Yakhchāl
Ancient Persian ice-house / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A yakhchāl (Persian: یخچال "ice pit"; yakh meaning "ice" and chāl meaning "pit") is an ancient type of ice house, which also made ice. They are primarily found in the Dasht-e Lut and Dasht-e-Kavir deserts, whose climates range from cold (BWk) to hot (BWh) desert regions.
In present-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, the term yakhchāl is also used to refer to modern refrigerators.[1]
The structure typically had a domed shape above ground, a subterranean storage space, shade walls, and ice pools.[2] It was often used to store ice, but sometimes was used to store food as well as produce ice. The subterranean space and thick heat-resistant construction material insulated the storage space year-round. These structures were mainly built and used since ancient times in Persia.[1]