The effect of cultural factors in the formation and persistence of the historical town of Dehdasht during the Safavid and the Qajar

The historical context of Dehdasht located in the southwest of Iran consists of various historical complexes which indicate the culture, architectural knowledge, and local urbanism and represent a large part of cultural and social identity of this region during the Safavid and Qajar. This urban context includes the people’s creative spirit that they have created over long years according to the climate and their traditions, culture, and livelihood. Like other historical cities of Iran, the historical context of Dehdasht has formed based on cultural and physical factors specific to this region, and formation of its planned structure is in such a way that the residents’ comfort and welfare are taken into account even in the slightest cases. The present descriptiveanalytical study was aimed at the role of culture in formation and structural system of the historical context of Dehdasht. Therefore, it should be noted that in addition to large physical (environmental) effects on formation of the structure of the traditional town of Dehdasht, cultural factors also had determining effects on the town’s form and structure. Factors such as social beliefs, political thoughts, the influence and dominance of Islam, and important components such as economy and trade as the most important cultural factors played a significant role in the formation and expansion process of the historical town of Dehdasht. Recognition of the town’s main architectural characteristics resulting from the specific hot and dry climate of this region along with identification of effective cultural factors in the town’s architecture indicates the mutual impact of cultural and environmental factors on creation of an Islamic town.