Recognition of Neighborhood Native Open Spaces in Hamadan Community Centers

The signs of the stability of each space are along with the dynamism over different generations. The neighborhood-centered system in Hamadan, Iran, represents dynamic neighborhoods over the years. Hamadan is composed of 50 neighborhoods possessing open squares in the center with markets and public spaces surrounding, named “Chaman” as the core of community in the best location to access urban nodes of several major passages, center of association, and social interactions of the neighborhood residents. In the urban texture from the Parthian period to the first Pahlavi, Hamadan has enjoyed the strongest and most dynamic center of neighborhoods that has consolidated the neighborhood-oriented system, having formed to respond to the existential dimensions of mankind and is a comprehensive supplier of residents` essential needs. Therefore, in addition to the Chaman space, this structure has cultural-religious and commercial spaces to meet the environmental, religious, and economic needs of residents. The archetype of Chaman can be restored as a model in accordance with Islamic culture and adapted to the climatic conditions in the city and in the design of new cities.
The strategy used in this historical-interpretative research is based on the collection of information with library studies and field surveys. To conduct library studies, the repertoire of the research resource has been provided, including the general characteristics of the source, image, abstract, research process and referral cases. In order to conduct field studies, the physical identity repertoire has been set up in five physical, environmental, cultural, economic and cultural characteristic sections.
Keywords: Hamadan, Chaman, Neighborhood Center, Square, Neighborhood Open Space.
 
Introduction
The continuous change of the city’s image due to the ever-increasing development of the human being, after a few years away from birthplace, makes individuals so unfamiliar with that city that the past memories of the streets and alleys of the city are not associated at all. The same goes for the alternate changes in the principles of architecture and urbanization, and in particular the design of neighborhoods. Despite the current situation, in parts of the historical city of Hamadan, there are found neighborhoods preserving their Iranian-Islamic identity, representing a living space the design basis of which has been human, needs and behavior. The central area of the historical city of Hamadan has been formed from bordering and intermingling old neighborhoods, with the center of the neighborhood, which is the main identity of the neighborhood known as Chaman. Each of these in the past, there were about fifty neighborhoods in Hamadan, more than half of which had Chaman space.
The identification of the model of Chaman space as a stable neighborhood pattern in achieving the open space design and modeling strategies in the design of new townships with neighborhood center-based structure and the introduction of templates and referral patterns for the reconstruction of the native neighborhood center are the objectives of this research.
The Hypotheses of This Research are as Follows:  The Chaman is the dominant pattern of architecture and urbanization of the center of the native neighborhoods of Hamadan, which is an important physical space in the architecture and urbanization of Hamadan and the structure used in the center of Hamadan neighborhoods is of the most valuable historical urban structures in Iran. Therefore, some questioned are presented to be analyzed.
What is the main structure of the center of the native neighborhoods of Hamadan? What role has the Chaman played in Hamadan historical texture? How valuable is Chaman in Hamadan’s native culture?
Naming native open spaces of Hamadan has been seen in several sources with the following words: Chaman (Gharogozloo, 2009: 47), Square (Mehryar, 2008: 54), Neighborhood Center (Biglari, 1977: 58; Kiani, 1989) and field (Iran Housing Development, 1992).
The Chaman includes the characteristics of the first three types of fields in the category of Zucker (Zucker, 1970); an enclosed field that is considered as a complete space and directed to the dominant element, which is the neighborhood mosque. This core field is formed mainly around the center in green space.
 
 
History of Hamadan Neighborhoods
Hamadan city is located in the Alvand mountain zone in Iran. It is located at 1741.5 M and 34 52 N and 48 32 E.
 
Formation of Hamadan Neighborhood Before Islam
The dominant feature of Hamadan has been the existence of numerous gardens and fountains reflecting the formation of neighborhoods semen based on water and trees. It seems that during this period, the bazaar was added as one of the main elements of the neighborhoods, which flourished in the Islamic period.
 
The Prosperity and Flourishing of Hamadan Neighborhoods: The Islamic Period
Because of the sanctity, the mosques are the most important element remained as the center of the Hamadan neighborhoods and make it easy to recognize the location of the forgotten neighborhoods. Evidence suggests that these mosques were constructed in the neighborhoods of the city after the Safavid period. (Zarei, 2011: 70) Regarding the numerous number of neighbors, it can be said that the flourishing era of Chaman space and neighborhood structure in Hamadan was the late Qajar. 
 
Terminology of Chaman
In a comprehensive definition of the Chaman space, considering the structure and the physical elements and social, economic and environmental characteristics. The field Chaman is enclosed with a geometric form in the core of the neighborhood with the best access location, which is the communicative node of several important urban centers, the center of gathering and a social intermediary community that meets the needs of the people with the necessary uses including mosques, baths, marketplaces, and water and plant elements. Hosseinieh, Imamzadeh and Saghakhaneh are among the most common cultural spaces around Chaman, and bakery, butchers, groceries and small manufacturing factories such as shoe and carpentry are the most popular.
 
Conclusion
Known as the center of neighborhood, green closed Square, the neighborhood open space is recognized in Hamadan as Chaman.
The history mentioned for the Chaman spaces as the center of the green and historical neighborhoods of Hamadan dates back to the time of the Parthians (the third century BC) and still in the sixth and seventeenth century the Hamadan neighborhoods were mentioned. In the Safavid era, besides the bath and market, the mosques are also the main elements of the structure of the Chaman spaces and added to the important elements of the market during the Qajar era. Evidence suggests that the years 1871 to 1921 (the late Qajar) experienced the peak and flourishing years of Hamadan neighborhood when the number of neighborhoods in the main structure of the city reached 51.
The identification of 51 neighborhoods before the 1945th Lunar years and then the introduction of 42 neighborhoods after about seventy years in 1973 and eventually taking into account the 25 existing or damaged neighborhoods in the next twenty years in 1992, shows the process of demolition and destruction of the Hamadan neighborhoods by the streets. This trend tend to continue, as there are now a handful of originality neighborhoods. The word “Chaman”, is the prefix of the center of Hamadan neighborhoods, and at least the name of 13 neighborhoods registered with that prefix, has a place, definition and value in the indigenous culture of Hamadan.