The Ancient Persian Air Conditioner: Ten Degrees Cooler Indoors

Have you heard of the ancient Persian air conditioner? With the Sahara dust becoming more frequent, it might be worth adopting some architectural tricks from cultures in hot climates.

While modern technology lets us adjust room temperature with the push of a button, it's worth considering sustainable and natural cooling solutions. For example, Madrid in Spain has recently used a traditional cooling method from the Middle East.

In the streets of Iran and Egypt, you'll see structures that look like chimneys or bell towers on rooftops. These are wind catchers, natural air conditioners developed thousands of years ago by desert dwellers. They capture air and direct it into living spaces or underground storage areas while expelling hot air.

Both Iran and Egypt claim to have invented these devices, but Iran has stronger evidence. Archaeological findings from a Zoroastrian fire temple built around 4000 BC show chimney like structures without ash, suggesting they were wind catchers. Egyptian evidence, dating back to 1300 BC, shows triangular structures in noble homes likely serving a similar purpose.

Egyptian wind catchers, often triangular and discreetly built into roofs, can be seen atop the Citadel of Cairo. Iranian ones are usually rectangular and open on all four sides, designed to catch the wind. In Yazd, a UNESCO World Heritage city, hexagonal and octagonal wind catchers are common due to winds coming from multiple directions.

In Maybod, near Yazd, wind catchers are designed to avoid sand filled desert air blowing from the north. Traditional Persian houses didn't rely only on wind catchers. They had central courtyards and separate summer and winter wings to optimize sunlight year round. Wind catchers were placed in the summer wing to cool the house.

Sometimes, wind catcher air was directed to the basement, where it passed over a water pond, cooling the air even more. This water came from nearby mountains through underground channels, creating a natural and efficient cooling system.

Studies show that wind catchers can lower indoor temperatures by up to ten degrees. Despite their effectiveness, many people in these regions now prefer electric air conditioners. However, modern versions of wind catchers are still used, such as in the design of Qatar University.