Naein MohammadiehMohammadieh

Mohammadieh

Muhammadieh is a village located about 2km east of Naein. The village name means “the ones who follow the Prophet of Islam.” There are some important cultural and economic factors that cause this village to stand out among the other villages in the region: the beautiful Jameh Mosque and the Sar Kuche Mosque, the glorious fortress, the ancient Rigareh watermill, and the cloak workshops.

Hand woven carpets

Hand woven carpets

usually house wives do the carpet job

Handmade products in Naein are very important. Weaving carpets, a fine art, began in Naein about the time of World War II. Because carpet weavers from Naein worked with thinner wools, they began to weave rugs of much higher quality. Since the number of carpets produced was low and the quality of carpets was exceptionally high, the weavers found a profitable market. Carpet-weaving in Naein has a history of applying non-Iranian wools and of using local, traditional designs with unique coloring, thus drawing the attention of the world market to Naein. Naein’s carpets are woven in diverse places in Iran, thanks to the advent of technology. Weavers throughout Iran can weave any kind of carpet. But a prospective carpet buyer should consider that the quality of the same kind of carpet, in different places, is different. Using natural and traditional colors and dying techniques peculiar to the region around Naein, carpet weavers in Naein can easily profess that they are some of the best producers of handwoven carpet in all of Iran, and the world.

naein carpets

Naeen carpet is woven in divers places in Iran and this is because of the high techniques carpet weaving domination in the country, which means that the Iranians can weave any kind of carpet. But one should consider that the quality of carpets in divers places is different from each other. From the point of view of coloring, Naeen carpet is one of the symbols of using natural and traditional colors which it owes a great portion of its popularity to that. The act of coloring or dying in this region is done by natural and traditional colors which has a little difference with other carpet weaving centers in Iran and in spite of some chemical colors which are use as an aid, The natural colors are still dominant in the region.

Hand woven carpets

The number of colors which are used in weaving carpet are 11 main colors and 4 subsidiary colors.
Carpet structure relies on mixture and traditional style which are very accurate. Some deficiencies such as curving, not applying stamen, starching, color mixing and wrong weaving in Naeen carpet are very little and the quality of production is very high and it has a top standard. Weaving devices are mostly made of wood and attempts has been done to change the wood devices in to metal devices. Naeen can easily claim that it is one of the best producer of hand woven carpets in Iran

cloak weaving/ba bafi man made caves

Mohammadieh loom workshops in man made caves

cloak weaving

In Muhammadieh, a precinct of Na’in, there are some man-made caves. Locals call them sardab and aba bafi. Evidence shows that they were dug by the Zoroastrian inhabitants who used to live there because the cave entrances open to the east where the sun rises. After they were abandoned by the Zoroastrians, Muslim inhabitants used them as loom workshops to weave cloaks and rugs.

There is an ancient fort over the hill, 150 m away, with a small entrance at the back. There visitors can enjoy a beautiful perspective of the village and the desert around it.

There is no fee for visiting the caves or the fort. The caves are open dawn to dusk, with a short break from noon to 13:30. Weaving cloaks by hand is one of the most valuable handicrafts and historical arts of Na’in. Some of the workshops are 700 years old.

Naein’s winter textiles are very famous and are woven from two types of sheep and camel wools. Clothing styles have changed, but the cloaks are still quite famous in some Arab countries.

cloak weaving

naein cloak weaving

 

The Castle of Narenj (Narenj Qal’e)

Narenj qal’e , citadel

it’s the remnant of a structure that was also known as Narin castle. The construction materials used in the castle, as well as its style of architecture support the idea that it was built in the pre-Islamic era. According to surveys and evidences, this monument might belongs to Partiyan period. The exact application of the castle is not known, however it is thought to have been part of the military and official compounds of the city. Many researchers of the Safavid era have spoken of numerous castles known as Narikh Qalae, which were used for military purposes.

Hence, it can be concluded that Naeen’s Narikh Qalae was also a military establishment. The famous historian and researcher, Estakhri mentioned there was a moat with 3000 feet perimeter dug around the castle.

Mosallah edifice

The Mosallah is another remarkable monument in Naein. Its vast garden used to be a popular recreational area, until a few years ago. The mausoleum inside the Mosallah was a pilgrimage site for visitors. The dome of Mosallah is opposite the dome of the shrine of Emamzadeh Sultan Seyyed Ali. These two are connected by a street. There is a water reservoir on one side of the garden, which can be accessed by people inside and outside the garden through a stairway on each side. Water in this reservoir was cooled by two wind towers. The water reservoir–ab-anbar–was in use until a few years ago. The architectural style of Naein’s Mosallah is characteristic of the Qajar dynasty. A number of literary, political and religious figures are buried on this site. Actually “mosallah” is an Arabic word for a place of prayer; but, no one knows if any praying was ever done at this location. The Mosallah is an octagonal mausoleum of dervishes and Qajar and Pahlavi political figures. It is encompassed by a Qajar-era military fort with a high wall thick enough for a horse to be ridden on. The pistachio trees around the turquoise-domed mausoleum and two tall wind towers make the complex very photogenic. (Some photos are attached.

Mosallah edifice