Arge-e Sheikh Bahaei

Twenty-six kilometers after Isfahan, you will reach to a city the name of which has been linked with Sheikh Bahaei. Najafabad is one of the most populated cities of Isfahan that was built during the rule of Safavid dynasty by the architectural and engineering knowledge of the famous scientist and mathematician of that period, Sheikh Bahaei. In addition to Sheikh Bahaei and Safa dovecote towers, this city embraces some important historical attractions like Assarkhaneh-ye Bozorg, Assarkhaneh-ye Zamanian and historical houses.

From two abovementioned dovecote towers, Sheikh Bahaei dovecote tower was reconstructed and reused in 1382 SH after a period of oblivion and destruction of walls and towers. The mayor of Najafabad decided to restore the remaining of this Safavi building in 1382 SH and it was revived after two years of hard working and it was finally converted into the greatest historical-recreational complex of this city including the green space, traditional tea-house, fountain and thatch pergolas. This beautiful building was inscribed on the index of Iran National Heritages in the same year, with no. 3481.

Arg-e Sheikh Bahaei or Seven Kharoun Towers is placed in Jouy Kharoun neighborhood, Baharestan boulevard. Since it is located along the old tower of Kharoun, it is also called Seven Kharoun Towers.

The visitor enters a square-form space with 3000 meters of area through the wooden door. It is a green space full of flowers. There is a storey above the entrance door that is famous as Shahneshin (alcove) the access to where is possible through corridor, room and basement. The whole space is surrounded by a thatch wall and six towers have been built along the wall at regular intervals. The height of these towers is fourteen meters that are linked to each other through four-meter thatch walls. This entrance door along with its beautiful façade and high towers catch that eyes of Najafabad passengers.

The towers were originally the house of pigeons. They placed water and seed for pigeons inside the towers, in order to gather the junk of them and use it as fertilizer. In addition to agricultural usage, the existence of these dovecotes and building them in most cities of Iran still remained in Kerman, Yazd and Tabriz indicate the friendship of Iranians with animals.

Sheikh Bahaei dovecote has lost its original function and it is now a historical-recreational place, but the existence of the current building would remind the future generation of the administration in the past.