Nehbandan Ancient Windmills

The windmills of Nahbandan are located in the village of Khansharaf near the city of Nehbandan in South Khorasan province. The southern provinces of Sistan and Khorasan have 120-day winds in Sistan; their origin, known locally as Baadkuh (wind-mountains), is the snow-capped peaks of Mount Baba in Hindu Kush.

These winds blow during the warm period of the year, usually in mid-May to early autumn, for more than 120 days; as a result, the locals of these areas built some windmills to use the power of these winds. The construction of windmills, in addition to their function, shows human intelligence and creativity in the proper use of nature. The number of windmills in Nehbandan is 10 windmills in total, built in a north-south direction. Windmills are usually built side by side in order to withstand these 120-day winds. The windmills of Khansharaf were registered on the National Heritage List of Iran on March 16, 2000.

Features of Nehbandan Windmills

Nehbandan Windmills have three walls; one of these walls is half and is facing west, which is the direction of the 120-day winds. This curved wall draws the wind towards the enclosed space inside the three walls, then the wind inside the windmills with a special mechanism causes the movement of wooden blades, beams and finally circular stones with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm. Placing the entrance door of windmill in the opposite direction to the wind is an interesting point in the architecture of windmills, indicating that all angles of a particular architecture are considered. Each windmill has a length of 13 meters and a width of 3 meters, their current height is approximately 4 meters above the ground. Windmill's building is made of the simplest materials including clay, mud and wood.

The structure of Nehbandan Windmills consists of two main floors. The ground floor is the main hall of windmill and thus the location of a large and circular stone mill, with grinding the grain done in this section. This floor, leading to the second floor by a series of stairs, is also used for storing flour and wheat. The second floor is the roof of windmill with vanes and beams attached to it. The blades of the mill, made of wood, are light enough to move easily; they can also move the large stone of the lower floor. In more tropical regions, the material of the blades is different; in Nehbandan Windmills, palm branches have been used for the blades. Despite their simplicity, these windmills are one of the most attractive structures in South Khorasan province. You can join Persian Trips in order to see the windmills of Nehbandan.

 

Tags: South khorasan province, Iran Historical Attractions, South Khorasan Attractions, Nehbandan Ancient Windmills , Windmills in Iran

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