Quality Analysis and Typology Assessment of Traditional Settlements in Tabriz

Looking from an historical perspective, it can be seen that many civilizations have lived in the country and consequently produced many different cultures and architectural products. One of the oldest cities which contain such historical examples which have lived until present is Tabriz. Its traditional houses are the most important places to represent the life style of the past. Lack of recognition and appreciation of these buildings by authorities and the public will gradually lead to their destruction and replacement by contemporary buildings. The present study seeks to introduce specific architectural features of traditional houses in Tabriz. Preservation of the features of these houses helps maintain the architectural heritage and culture of the region. Most old houses in Tabriz were reconstructed at the beginning of the Qajar era after a devastating earthquake in 1780. The destruction caused by contemporary constructions, in the chaos of modern period, makes it difficult for researchers to gather information about the principles of traditional buildings and to identify their typology. The survey is a compilation of a process in the typology of 52 traditional houses of Qajar and Pahlavi periods in Tabriz. The study revealed that it is possible to accomplish the classification of the monuments with the application of a quantification process in which the qualitative data related to architectural elements was successfully converted into quantitative data by assigning numerical values and using coefficients.