Scientific Quarterly Journal

Investigating the Relationship Between the Alley (kūcheh) Landscape and the Dez River, and Its Transformation in the Historical Fabric of the City-River of Dezful(A Case Study of the Axis of Lab-e-Khandaq-Shohada-Khimeh Gah)

Volume 17, Issue 73
Winter 2026
Pages 24-37

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Alley (in Persian “kūcheh”) in traditional Iranian cities is perceived as a landscape phenomenon. Contemporary urban development in many historical Iranian cities has transformed this concept of the alley and its landscape. Such changes underscore the significance of examining the alley to extricate its values and characteristics in the historical fabric of Iranian cities. The present study attempts to investigate the alley in the historical fabric of Dezful, a historical Iranian river-city in Khuzestan, situated in proximity to the Dez River. Focusing on the interactions between the river and the urban fabric, this study hypothesizes that the alley landscape in the historical fabric of Dezful has been affected by the Dez River; however, contemporary urban development has transformed and damaged this landscape. This research answers the question by scrutinizing the alley on the axis of Lab-e-Khandaq-Shohada-Khimeh Gah: What physical and semantic components can be identified for the alley in connection with the Dez River, and how have these components been affected in the urban development process? This is a qualitative study drawing upon a descriptive-analytical approach. For this purpose, the literature was extensively reviewed, and field observation was used to collect the data. The findings of this research support the hypothesis showing that the alley in Dezful city has been influenced by the Dez River in terms of orientation, formation, and location; however, in addition, due to ritual events and narratives related to the river, the alley is also influenced by the Dez River in terms of semantics. The findings also showed that contemporary urban development in the historical fabric of Dezful has transformed the alley and its landscape through measures such as alley car-oriented street construction and widening since the Pahlavi period.

Keywords

Subjects
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