TEHRAN—Nehbandan ancient Asbads, traditional vertical-axis windmills used for grain grinding, are to be repaired, a tourism chief of the city has said.

According to Miras Arya (CHTN), Hossein Shabani also said that Asbads located in villages of Chahar Farsakh, Khonik, and Khansharaf in Nehbandan, South Khorasan province, will go under restoration.

He explained that with allocation of 10 billion rials ($11,765) worth of national credit, the valuable relics of Nehbandan will be renovated to be prepared for possible registration on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Shabani continued that studies and renovation of these structures have been conducted within several years, expecting that with allocation of more credits, the renovation process will be accelerated.

He pointed out that Asbads are considered masterpieces of architecture and lifestyle of Iranians particularly in east of the country for using the wind power for grinding the cereals. 

Iran is making strides toward securing a possible UNESCO recognition for its centuries-old Asbads, traditional vertical-axis windmills used for grain grinding, as it works to complete a dossier for their inclusion on the World Heritage list.

These ancient windmills, which have played a crucial role in the lives of people in eastern Iran, particularly in South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces, are being documented as part of a serial property registration effort.

South Khorasan, considered the birthplace and primary hub of these ingenious structures, is home to approximately 79% of Iran’s Asbads.

These windmills, some of the earliest known human-engineered industrial devices, were designed to harness the strong, seasonal 120-day winds that sweep across the region.

While the Asbads were once a common sight in the broader region of Greater Khorasan, including today’s northeastern provinces, South Khorasan boasts the largest concentration, with over 310 windmills still standing, the report said.

Iran’s Asbads are unique in their vertical design, a significant departure from the horizontal-axis windmills seen in Europe.

Each structure typically consists of two parallel 10-meter walls, spaced about four meters apart. Large wooden blades are mounted on a vertical axis within the northern part of the structure, and as the wind turns the blades, the movement is transmitted via a central shaft to a grinding stone below, where grains like wheat are processed.

These Asbads were particularly vital in areas such as Nehbandan and Darmian, where the steady seasonal winds were crucial for grain production. As of today, the towns of Darmian and Nehbandan hold the highest number of Asbads. However, there are a considerable number of Asbads in Birjand, Sarbisheh, and Qaen.

Moreover, the historical city of Tabas-e Masina, known for its Parthian-era origins and fertile plains, alone houses 60 Asbads.
Given the dispersal of Iranian Asbads on a vast geographical area, the ongoing documentation efforts aimed to secure global recognition for these remarkable windmills, have turned into a time-consuming project.

Iran’s Asbads are not only a testament to the ingenuity of the past but also a symbol of the region’s cultural heritage and sustainable use of natural resources. The UNESCO submission will seek to preserve these windmills for future generations while showcasing their historical importance on the world stage.

Britannica says the earliest known references to windmills are to a Persian millwright in 644 CE and windmills in Seistan [Sistan], Iran, in 915 CE.

According to the UN cultural body, Robert Forbes, a technology historian, stresses the point that the Islamic era windmill was the invention of Iranian. He writes: "this invention which was initially an exclusive device for Iran and Afghanistan, turned into an important source of energy all over the Islamic territories in the 12th century, and not only it was used for the grinding of grains and operation of water pumps, but also the chopping of sugarcanes and other purposes.

Moreover, the UNESCO website says that such vertical-axis windmills were taken to China during the Mongol reign.

Furthermore, the know-how of windmills was taken to other Islamic territories and was used in Egypt as the main source for the chopping and grinding of sugarcanes. In the 11th century, windmills reached Spain, the Islands of the Aegean Sea, and Portugal.

KD