ABSTRACT
Located in north central Iran, the city of Kashan’s origins date back to 5,000 BCE. The Kashan Bazar developed over six centuries with its main structure built under the Seljuks in the tenth century and a major extension under Safavids in the sixteenth century. Timcheh Bakhshi is located near the ‘Mianchal Madreseh’ school and mosque, where two major roads in the old city crossed. The Timcheh displays idiosyncratic spatial use of different functions. Activities were allocated on distinct levels, giving it a unique heritage and architectural characteristic which remains intact to date. The carpet trade in the Qajar era led to a profound prosperity that justified the upkeep and development of Timcheh Bakhshi. Despite its prominence, Timcheh Bakhshi never attracted attention as much attention as its competitors in the bazaar. Discussing the ontological origins of the principles of sustainability within the lost Timcheh, its morpho-cultural existence is arguably epistemological, and it is mutually intertwined with its vernacular survival strategies by means of first and second tiers of sustainability in three bottom lines. Finally, it was hypothesised that this theoretical frame of reference can shed light on how the lost Timcheh has a sustainable and healthy future.
