Alam's House, National heritage house in Isfahan, Iran
Alam's House is a heritage residence in Isfahan built around an interior courtyard with a stone water basin at its center. The northern section features a columned veranda and main reception hall, while the southern portion contains an extended dining room with painted windows.
The residence was built as the home of a Qajar-era aristocrat and reflects the dwelling practices of that period. It received designation as an Iranian National Heritage site in 1996 and has been protected as an important historical building since then.
The house displays traditional handcrafted details that visitors can see in the stucco work, mirror inlays, and painted windows throughout the rooms. This craftsmanship shaped how the spaces were used and how people moved through them.
The house is best explored by starting at the central courtyard and then moving through the different sections connected by passageways. Wear sturdy shoes since there are multiple levels and corridors to navigate through various rooms.
The eastern and western sections of the house mirror each other, with each side containing its own reception halls connected by decorated passageways. This mirrored layout allowed important functions to happen simultaneously and shows a sophisticated approach to dividing space.
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