Ancient windmills of Iran may soon stop working

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In the modern world, it has become very popular to appeal to the inexhaustible resources of the energy of the sun, wind and water. And if solar panels appeared not so long ago, then windmills, for example, have provided flour and water to our ancestors since the 5th century. One of these installations has survived to this day and is located in the city of Nashtifan (Iran), but this landmark, unique in all respects, can be lost for posterity, and for a completely ridiculous reason.

Wind energy has been used by people since ancient times. Mariners crossed entire oceans in search of fertile lands only with the help of the wind, which inflated the sails and drove ships in the right direction. In everyday life, he also became a constant helper, setting in motion mechanisms that grind grain, turning it into flour, or pump out water from rivers and wells.

To use this energy more rationally, our ancestors created windmills. According to scientists, the first such structures appeared in Persia around the 5th century AD. A number of objects have not only survived to this day, but are also actively used by the Iranians.

These structures differ from more modern mills in their design. The Persians invented a mechanism consisting of 8 rotating chambers, which have 6-12 vertical blades in the form of sails, covered with a reed mat or cloth. The force of the wind forces the blades to move, driving a shaft connected to stone crushers, which grind the grain. The structure, unusual for a modern person, looks more like walls with slots 15-20 m high, has a rather original appearance.

Now such a simple device is already considered a complete anachronism, but for many centuries it was an important object for any settlement, even the smallest. According to the editors of Novate.ru, mills with a similar design have spread over time in the Middle East, Central Asia, China, India and Europe. But at the moment, most of them are preserved in Iran in the city of Nashtifan.

This city, located in the southern part of the province of Khorasan-Rezavi, has been famous since ancient times for strong winds reaching 120 km / h in bad weather, so it was no surprise that the ancient Persians called it “Nish Toofan” or “storm sting” and learned use free energy. In this region, wind turbines were used on an industrial scale. At the moment, 30 wind objects have been preserved in Nashtifan, the age of which is 1500 years (!). It is noteworthy that in this city the windmills are not chaotically located, but in one place, creating a real complex that is still working.

It also remains a mystery how a structure made of clay, straw and wood can be preserved so much in its original form and still be actively exploited. Even though this design proved to be less efficient than subsequent vertical blade mills.

The main disadvantage of horizontal windmills is that the wind panels rotate horizontally and only one side of the shaft can use the wind energy, while the other half of the device runs upstream. Due to the constant resistance, the blades of this design can never move faster or even with the speed of the wind, although this disadvantage is compensated for by its enormous force. But in our time, when they have learned to calculate the profitability, the old mills have become less in demand, which means that their final stop is approaching and, as a result, destruction.

This will also be facilitated by the fact that at the moment there is only one master who maintains all the working mills and he is already in old age, but it is not possible to find a successor. Mohammed Etebari, who knows everything about the work of ancient mechanisms, is concerned that his life's work and the legacy of his ancestors will collapse due to the calculation and indifference of his compatriots. After all, it is no secret to anyone that the Iranian authorities do not burden themselves with care for the cultural heritage, and after the departure of the only knowledgeable person, they will most likely forget about their existence.

Reference:Finally, the Nashtifan windmills have been recognized by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Department. They are now considered a National Heritage Site. And this is good news, because it would be a shame if the ancient structures that witnessed the fall of Persia and “survived” until the formation of the Islamic Republic will turn into ruins.

Our ancestors knew how to calculate and build unique structures that even modern engineers are not always capable of. So, for example, in the driest regions of the Middle East, even 2 thousand years ago, craftsmen could create special communications that kept the dwellings cool even in 50-degree heat. Oddly enough, but these ancient "air conditioners" maintain a comfortable temperature much more efficiently, than the most powerful split systems even now.