escape from the heat.

How do the villagers carve out the rock houses?

—The houses are carved out manually with pickaxes and other tools. It can take several months of hard labor to hollow out a single house.

What is the main source of income for the villagers?

—The villagers rely on agriculture, including wheat fields, orchards, and livestock farming. They also harvest and sell medicinal plants from the region.

00:20Philipe Seim, a philosopher interested in architecture and lifestyles, explores the remarkable rock houses of Kandovan in Iran.

01:20Kandovan is located in a volcanic region, with the village carved out of volcanic rock that was formed millions of years ago.

03:45The rock houses in Kandovan are the oldest in the world, dating back to prehistoric times.

05:30Kandovan is the only inhabited trite village today, with about 1,000 cone-shaped houses inside the rock face.

11:30The temperature inside the rock houses remains constant throughout the year, providing insulation from extreme weather conditions.

14:00Ahad, a storekeeper in Kandovan, shows the unique features of his rock house and explains the advantages and challenges of living in such a space.

16:45Michael Mazari, a professor at the University of tabes, discusses the history and architecture of Kandovan, highlighting the marks left by the pickaxes used to carve the houses.

18:45The villagers in Kandovan live a self-sufficient lifestyle, relying on agriculture and livestock farming for their livelihood.