Builders that use winds; windmills Nashtifan

A must-see historic site

In the small village of Nashtifan, Iran, some of the oldest windmills in the world, with what may be the earliest windmill design in the world, still spin. These amazing windmills are among the oldest in the world. These windmills have withstood winds of up to 74 miles an hour. With the design thought to have been created in eastern Persia between 500-900 A.D., they have been in use for several centuries.
Made of natural clay, straw, and wood, the windmills have been milling grain for flour for an estimated 1000 years. The vertical axis design is probably similar to the windmills that were invented by the Persians around 500-900 A.D. The design that slowly spread through the world and which was later adapted by the Dutch and others.
Nashtifan’s original name was Nish Toofan, meaning ‘storm’s sting,’ a reference to the strong winds that blow through the area.