Many millennia ago, the ancients perfectly knew how to make and store ice during the warm days. This practice was carried out through a creative dome-like structure called Yakhchal.

Iran (IMNA) - Persian engineers had a grasp of ice storage technique at the height of summer, even in desert areas. They were also constructed by skilled locals across Iran's territories where the climate enabled the freezing of ice in winter.

They had built Yakhchals with thick mud bricks that were made out of special material called Sarooj (mortar) which is resistant to heat transfer and entirely water impenetrable. Beneath these large mud brick domes, there are large underground areas with deep storage rooms. The great architectural design of Yakhchals easily reduces the temperatures inside the space to chilly weather.

These engineering structure let the cold air to flow in from entries at the base of the ice house and move downward the deepest part of the structure. At the same instant, the tall tapered shape of Yakhchal direct any remaining heat to the upper part through openings at the head of the building; the air inside the ice house remains cooler than the outside through this transition.

During the winters, engineers caused the water to flow out into the ice-pits or they brought ice and snow from nearby mountainous to be stored in Yakhchals. These ancient refrigerators were used mainly to reserve ice as well as foods, especially in areas with very low precipitation and hot desert climate.

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