The Role of Interactions between Iran and Europe in the Traditional Position of the Pool in the Architecture of Qajar Houses of Lahijan

 Introduction: The manifestation of the life-giving element of water in the architecture of Iranian houses often materializes with the body of a pool. During the Qajar era, the change of the ruling circumstances followed by the amplification of Iran's foreign relations with other countries, mainly that Guilan province, based on its location in the north of the country, had played the role of the main link between Iran and European countries, varied the meaning and function of the pool in the houses of this area including the houses of Lahijan city. This research tries to understand how the house is affected by the new conditions of Guilan society and to obtain the altering definition of the material and immaterial function of the pool in the Qajar period. The current research method is interpretive-historical. It was done by resorting to library and field collection methods, and 30 Qajar houses in Lahijan were studied using a snowball sampling method and interviews with their owners. Characteristics like function, shape, position, and dimensions of the pool were determined as desired variables in the advancement of the research. The results show that in these houses, pool-making was often followed by traditional principles and in the shape of a rectangle, with the introduction of new shapes such as oval, star, triangle, or less frequently ones like octagon, the structure of this element underwent alterations. At the end of the Qajar era, the multiplicity of elements such as fountains and added curves to traditional sharp-angled shapes of the pool signifies the preference of the aesthetic aspects in the path of its socio-cultural changes. Also, the geometric complexity and the vastness of some pools are signs of the house owner's social superiority and financial capability.
Background: As a reservoir of water, the pool has many functions. According to the researchers, specific historical periods, especially the Qajar period, have played a role in this variety of use because the architectural elements underwent significant changes (Saremi, 1996, p. 59). Relying on its spiritual and material aspects, the pool was used in fields like washing, irrigation, water storage, ablution, climatic comfort, and decorations, and over time, with the development of housing architecture following the increase of interactions between Iran and European countries, especially in the second half of the Qajar period, the metamaterial function of water element also decreased. Therefore, the pool often played a decorative role or provided daily needs for the residents.
Research Objectives and Questions: Understanding the importance of the pool and the transformation of its position, along with the increase of foreign communication of Iranians in the Qajar era Through many trips in the cities of Guilan province, including Lahijan, forms such questions as they are mentioned below:
- Have the symbolic values ​​of the pool and its living tradition continued in the houses of Lahijan during the Qajar era?
- After the connection between Iran and Europe expanded during the Qajar era, how did social developments affect the pool's traditional place in Lahijan houses?
Theories: According to the mentioned questions, the hypotheses can be stated as follows:
- The increase in interactions between Iranians and European countries through Guilan has affected changing the view of the people of this region, especially the people of Lahijan, towards the element of water and the pool.
- With the establishment of Qajar rule in Iran and due to Guilan's geographical location and economic importance, it was considered a place for kings, merchants, and students to commute, and in this way, the grounds for the formation of transformation in its traditional architectural elements such as the pool occurred.
Data Collection: Based on its historical-interpretive nature, the current qualitative research relied on two data collection methods: library and field. First, the place of the pool in the traditional architecture of Iran and Guilan was studied by reading the documents, and then with the help of the snowball sampling method, 30 examples of Lahijan's Qajar houses were visited in the field, and their owners were also interviewed.
Analysis and Discussion: In order to carry out the present research, Qajar houses in Gabaneh, Khomarkala, Pordesar, Karevansarabar, and Gharibabad neighborhoods in Lahijan were visited and investigated. In the mentioned houses, the pool element is often located in the yard's open space, and the pools' differences can be divided into four axes of function: geometric shape, position, and dimensions. Analyzes from observations and interviews with house owners indicate that the functional aspects of the pool include factors such as beauty, health, performing ceremonies, watering, storing food items, and performing religious duties and beliefs of the residents. In terms of appearance, the pools are geometrically rectangular, with stars, triangles, octagons, and squares as the most frequent shapes. Also, looking at the aerial maps of the Qajar houses of Lahijan in the 1336 solar year, the oval shape can be seen in the pools. Their position varies near the main building of the house and on its axis of symmetry to the middle of the courtyard. The dimensions of the pool element also increase with the expansion of the dimensions of the yards. Among the analyzed pools, the size of the pools and their geometric shape indicate the social and financial status of the original owners of these buildings. Therefore, the construction of the pools, while following the traditional structure, faced the reduction of spiritual dimensions and the expansion of the decorative function. The increase in interactions between Iranians and European countries, especially in the late Qajar period, was influential. Also, due to the female gender of beauty in the mentioned era, it is suggested that future studies be conducted on how the pool is affected as an organ with a possible feminine nature in homes.