A Study of the Historical - Environmental Reasons for Constructing " Ouei" s in Kasan

This article describes the natural environment of Kashan and the strategies that its inhabitants adopted for adjusting themselves with the environment. It also briefly reviews the history of Kashan from prehistory up to the Qajar era. This article describes the natural environment of Kashan and the strategies that its inhabitants adopted for adjusting themselves with the environment. It also briefly reviews the history of Kashan from prehistory up to the Qajar era. era Kashan protected itself against invaders with the help of its great fort, villages near Kashan, such as Nouh-Abad, which did not have forts, were not safe from attacks. Lack of safety, together with other reasons such as the arid climate of Kashan and the existence of Qanats beneath houses, led the inhabitants of this area to build underground constructions. In Noush-Abad such constructions through which Qanats passed and had rooms for storing wheat, are called “Ouei.” Research shows that one of the main functions of Oueis was to serve as refuges. This research finds that: 1- The natural environment of Kashan has had an important role for constructing Oueis and reaching underground waters 2- The geographical situation of this city and the fact that lots of armies passed the area was an important factor for using the Oueis as shelters 3- The Oueis have been used for different purposes in different eras according to the political conditions 4- There is a possibility that these architectural structures are relics of Mithraism.