Rambu house (Seh Dokan house) is one of the finest homes in the Asheqan Arefan quarter of Kabul’s old city and one of a few remaining homes that retain timber patai screens (a façade system of sliding timber windows and fixed screens) on all four internal elevations. Arranged on two storeys, with a small secondary courtyard to the east, it shows the evolution of decorative styles from different periods, with the south-facing range perhaps being the oldest. The house has space to accommodate nine households, with three staircases providing access to the upper rooms on three sides of the courtyard house while the fourth side contains shared facilities such as bath and kitchen.

The building was in a poor state of repair and presented severe structural problems when first surveyed by AKTC team in 2003. An agreement was signed with the owners in 2006, when restoration began. Restoration works entailed the re-building of the western wing, which was tilting, the introduction of toilet facilities on both floors and the rebuilding of rooms on the rooftop. Cleaning and repairing of the finely plastered rooms was conducted in parallel to the restoration of the woodwork of the façade. Some unusual carved timber doors, which might date from an earlier house on the same site, were discovered during the course of the works, and restored. Paving of the courtyard was completed in mid-2007 when the property was handed back to its owners.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture