River as a Symbol of Power;Role of the Kamoo River in Shaping Kamoo Village

Kamoo village in the central plateau of Iran is recognized as an ancient village in Iran and has an inseparable connection to natural elements. Its identity is related to its natural elements such as the Karkas Mountain, river, and topography of the region. The Kamoo River, as the main component of a natural landscape of the village, plays a vital role in the village genesis. Employing a library research method and field observations, this study deals with the position and importance of the river in the formation of Kamoo Village. The results show that the main river of Kamoo village, as an important natural element, follows a hierarchical order based on social power and dignity of its inhabitants. In addition, it follows aesthetic, ecological, physical, and economic hierarchies. This hierarchical order, namely a social hierarchy, has a significant role in the village development and structure. In addition to a social hierarchy, economic and physical hierarchies relevant to the main river are essential as well. Thereby, nobles’ and masters’ houses have been built in upstream and farmers’ houses have been built in downstream referring to the social hierarchy present in the village. Moreover, the proximity of architectural pieces to the river in order to dominate the main water source with farmlands behind these layouts has shaped an economic hierarchy. Lastly, the location of the important components of the village including the main route, village center, main mosque, and collection sites points to the significance of this river in shaping the physical hierarchy of the village. A physical-semantic dependence of the village on the main river, through hierarchies and their relationships with the village habitants as well as circumference over time, introduce it as the main component of the natural landscape of the village.