Anarak is the center of Anarak County, which is located on the north-east of Naein. The old urban fabric of Anarak, surrounded by several rocky mountains, is one of the valuable historical fabrics of Iran. This urban fabric involves a remarkable physio-spatial system and several valuable architectural heritages. Remains of the fortress and towers, gates and narrow passages of this settlement reveals the key role of defensive factor in the city formation and development. After investigating the urban fabric, it is tangible that in addition to the defensive factors, climatic, cultural, social, and economic factors have also played a crucial role in shaping the form of urban fabric during each period. Despite the fact that the old urban fabric of Anarak has valuable physical properties, the modern fabric formed after the Islamic Revolution did not follow any of the characteristics of the old urban fabric. The approach of the present study is qualitative, and this study attempted to collect the required data through library studies as well as field research. For this purpose, different techniques, involving documentary studies, field surveys, and interviews with local people, were utilized. For data analysis, the qualitative content analysis was used. Therefore, the formation of Anarak and its development during various historical periods were firstly studied. Then, different types of urban fabric, urban structures, and historical buildings of various historical era were investigated. Ultimately, the tourist quotes about the state of the city in the past ages were discussed.
Amirzadeh M. Investigation of the Formation Process and Transformations in the Urban Fabric and Physical Structures of Anarak Historical Settlement. Journal title 2021; 1 (4) :22-57 URL: http://urbanhistory.khu.ac.ir/article-1-61-en.html