Beauty of Nature and Traditional Architecture in Masouleh
May 16, 1998 - 0:0
TEHRAN Twenty-five kilometers from the beautiful city of Fooman in northern Iran and after traveling on a mountain road winding through dense woods and vast paddy fields you come to the town of Masouleh where the beauty of intact nature and glory of traditional architectural styles merge to make a beautiful picture never to be forgotten from the minds of its visitors.
The ancient city of Masouleh located at the heart of the green province of Gilan attracts thousands of tourists from every part of both Iran and the world to itself every year. The travelers camp close to the city to enjoy the scenery which is a complete and fine art work of nature and architecture together. The town was built more than 600 years ago.
Despite the old houses and structures, the town has managed to preserve its attraction for the tourists due to the numerous historical sites it possesses and the very attractive and almost unique architecture of its buildings. It is built at the foot of a high mountain covered with dense woods and the houses are constructed in a way that the roof of one building is used as the courtyard of another one at the top of it.
The roofs also provide the passage route for travelers and are regarded as the streets in the town. The holy shrine of a Muslim religious saint in the center of the town adds to its attraction; every year a large number of pilgrims visit the shrine, the building of which is a remarkable example of the immense beauty of an artistic work.
Masouleh has a population of only 1,100. Many of its people move to the cities in cold seasons for the job opportunities offered there. They return to their homes in summer thus increasing the number of citizens to more than 6,000. Several original handicrafts including making shoes with beautiful embroidery on them, knitting works, making knives and weaving rugs and carpets are among the artistic activities traditionally carried out in Masouleh.
The ancient city of Masouleh located at the heart of the green province of Gilan attracts thousands of tourists from every part of both Iran and the world to itself every year. The travelers camp close to the city to enjoy the scenery which is a complete and fine art work of nature and architecture together. The town was built more than 600 years ago.
Despite the old houses and structures, the town has managed to preserve its attraction for the tourists due to the numerous historical sites it possesses and the very attractive and almost unique architecture of its buildings. It is built at the foot of a high mountain covered with dense woods and the houses are constructed in a way that the roof of one building is used as the courtyard of another one at the top of it.
The roofs also provide the passage route for travelers and are regarded as the streets in the town. The holy shrine of a Muslim religious saint in the center of the town adds to its attraction; every year a large number of pilgrims visit the shrine, the building of which is a remarkable example of the immense beauty of an artistic work.
Masouleh has a population of only 1,100. Many of its people move to the cities in cold seasons for the job opportunities offered there. They return to their homes in summer thus increasing the number of citizens to more than 6,000. Several original handicrafts including making shoes with beautiful embroidery on them, knitting works, making knives and weaving rugs and carpets are among the artistic activities traditionally carried out in Masouleh.