Lessons for Sustainable Built Environments in Persia

In the Nashtifan village, in the ancient Persian Empire, currently in the northeast

of Iran, exists the so-called earliest windmill in the world, used for centuries in

family generations until now that rests in the hands of Haj Ali Mohammad Etebari,

its keeper, also is the property of local tribes. Another use for this buildings is

security, located on top of a hill to protect the village from the devastating winds

that reach 74 miles per hour, also adding the clean air the windmills make, a more

breathable air than the cars make, also known as greenhouse gases. In relation

to the climate, which is hot and dry, has helped to maintain its structure of clay,

straw and wood and mostly its form and function. At the end of September until

December, in the fall season, almost for 120 days there exists the “time of wind”

that the windmills take advantage of to develop the process of making wheat

powder for nan piece or bread, a much easier way because of the strong forces

of wind that help rotate the wooden blades on top of the clay rooms attached to

the column or log and the main axis of the grind stones with wheat in between,

having a fan-like movement, making it a sustainable design, a popular and

common way to survive in ancient history all around the world, and seeking for a

non-contaminating and energy-wasting build, this possibly led to the even bigger

windmills in more developed countries. The lessons we can get from living with

man made elements that could help others are that for example this windmills

that are now registered as a national heritage site by Iran’s Cultural Heritage

Department, unique in that they are one of the few still operational, were not

important to the community living near the village and the next generations of the

keepers until some interviews and new research made to be aware of them, they

are a natural treasure and should be treated the same way, not by having
youngsters and others stepping, playing and doing things that could damage the

site, things not related to the culture or human growth for the civilians that are

going to live in the area or the ones that could have a great experience knowing

their past and great ancestors, also the fact that the use of natural energy, which

for a thousand years remained as part of the regions landscape and an unlimited

source is amazing, the Persian used these windmills to get food and for trading

with Afghanistan, where they got the seeds of wheat, the way they could survive

economically and keeping a healthy and secure nation, this traditional way of

living should be passed to younger generations to stay connected to their roots

and having a sustainable way of living and generating free energy, two of the

most important aspects as a solution to today’s problematic that is contamination

and environmental crisis. The last is to remain or retrieve the nations forgotten

culture of tolerance and respect for other cultures that can be established in

certain areas as in the Persepolis ruins or in the Nashtifan village windmills, letting

people know more about them and treating the foreign as part of the country.