WALIA journal 31(S1): 67-75, 2015 Available online at www.Wali aj.com ISSN 1026-3861 © 2015 WALIA The ancient dams built by the Timurids (1350 to 1490 A.D.) in North East of Iran Abbas Kangi 1, Jafar Rahnamarad 2,* , Mohammadali Alizade 1, Ahmad Ghandehary 3 1Department of Geology, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran 2Department of Geology, Zahedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran 3Office Manager of Basic Studies of Water Resource, Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Co Abstract: Large reservoir dams of the Timurid era (1350 to 1490 A.D.) in Khorasan province can best display the great ability of Iranian engineers and architects in constructing large water structures. In the first half of the period, two gravity dams of Golestan and Fariman were also built in a similar style and now after 600 years they still stand strong and continue to function. In the second period of the Timurid era, engineers took a daring step by changing the design and building buttress dams of Torogh and Baisonghor (Akhlamad). Employment of multi-purpose structures in these dams marked a major development in the science of dam building. Building water diversion galleries in the dam's body, Bell-Mouth spillway make and Penstock through spillway walls are among the innovations of the engineers of this period. These large water structures indicate the great knowledge and skill of the engineers of the period in dam building. Unfortunately, due the poor quality of the existing materials at that time, construction of some of these dams failed. These engineers thought far ahead of their time and created designs that can still be seen in modern dams after 500 years. Key words: Ancient Iranian dams; Timurid era; Gravity dams; Bell-Mouth spillway 1. Introduction dams posed the problems of making the dam's body watertight, devising a water diversion mechanism *Water shortage in Iranian plateau multiplies the for the building phase and a spillway system. At that value of this vital element. Consequently, this time, engineers came up with interesting solutions. country has always strived to achieve and reservoirs Furthermore, building each of these structures faced water. Throughout the several thousand year old problems which were resolved in the later projects. history of Iran, water has always played a key role. Arc dams of Kabar and Kart, gravity dams of Saveh, Discovery of the remnants of water structure such as Golestan and Fariman and buttress dams of Torogh dams, cisterns, water channels and wastewater and Baisonghor represent the innovative and systems and others are indicative of the intelligent intelligent efforts made in building weirs. The three use of water resources by ancient Iranians (Kuros essential factors of site selection, the condition of the and Labbaf, 2007). foundation and employing suitable materials were The effort that Iranians have put into exploiting considered in most of these dams. water resources is dividable into two main periods. Through their innovations in building reservoir The first period from 1000 B.C. to the end of the dams, the engineers of the Timurid era have Sassanid dynasty in 600 A.D. In this period, Iranians undoubtedly brought into existence the most started to build diversion weirs in to control surface flourishing dam-building period of ancient Iran. The water. Among these structures one can mention magnificent design and architecture of the Timurid weirs such as Daryoush, Bahman, Shahpur, Mizan monuments has influenced a major part of Central and Amir that date back to 2000 to 2500 years ago in Asia, from Turkey to India. Years after the extinction south west of Iran (Kuros and Labbaf, 2007). All of of this dynasty, the plan and design of the Timurid these structures are weir bridges and are built with constructions were employed in other countries in the purpose of bridging and diverting water. There similar buildings (Allan and Metalwork, 1989). are channels inside these weirs which carry the The present study investigates the dams of water to the mills. Golestan, Fariman, Baisonghor and Torogh in terms The second period of dam building in Iran started of engineering characteristics, material type, from 1100 to 1620 A.D. In this period, designing and constructing conditions and the problems that occur building dams underwent a significant after reservoir water. Due to lack of historical transformation. In a way that for the first time evidence regarding the construction stages and engineers and architects started to build large dams operation of the dams, all the results presented here for the purpose of reservoir water. Building such are based on field studies, drilling results conducted on the body of the dams and eventually comparison of the results with current methods of operation. * Corresponding Author. 67 Kangi et al / WALIA, 31(S1) 2015, Pages: 67-75 2. History of dam construction in Khorasan Golestan dam was contemporary to Goharshad mosque (1395 to 1399 A.D.). Some believe that Numerous spoils and the vast lands that came Khatoon Goharshad named this dam after her along with the conquest of India, allowed the bondwoman, Golestan (Fadai, 1996). Therefore, Timurid the necessary resources and tools to display probably Golestan dam was constructed their glory and grandeur in the form of their contemporary to Shahrukh, the second Timurid king, magnificent monuments, and for this purpose they and Goharshad mosque. Furthermore, the employed art and engineering (Blair and Bloom, similarities between Golestan and Fariman dams in 1993). They gathered all the great artists, architects terms of design, geometry, material type, brick and engineers from all the countries under their dimensions and brick laying style indicates their dominion to Samarkand, the center of their contemporariness. Considering the government. In the Timurid era art, architecture and contemporariness of Golestan and Fariman dams engineering flourished in the center of their and Goharshad mosque, perhaps Qavam al-Din government, Khorasan (Allan and Metalwork, 1989). Shirazi and Ghias al-Din Shirazi, the most famous After Timur's death, his son, Shahrukh, came to architects of that time, played a major role in the power. In his reign (1386 to 1429 A.D.) he erected construction of these two dams. magnificent monuments around the sanctuary of Due to its inability to reservoir water and Imam Reza in Mashhad. In other words, most of the destruction of parts of the spillways and water structures of Timurid era in Mashhad and the transmission galleries, Baisonghor dams is neglected surrounding areas were built during the reign of by historical documents. The only remaining Shahrukh and his art lover wife, Khatoon Goharshad evidence is the name which in some historical (Allan and Metalwork, 1989). At the request of his documents is mentioned as Baisonghor the son of wife, Shahrukh turned Mashhad into the capital of Shahrukh. During the reign of his father he was the engineering and architectural innovations. At this ruler of western Khorasan. During his rule over time the sanctuary of Imam Reza, as an immensely western Khorasan and his reign (1430 to 1439 A.D.) sacred place, was magnificently reconstructed and he had many contributions to the prosperity of modernized. Goharshad mosque was built adjacent Khorasan province and therefore one can cautiously to the sanctuary at the order of Khatoon Goharshad attribute the construction time of the dam to the (1395 to 1399 A.D.). Presently, Goharshad mosque is reign of Baisonghor. considered one of the most beautiful and glorious Although there are no inscriptions mentioning Islamic monuments. Most of the majestic the construction date of Torogh dam, but most monuments of the first half of the Timurid era were historical texts attribute its construction date to the designed and built by two famous architects, Qavam reign of Sultan Hussein Bin Bayqara's era (1454 to al-Din Shirazi and his apprentice, Ghias al-Din Shirazi 1490 A.D.), last king of Timurid dynasty. In some (Pugachenkov a, 1981). other historical texts, Torogh dam and its water mill The attention Shahrukh devoted to Mashhad are attributed to Alishir Navayi, minister and close resulted in the rapid expansion of the city and its adviser to Sultan Hussein Bin Bayqara and one of the population which in turn increased the need for scientists and scholars of the Timurid era (Molavi, water. Therefore constructing reservoir dams 1963). During his ministry, this competent minister around the city was on the engineers and architects' constructed many monuments and contributed to agenda. The most important dams remaining from the prosperity of Khorasan province (Blair and that period include the four dams of Golestan, Bloom, 1993). Considering the similarity of the Fariman, Baisonghor and Torogh (Fig. 1). No design of Baisonghor and Torogh dams, it seems that inscription has been found in any of these dams to both dams are designed and constructed by one indicate their construction date and therefore there architect. As a result it is possible that Baisonghor are many controversies in this regard. and Torogh dams were designed by the apprentices Correspondences concerning the division of dams' of Qavam al-Din Shirazi and Ghias al-Din Shirazi. It water, ownership of the downstream lands, the seems that these architects collaborated with their material used in the construction, brick laying style, masters in the construction stages of Golestan and the building method and similarities in the design Fariman dams and acquired valuable experiences. In are among the most important documents used in designing Baisonghor and Torogh dams, they didn’t the estimation of the construction dates of these follow the method of their masters and founded a large water structures. In case of Golestan dam, the new style of dam building. most important historical evidence dates back to 550 years ago somewhere between the years 1451 to 3.