Iran is a land of splendor, where every corner holds a hidden treasure. The skillful hands and creative spirits of its people have shaped works of art across the land—works that today stand as proud symbols of our heritage.
In our search to honor this homeland and prove ourselves worthy heirs to its legacy, we discovered one such treasure: Laft, on Qeshm Island. Through much effort, we opened a door to its wonders, and we felt it our duty to share them—because the joy of discovery grows only when shared.
In March 1999, when we were 126 students arriving in small boats toward the shore, we saw in the distance a cluster of hills that slowly revealed itself as a mass of wind towers. It seemed our treasure had been found. Four months later, a team of five revisited the island, studying more than 30 of its main villages, including Laft. Our choice soon proved right. Later that autumn, 31 of us spent a week in Laft, observing, surveying, and recording its structures.
To continue our work, we established a project secretariat in Tehran, intended to remain active until completion. In practice, however, it became something much more—a gathering place for other eager students who, inspired by our results, decided to join hands in exploring other hidden treasures of Iran, without expectation of reward or support from any organization.
The enthusiasm we shared, the friendship that formed among us, our love for architecture, and the excitement that pushed us toward the unknown—all proved that together, we can. Through teamwork, discipline, and trust in one another, we learned that any goal is achievable when pursued collectively.
We faced shortages without worry, thanks to the generosity of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, which warmly welcomed us. With all our energy, we worked independently, and learned that encouraging student scientific initiatives can be a source of lasting value.
Of course, this book is not without its flaws. Refining and improving it in future editions depends on the care and insight of readers like you.
Please send your comments to the Central Office of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, or by email to bookofloft@yahoo.com.
Participating Students:
Class of 1992: Behnam Rostegar, Maziar Ghaseminejad Abdolmaleki, Manouchehr Moazzami, Amitis Norouzi.
Class of 1993: Hamid Emami, Mostafa Roshanzadeh, Saeed Hadizadeh Kakhaki.
Class of 1994: Mehdi Afshar Asl, Jelveh Mahdavi.
Class of 1995: Kazem Abam, Maryam Khorramshahi, Azadeh Rabani, Arsiya Rakhshanfar, Mehran Parnian, Davoud Haravi.
Class of 1996: Azadeh Aghalatifi, Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi, Nasim Ershad, Mohammad Ali Ashraf Ganjuei, Pouria Parsanejad, Roshanak Rahimi, Farzad Faridi, Danesh Mohammadi.
Class of 1997: Mahnaz Ziaei, Mehri Mohibi, Somayeh Yektaei.
Class of 1998: Sadra Bushehri, Nasrin Khosravi, Ebrahim Daneshmanfar, Hessam Talebi, Hamed Golshan Hamadani, Sara Modarresi.
This book is a documentary record. The texts, photographs, and maps have been prepared solely to familiarize the reader with the village-town of Laft. As you will see, we have avoided speculation and interpretation, and confined ourselves to direct observation. Analysis and design are long and demanding processes that must be left for later opportunities or other teams.
This book is the outcome of collective effort and shared will, focused on surveying the village fabric and documenting its residential and religious architecture.
Project Overview
At the outset, our goal was to study the villages of Qeshm Island and select a representative case. A five-member team visited about 30 major villages, leading to six potential research proposals. The final choice, based on available resources and practical constraints, was as follows:
Typology of Qeshm’s rural settlements and housing
Complete architectural survey of all houses in Laft
Study of construction details and building materials used on the island
Typological and architectural survey of selected structures (cisterns, mosques, etc.)
Typology and sampling of neighborhood units in rural contexts
Comprehensive survey from urban fabric to construction details
After reviewing the data, Laft was chosen as the focus. Among Qeshm’s coastal villages, Laft stood out for the completeness of its architecture, the sustainable livelihood of its people, and its growing development—especially given future projects such as the Persian Gulf Bridge, which will connect Qeshm to the mainland.
Laft’s diverse fabric—its “old” and “new” quarters, its many distinct mosques (each a community center), and its location on the eastern edge of the mangrove forests—make it architecturally unique. Considering our experience and the project’s scope, we decided to document about 50 residential units, focusing on the neighborhood around Abu Bakr Sediq Mosque, as a representative sample.
Significance
A persistent problem in most urban and architectural projects is the lack of fundamental, reliable data. Even the comprehensive Qeshm Master Plan (SUECO Plan), with all its precision, paid little attention to the internal fabric and social life of villages. As modernization reshapes Qeshm, many changes occur without sound information.
Laft, standing at the edge of sea and land, rich in culture yet vulnerable to unplanned growth, clearly demanded thorough documentation. Beyond this academic value, the experience of teamwork—in a rigorous yet friendly environment—proved to be one of the project’s most meaningful achievements.
Objectives
To gain valuable firsthand experience through collective fieldwork.
To foster an active, scientific, and collaborative spirit among architecture students.
To collect, document, and share reliable data about Laft with the architectural community of Iran through this publication.
We achieved these goals through Laft. And we are confident that many future projects can follow the same spirit, each revealing new facets of Iran’s cultural landscape.
Research Method
Our work aimed both to document and to share. We gathered and presented data about Laft’s built environment so future researchers could build upon it.
For archival materials, we employed documentary methods, consulting libraries, research institutes, and local archives. For on-site work, we used descriptive and interpretive field methods—surveying, sketching, mapping, and photographing the existing conditions.
Finally, through comparison, editing, and refinement, the results were prepared for publication.
Project Process
The project unfolded in two stages:
Data Collection
Library and Archival Research: Articles, previous studies, photos, and maps.
Fieldwork: On-site surveys in Laft, documenting its residential and religious buildings through mapping, photography, sketching, and filming. We divided into two groups of 12, covering the coastal and hilly areas. In total, 53 houses and 2 mosques were documented.
Interviews: Conversations with Laft’s residents and local officials provided valuable cultural insights unavailable in written sources.
Data Processing and Presentation
To minimize errors, half of the field drawings were digitized in AutoCAD by the computer group on site, then refined in Tehran through several stages. The secretariat reviewed all submitted materials repeatedly before final compilation.
This book, then, is both a record of Laft and a testament to the spirit of collaboration—a reflection of what becomes possible when knowledge, curiosity, and friendship unite in pursuit of a shared vision.