Ages Without Apps
Short · October 4, 2026
Windcatchers of Yazd: Air Conditioning With No Power
The windcatchers of Yazd, Iran (badgir in Persian) cooled homes for centuries with no electricity and no moving parts. Vents high on the tower catch the breeze and send it down into the rooms below.
Key facts about windcatchers of yazd
- When the air is still, the sun warmed tower lets hot air rise out of the top, drawing cooler air in from the courtyard and basement.
- Built over water cisterns, windcatchers chilled the stored water by evaporation.
- Yazd is nicknamed the city of windcatchers, and the tallest, at Dowlatabad Garden, rises about 33 metres above its roof.
Sources for windcatchers of yazd
- Susan Roaf, "BĀDGĪR," Encyclopaedia Iranica (1988, updated 2016)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Historic City of Yazd" (2017)
- M. N. Bahadori, "Passive Cooling Systems in Iranian Architecture," Scientific American 238(2), 1978 (cited in Iranica)
- A. V. Williams Jackson, Persia Past and Present (1906), pp. 348 to 349
- Al Monitor, "Iran's ancient 'wind catchers' beat the heat naturally" (2023)
Images: the black and white photographs were taken in Yazd in 1903 by A. V. Williams Jackson and published in 1906 (the garden windcatcher is not named in the book). The colour photos show windcatchers over two Yazd water cisterns, taken in 2010 and 2014.
Questions people ask
What are the key facts about windcatchers of yazd?
When the air is still, the sun warmed tower lets hot air rise out of the top, drawing cooler air in from the courtyard and basement. Built over water cisterns, windcatchers chilled the stored water by evaporation. Yazd is nicknamed the city of windcatchers, and the tallest, at Dowlatabad Garden, rises about 33 metres above its roof.
Where can I check the sources?
This page lists 5 sources, including: Susan Roaf, "BĀDGĪR," Encyclopaedia Iranica; UNESCO World Heritage Centre, "Historic City of Yazd"; M. N. Bahadori, "Passive Cooling Systems in Iranian Architecture," Scientific American 238(2), 1978.
Where can I watch the video?
The Short is on the Ages Without Apps YouTube channel, and you can watch it on this page.
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