First answer these questions. What makes us think that anything has been engineered well? Is it that it lasts the test of time? Is it because it is perfect and nothing can be added to it? It is because it runs without and failures or breakage? Is it because it does not hamper its surroundings? Or is it because you don’t know what makes it work?

All of us want that all our favorite things last a very long time, we want them to even outlast us and live for many centuries. It fills our heart with lots of joy and happiness when we see something we loved and created out of pure passion standing tall and giving joy to lots of people. This is what is called pure and complete success. In the town of Nashtifan, world’s oldest working windmills stand and tall and still operate with lot of zeal and vigor.

Throughout the world it is found that various windmills which operate successfully for several centuries. These engineering marvels have been running for a long time and have been able to ground stones and pressing the grain and converting it into flour. These windmills are made from wood, clay and stray. These windmills are about the height of 65 feet and are one of best and oldest in the world.

These windmills are located in the town of Nashtifan which is present in the country of Iran. These windmills which can withstand winds up to the speed of 74 miles per hour were initially named as Nish Toofan, which stands for “storm’s sting,” in Urdu. The designs of these windmills are believed to be created in the region of eastern Persia during the period of 500-900 A.D.

Left: A 14th-century manuscript by Al-Dimashqi shows a cross-section of a typical windmill whose vertical vanes rotate around a vertical shaft, Right: Windmills in the Iranian region of Nishtafun

These windmills have thus been in operation for more than 1000 years. They are also important part of the various national heritage sites which are present in Iran as claimed by the Iran’s Cultural Heritage Department. These windmills were designed to protect the ancient village from devastating winds as well as a source of energy. The reason that these windmills are among the few still operational is thanks to one man who is the last remaining keeper of this ancient construction.

People living in this region were the first to discover that the fast winds which blew in the area were much more than just a nuisance. As a result of which these 65-foot-tall windmills were erected , they had been operated to ground the grains of the locals into flours for many centuries.

Even though there are many more similar windmills located in the region, Nashtifan’s windmills are the only ones which are still in operating condition. It was declared as national heritage site by the Iran government in the year 2002.

But the saddest part is that though still operating condition, these magnificent windmills have to be destroyed permanently. It is mainly due to the fact that Ali Muhammad Etebari, who is the caretaker of this sight has no helping hand or any family to look after it after his death. Also the locals have very less interest in learning how to operate these historical constructions.

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