The Brujerdi Historical House is located on Alavi Street in the Soltan Amir Ahmad neighborhood of Kashan. It was built in 1876 and took 18 years to complete. The owner of this historical house was Haji Seyyed Jafar Brujerdi, a wholesale merchant. Currently, the Kashan Cultural Heritage Department is housed here. From Alavi Street, you can see the antiquated and beautiful brick-red gate of the Brujerdi Historical House. Hanging on the mud wall to the right of the gate is a banner inscribed with Persian calligraphy, which, although eye-catching, may seem incomprehensible, so let’s just take it as a warm welcome to us! As seen before, the gate is crucial in Iranian architecture and is meticulously crafted. The arch of the gate is adorned with traditional Mughal terracotta red stalactite decorations, while the upper part of the gate features a classic Islamic-style blue brick semi-circular moon shape with yellow accents, inscribed with white and black calligraphy, probably recording the completion date and the builders of the structure. Above this, there is a relief resembling a family crest. The facades on either side of the gate arch are engraved with reliefs of knights in armor hunting lions, symbolizing the bravery of the family. Although the gate itself is not large, the scale of the porch can be considered “grand architecture,” reflecting the Iranian people’s emphasis on appearances more than that of other ethnicities! Upon entering, passing through a beautifully carved main pillar corridor adorned with intricate patterns and floral motifs, you arrive at the courtyard of the historical house. In the center of the courtyard, a huge rectangular water pool occupies about a quarter of the courtyard’s area, emphasizing the important position of water in this region and in architectural design. No wonder a friend jokingly remarked: “Seems like the water pool determines one’s status! When we return to Beijing, we should also dig a large water pool in our yard.” The main building of the historical house is a two-story structure with a central dome roof, surrounded by nearly 20 niche skylights resembling open flower petals clustered around the dome, with smaller domes at the top resembling stamens standing among them. On each side of the dome, there are two wind towers in the Badgir style. The central part of the building is an open hall, with an exquisitely carved pomegranate-style parapet wall (known as such in China, not sure about the Iranian term), with intricate reliefs. Although the wall pillars and corridors around the hall are old, one can still imagine their former glory, boasting elaborate carvings, colorful paintings, and a broad, deep vaulted ceiling. The light filtering through the fan-shaped skylights scattered above casts a patterned net-like illusion, throwing your thoughts into a distant and profound time and space. The buildings on both sides of the courtyard and the halls opposite the water pool are connected to the main building, with side and opposite buildings having outer corridors forming passageways. Various intricate carvings and reliefs adorn the exterior facade of the building, adding to its beauty. In conclusion, the Brujerdi Historical House can be described as exquisitely grand, filled with a variety of refined or quaint reliefs, carvings, richly colored and vividly depicted murals and ceiling decorations, exuding a rich artistic fragrance throughout.