The ancient desert freezers of Persia

The Yakhchäl, a testament to ancient Persian ingenuity, is an evaporative cooler used for storing ice and food over 2,400 years ago. This particular structure, located in Iran and standing for 400 years, highlights the sophisticated engineering skills of its creators. Used extensively by Persian civilizations, these ice houses were vital for preserving food in harsh climates.

Records indicate that these structures were built as far back as 400 BCE, and many that were built hundreds of years ago remain standing, where Persian engineers built Yakhchäls in the desert to store ice, usually made nearby. The ice created and stored in Yakhchäls were used throughout the year especially during hot summer days, for various purposes, including preservation of food, to chill treats, or making traditional Persian desserts like faloodeh and sorbets.

Although many have deteriorated over the years due to widespread commercial refrigeration technology, some interest in them has been revived as a source of inspiration in low-energy housing design and sustainable architecture. And some, like a Yakhchäl in Kerman (over a 1 kilometer above sea level), have been well-preserved. These still have their cone-shaped, eighteen meter high building, massive insulation, and continuous cooling waters that spiral down its side and keep the ice frozen throughout the summer.