Badgir, Ancient Air Conditioning Marvel
4.3
Introduction
The city of Yazd, located in the center of the desert, is influenced by its desert climate, with summer temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees, while winters are extremely cold. The distinctive architecture of the ancient Yazd people, such as the beehive houses and wind towers, allows cool breezes to enter the underground rooms, providing a cool refuge during hot weather. Due to scarce water resources in this region, the people of Yazd started building Ghanats (also known as qanats) over 2000 years ago. These underground channels, built deep below the surface along natural slopes, bring water from the mountains into every household in the city. Underneath each family's wind tower, there is also a water pond, combined with the cool breeze brought in by the wind tower, creating a natural air-conditioned space underground. With their intelligence and hard work, the people of Yazd transformed the barren desert into an oasis, establishing a city known for its unique features. With over 7000 years of history, Yazd is one of the oldest cities in the world.