Troglodytic Architecture in Binheler Village, Meshkinshahr, Iran

Troglodytic architecture includes a type of architecture in which spatial units are created by removing existing components from an existing whole rather than forming based on the accumulation of materials. This architecture has been natively formed over the centuries. In different parts of the country, a large number of Troglodytic villages have been identified and introduced so far.

Meshkinshahr, located on the southern slopes of Sabalan Mountains, Iran, is one of the areas prone to this type of architecture; so far, no studies have been conducted to record and introduce many of these places. Based on the field survey, it was determined that there are various hande-made dwellings left in Meshkinshar, which are worth reviewing and documenting. In addition, the results of this study can be a model for further studies of Troglodytic architectural works in other villages in the foothills of Sabalan Mountains. This research seeks to answer the following fundamental questions: 1. What has been the most important factor in the formation of hand-made spaces in the village of Binehler? 2. What are the components of these hand-made spaces? Therefore, in the present study, an attempt was made to record, and explain the current state of handmade spaces by field method. Also, documentary studies based on descriptive-analytical method have been used to identify the formation factor of Troglodytic architecture in Binheler village. The results showed that the village of Binehler is formed based on climatic conditions in the context of political, social and economic conditions in the region. This village can be considered as one of the rocky villages of Iran in which a combination of residential body and human behavior has been made and in fact they have influenced each other. The village of BinehLer is also morphologically one of the hand-made spaces built on a surface of a limestone wall. Most of these hand-made spaces are now abandoned and only a few of them are used by local ranchers during summers.