Pigeon Tower of Isfahan: A masterpiece of Iran's architectural

One of the architectural masterpieces of Isfahan, which is interesting and exciting for all tourists and visitors is the unique architecture of pigeon houses or Dove Cote. This masterpiece architecture with a simple appearance and attractive and complex technique has served the farmers of Isfahan for hundreds of years.

Usually, the tourists who come to Esfahan have the opportunity to visit Mardavij Dove Cote, which is regarded as one of the largest ones and as an attractive architectural monument with the most perfect pattern of this type. The tower dates back to the late 16th century and is 18 meters high with an average diameter of 16 mates on the lower part. This tower has a Stairway with 38 steep steps, and variable heights that range from 32 centimeters to 45.
It has a capacity of 15,000 pigeons, and approximately 15 tons of droppings can be collected from the cylindrical chambers. It has also a large number of cubic rests, with an average size of 18 centimeters by 20 centimeters by 23 centimeters, and a conical runway at the front of pigeon holes, for entering the exit of pigeons.

Many of the travelers after visiting, utter that it is such a convenient complex that one wishes in a five-star hotel; free of charge, with room services, for both domestic and migratory pigeons choose here as an ideal nest forever. With respect to the fact that the agricultural soil of Esfahan is a kind of alluvium, our ancestors, since long ago, have paid a lot of attention to the great role that natural fertilizers could play to redress the weakness of the soil and revitalize its microorganisms. In this case, pigeon droppings, which contain considerable amounts of organic and chemical elements; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium oxides, have an efficient role in the growth of plant leaves, especially vegetables.

How to visit Isfahan in one day

on the other hand, when we study the history of the civilization of mankind, we can find a long-term m relationship between the pigeon and man. According to the Old Testament, Noah the match at the end of the flood sent one of them to bring him news of land. After a while, the pigeon came back with a piece of olive leaf in its Noah found that they were saved. This is why, in many cultures, this bird is considered the messenger of happiness, liberty, innocence, hopefulness, etc. But experience shows that wherever they flock together, some dangerous enemies, even inside such huge and safe towers, threaten them. For example, to parent the penetration of snakes, there are some devices as follow:

1) A white and slippery circular band made of plaster gypsum about 80 to 100 centimeters wide corers round the base of the tower over mud and straw, In addition, some pendentives, with the same slippery band on the top of the structure exist to prevent the creeping up of a snake on the shaft of the tower, and passing through the entrance holes on its top which are available for pigeons.
2) Another way that a snake penetrates into the tower is through the holes that rats make inside the Foundation of the tower leading them inside.? Thus, they used to fix some long narrow-necked pottery, half-filled with yogurt By this tactic, when a snake crawls inside the tower, first it enters the pottery to eat the yogurt, but due to its body inflation, it is trapped to die.
3)Another procedure to eradicate the snake was to put pottery filled with milk, surrounded by circles of lime powder to contact with the skin of the snake | and finally poison it.