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The Algh Beigh ice house includes an ancient brook diverting from the Saroogh
River’s main branches which carries the flowing water into a shallow pond near
the ice house’s main building in the Tekab’s cold winters. After freezing, the
ice blocks were broken and thrown into the ice house through a window of the
house by the local residents. In the middle of the spring, when it was gradually
getting hot, the window was blocked with a plaster of clay and straw to protect
the icehouse frigidity. In the summer, the ice blocks were broken and used
through an especial door and stairway. In the meantime, the house was also
considered to be convenient to keep food.
A waterway located at the bottom of the house would carry the melting water to
irrigate a garden nearby. This icehouse is built totally circular and has a
brick dome of approximately 5 m high from the surrounding land and 11 m high
from the bottom of it. The longest diameter of the dome is 5.9 m. There is an
opening on the ceiling which used to provide the house with light and
ventilation. It was also used to control the inside of the building too. The
part underlying the level of the surrounding land is made of stone and the dome
is completely made of square bricks. It uses a plaster of lime and sand as the
mortar of the stoned part and gypsum as the mortar between the bricks.
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