The year is 400 BCE & you're in one of the hottest places on Earth, the Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert) of Southeastern Iran.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a refreshing sorbet?
A =dessert= in the =desert=?
Thanks to this structure, you can!
Let's learn about ancient Iranian refrigerators called 'yakhchāl'.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a refreshing sorbet?
A =dessert= in the =desert=?
Thanks to this structure, you can!
Let's learn about ancient Iranian refrigerators called 'yakhchāl'.
September 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
The year is 400 BCE & you're in one of the hottest places on Earth, the Dasht-e Lut (Lut Desert) of Southeastern Iran.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a refreshing sorbet?
A =dessert= in the =desert=?
Thanks to this structure, you can!
Let's learn about ancient Iranian refrigerators called 'yakhchāl'.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a refreshing sorbet?
A =dessert= in the =desert=?
Thanks to this structure, you can!
Let's learn about ancient Iranian refrigerators called 'yakhchāl'.
The ancient Persians figured out how to produce and store ice in the middle of the desert, with the invention of the Yakhchāl ("ice pit"). These were made as far back as 400 BCE, and the tradition to built them continued for centuries.
February 22, 2026 at 5:57 PM
The ancient Persians figured out how to produce and store ice in the middle of the desert, with the invention of the Yakhchāl ("ice pit"). These were made as far back as 400 BCE, and the tradition to built them continued for centuries.
Being the guy who ran the yakhchal icehouse with access to AC and shaved ice must've been the fucking bomb in ancient Persia
April 29, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Being the guy who ran the yakhchal icehouse with access to AC and shaved ice must've been the fucking bomb in ancient Persia
A yakhchāl usually consists of a domed vault with a deep pit inside, that would keep the frozen water cold, an ice pool that would use the cold desert nights to freeze water, and shade walls designed to keep the pools cold and in shade.
February 22, 2026 at 6:10 PM
A yakhchāl usually consists of a domed vault with a deep pit inside, that would keep the frozen water cold, an ice pool that would use the cold desert nights to freeze water, and shade walls designed to keep the pools cold and in shade.
A yakhchal from ancient Persia. a marvel of ingenuity before electricity and refrigerators.
These ice houses stored winter snow and kept food cool throughout the year, serving the local community with nature’s own cooling.
Ancient technology, timeless wisdom.
These ice houses stored winter snow and kept food cool throughout the year, serving the local community with nature’s own cooling.
Ancient technology, timeless wisdom.
July 7, 2026 at 2:26 PM
A yakhchal from ancient Persia. a marvel of ingenuity before electricity and refrigerators.
These ice houses stored winter snow and kept food cool throughout the year, serving the local community with nature’s own cooling.
Ancient technology, timeless wisdom.
These ice houses stored winter snow and kept food cool throughout the year, serving the local community with nature’s own cooling.
Ancient technology, timeless wisdom.
Next to the yakchal, you build shade walls & ice pools fed from 'qanats' (underground aqueducts).
These shallow pools fill with earth-chilled water during the day which can freeze at night in all seasons but summer.
The shade wall slows the ice-loss so workers can recover it, filling the yakhchāl.
These shallow pools fill with earth-chilled water during the day which can freeze at night in all seasons but summer.
The shade wall slows the ice-loss so workers can recover it, filling the yakhchāl.
September 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Next to the yakchal, you build shade walls & ice pools fed from 'qanats' (underground aqueducts).
These shallow pools fill with earth-chilled water during the day which can freeze at night in all seasons but summer.
The shade wall slows the ice-loss so workers can recover it, filling the yakhchāl.
These shallow pools fill with earth-chilled water during the day which can freeze at night in all seasons but summer.
The shade wall slows the ice-loss so workers can recover it, filling the yakhchāl.
seit 2 tagen denke ich an yakhchal deshalb muss ich das nochmal reposten bin komplett fasziniert!
June 26, 2025 at 5:26 AM
seit 2 tagen denke ich an yakhchal deshalb muss ich das nochmal reposten bin komplett fasziniert!
🤦🏽♀️
Persian developments from early history - alphabet, taxation, sulphuric acid and the beginnings of modern chemistry, irrigation …
Persian developments from early history - alphabet, taxation, sulphuric acid and the beginnings of modern chemistry, irrigation …
April 2, 2026 at 9:51 AM
🤦🏽♀️
Persian developments from early history - alphabet, taxation, sulphuric acid and the beginnings of modern chemistry, irrigation …
Persian developments from early history - alphabet, taxation, sulphuric acid and the beginnings of modern chemistry, irrigation …
hello Writer who is about to add a desert region to their worldbuild, let me help you become familiar with yakhchāl and the historical construction of ice houses around the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hou...
You are welcome.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hou...
You are welcome.
Yakhchāl - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 5, 2026 at 5:23 PM
hello Writer who is about to add a desert region to their worldbuild, let me help you become familiar with yakhchāl and the historical construction of ice houses around the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hou...
You are welcome.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hou...
You are welcome.
"Hurrr durrr Horde mud huts = savages = uncivilized."
Meanwhile, the Persians were building yakhchal everywhere that were so ingenuously built that they kept ice frozen throughout the entire summer despite sweltering heat outside.
Guess what they were made of, ya dorks.
Meanwhile, the Persians were building yakhchal everywhere that were so ingenuously built that they kept ice frozen throughout the entire summer despite sweltering heat outside.
Guess what they were made of, ya dorks.
February 7, 2025 at 2:44 PM
"Hurrr durrr Horde mud huts = savages = uncivilized."
Meanwhile, the Persians were building yakhchal everywhere that were so ingenuously built that they kept ice frozen throughout the entire summer despite sweltering heat outside.
Guess what they were made of, ya dorks.
Meanwhile, the Persians were building yakhchal everywhere that were so ingenuously built that they kept ice frozen throughout the entire summer despite sweltering heat outside.
Guess what they were made of, ya dorks.
Essentially, we can keep water cold and minimize how much evaporates, with 0 electricity needed, in order to maintain the cold temperatures needed in data centers.
Below:
Outer part of yakhchāl. Pastaitaken / CC BY-SA 3.0
Inner part of yakhchāl. Wojciech Kocot / CC BY-SA 4.0
/end
Below:
Outer part of yakhchāl. Pastaitaken / CC BY-SA 3.0
Inner part of yakhchāl. Wojciech Kocot / CC BY-SA 4.0
/end
May 8, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Essentially, we can keep water cold and minimize how much evaporates, with 0 electricity needed, in order to maintain the cold temperatures needed in data centers.
Below:
Outer part of yakhchāl. Pastaitaken / CC BY-SA 3.0
Inner part of yakhchāl. Wojciech Kocot / CC BY-SA 4.0
/end
Below:
Outer part of yakhchāl. Pastaitaken / CC BY-SA 3.0
Inner part of yakhchāl. Wojciech Kocot / CC BY-SA 4.0
/end
I love how writing leads us through research into learning new things. Today's new thing is a yakhchāl, an ancient type of ice house, which also MADE ice, and was/is used in hot, desert regions.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
Yakhchāl - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
March 17, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I love how writing leads us through research into learning new things. Today's new thing is a yakhchāl, an ancient type of ice house, which also MADE ice, and was/is used in hot, desert regions.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakhch%...
The Persians were making giant refrigerators in the desert in 400 BC
Yakhchāl - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
June 25, 2026 at 4:04 PM
The Persians were making giant refrigerators in the desert in 400 BC
Brb, building a yakhchāl on my balcony to confuse our overseas friends.
June 25, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Brb, building a yakhchāl on my balcony to confuse our overseas friends.
400BCE💡”sand, clay, egg white, goat's hair, lemon juice, ash, and a technical water-resistant mortar called sarooj, isolated the storehouse chamber from scorching summer temperatures” www.utubepublisher.in/2025/05/The-...
Yakhchāl - Ancient Desert “FREEZER” Invented Around 400 bc In Persia
Discover the Yakhchāl, an ancient Persian refrigeration system from 400 BC that kept ice frozen in scorching desert heat.
www.utubepublisher.in
May 17, 2025 at 10:32 PM
400BCE💡”sand, clay, egg white, goat's hair, lemon juice, ash, and a technical water-resistant mortar called sarooj, isolated the storehouse chamber from scorching summer temperatures” www.utubepublisher.in/2025/05/The-...
During the hot summers, the same pools become evaporative cooling tanks fed by the cold water of the qanats, carrying away heat from the surrounding area, keeping air inside the yakhchāl *much* colder than the air outside.
Meanwhile, the stored ice can be used for frozen treats, refrigerating food.
Meanwhile, the stored ice can be used for frozen treats, refrigerating food.
September 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
During the hot summers, the same pools become evaporative cooling tanks fed by the cold water of the qanats, carrying away heat from the surrounding area, keeping air inside the yakhchāl *much* colder than the air outside.
Meanwhile, the stored ice can be used for frozen treats, refrigerating food.
Meanwhile, the stored ice can be used for frozen treats, refrigerating food.
But it's even more.
People also had refrigeration techniques, long before refrigerators.
Persians invented ice cream. In modern-day Iran. Using passive cooling techniques to keep ice frozen. Sometimes even *creating* ice without active refrigeration. Look up Yakhchal.
The raw milk folks are nuts.
People also had refrigeration techniques, long before refrigerators.
Persians invented ice cream. In modern-day Iran. Using passive cooling techniques to keep ice frozen. Sometimes even *creating* ice without active refrigeration. Look up Yakhchal.
The raw milk folks are nuts.
September 3, 2025 at 9:39 PM
But it's even more.
People also had refrigeration techniques, long before refrigerators.
Persians invented ice cream. In modern-day Iran. Using passive cooling techniques to keep ice frozen. Sometimes even *creating* ice without active refrigeration. Look up Yakhchal.
The raw milk folks are nuts.
People also had refrigeration techniques, long before refrigerators.
Persians invented ice cream. In modern-day Iran. Using passive cooling techniques to keep ice frozen. Sometimes even *creating* ice without active refrigeration. Look up Yakhchal.
The raw milk folks are nuts.
So you build a giant domed space (18 m high), partly dug into the ground, with 2 meter thick walls of adobe covered in a special water-proof plaster called 'sarooj', topped with an open chimney that lets heat escape.
And you fill it with ice. But how?
And you fill it with ice. But how?
September 13, 2026 at 4:31 PM
So you build a giant domed space (18 m high), partly dug into the ground, with 2 meter thick walls of adobe covered in a special water-proof plaster called 'sarooj', topped with an open chimney that lets heat escape.
And you fill it with ice. But how?
And you fill it with ice. But how?
Basados en las colonias de termitas, el Yakhchal y la arquitectura de enfriamiento iraní.
Based on termite hills, the Yakhchal and iranian cooling architecture.
Based on termite hills, the Yakhchal and iranian cooling architecture.
May 30, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Basados en las colonias de termitas, el Yakhchal y la arquitectura de enfriamiento iraní.
Based on termite hills, the Yakhchal and iranian cooling architecture.
Based on termite hills, the Yakhchal and iranian cooling architecture.