Caretaker Looks After 1,000-Year-Old Windmills That Are Still In Use Today

There are some amazing windmills that have been spinning for several centuries that still are working and power grinding stones in a room below for pressing grain into flour. Made from clay, stray and wood, the windmills stand up to 65 feet in height and are among the oldest in the world.

Located in the Iranian town of Nashtifan, initially named Nish Toofan, or “storm’s sting,” the windmills have withstood winds of up to 74 miles an hour. With the design thought to have been created in eastern Persia between 500-900 A.D., they have been in use for 1000 years and are part of a national heritage site by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Department.

They 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 the windmills.

Mr. Etebari is the custodian of the windmills and maintains them with secrets passed down for generations to a select few. “It’s the pure, clean air that makes the windmills rotate—the life-giving air that everyone can breathe,” he says in the video, a reminder that clean, renewable energy is not a new concept but has been around for a thousand years!

Watch this fascinating historical artifact in the video below and share it with your friends!

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