Abyaneh

History of Abyaneh

The village has a long history which dates back to more than 2,000 years ago and been registered on Iran’s National Heritage List since 1975. The word Abyaneh, has been derived from the word viuna meaning a willow grove. It’s been known an entrance to Iranian history as the locals are deeply committed to honoring their traditions. The language spoken by the literate people of Abyaneh is Pahlavi. The local clothing for example is in a style of great antiquity. The women’s traditional costume typically consists of a white long scarf (covering the shoulders) which has a colorful or floral pattern and an under-knee skirt or pleated pants. Almost all of the women in the village wear this costume, just like their ancestors. And this tradition makes Abyaneh even more special. When you go visit Abyaneh, you would notice that most of the population are rather old. It’s because the young generations prefer to migrate to bigger cities to have a better opportunity to make a life.

The Culture of Abyaneh

Adding to the visual interest of this intriguing little settlement is the nature of the clothing worn by its inhabitants. The people of Abyaneh maintain a specific style of traditional garb unique to their locality. This traditional outfit places an emphasis on handcrafted scarves featuring intricate patterns and has been a mainstay throughout Abyaneh’s history.

The primary religion which lead to the founding of Abyaneh is Zoroastrianism, one the oldest recorded religions. It is thought by many that Zoroastrianism is a sort of predecessor to Judaism, much like Judaism was to Christianity.

Even the language spoken by native Abyaneh locals is seemingly out of time. Unique to the town is a special dialect of Middle Persian which resembles the Persian language of today. Other than Abyaneh, this language has virtually disappeared.

Abyaneh Architecture

The village is situated on the north-western slope of Mount Karkas between Kashan and Isfahan near Barz-rud River. There are various opinions about the special architecture of Abyaneh. It has multistorey houses which look like several separate sections. Since there is not enough space on the mountain slope, the architects have chosen this kind of architecture. Of course, there are also similar examples of this type of architecture such as in Paveh and Masouleh.

Mausoleums in Abyaneh

There are many historical shrines, mausoleums, and monuments forming part of the rich collection of Abyaneh’s tangible cultural heritage. Native people and tourists visit Bibi Zobeideh Mausoleum, a major religious site in Abyaneh village. The mausoleum of Bibi Zobeideh, who was related to Imam Musa Kazim, is also located in the south-east of this village.

There are other mausoleums belonging to Yahya and Isa(Jesus) at the eastern part of the village who were the sons of Imam Musa Kazim. There is a difference between the architectural style of these two pilgrimage sites and that of the whole village. The main feature of this mausoleum is its vast courtyard, pool, and a conical dome. Architects have designed this beautiful structure with turquoise tiles.