TEHRAN - Restoration and revitalization work has begun on an ancient water mill in Qaleh Bala, a touristic village in Shahrud county of Semnan province, according to the local heritage authority.

Seyyed Mohammad-Sadegh Razavian, head of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Office of Shahrud, noted that the mill has long been an integral part of the village’s historical identity and traditional architecture, and restoring it marks a key step in safeguarding the region’s valuable heritage.

“Our goal is to repair the structure and its internal components while preserving its authenticity,” Razavian said. “This will allow visitors to gain a better understanding of traditional rural life and the role such mills once played in sustaining local communities.”

Once the project is complete, tourists will be able to observe the mill’s mechanisms up close and experience a tangible connection to the region’s history, the official underlined.

Razavian added that the revival of the mill could significantly strengthen Qaleh Bala’s position as a cultural and tourism hub. The water mill, he explained, offers both cultural appeal and the capacity to narrate aspects of past rural life to domestic and international visitors.

Qaleh Bala, known for its unique stepped architecture and proximity to the Touran Protected Area, is one of the province’s key tourism destinations. In recent years, the village has gained national recognition for its community-based development model, cultural initiatives, and active local participation.

Nestled on the southern slopes of Mount Shahvar where the desert meets the wind-shaped hills of the Kharturan buffer zone, the village has emerged as a remarkable example of grassroots rural revitalization and ecotourism.

AM