[custom_adv] Zurkhaneh that literally means ‘house of strength’, is the traditional gymnasium of urban Persia and adjacent lands. Until the mid-20th century the Zurkhaneh was associated primarily with wrestling. [custom_adv] Descriptions of the Zurkhaneh often imply a timeless essence, while in fact the institution has constantly evolved and continues to do so. The traditional Zurkhaneh consisted of a building whose architecture resembled that of a public bathhouse, in whose close proximity it was often located. [custom_adv] The Zurkhane’s main room was often sunken slightly below street level to provide constant temperatures and prevent drafts that might harm the perspiring athletes, but its roof contained windows for light. [custom_adv] Access to the main room was possible only through a low door, forcing everyone to bow in respect while entering. At the center of the room lay the gowd, a hexagonal sunken area about one meter deep in which the exercises took place. [custom_adv] To provide a soft surface for wrestling, the bottom of the arena used to be covered first with brushwood, then with ash, and finally with a layer of clay earth, but gradually this was replaced with linoleum or wooden planks. The gowd was surrounded by stands for spectators and racks for exercise instruments, and the walls were adorned with pictures of athletes and saints. [custom_adv] Of particular importance was an elevated and decorated seat, the sardam, which was reserved for the man who accompanied the exercises with rhythmic drumming and the chanting of Persian poetry. [custom_adv] Since the early 20th century, the drummer has been called morshed (guide or director), a title previously reserved for the most senior member of the group. In the gowd, athletes had to be bare-chested and barefoot, symbolizing the irrelevance of outside hierarchies and distinctions
