The increasing use of non-indigenous construction material is seriously threatening the historical texture of Uraman Takht Village in Kurdestan province.
Uraman Takht Village, which is one of the prettiest tourism sites in western Iran, owes its fame to its special architectural style and artistic use of indigenous construction material.
After passing high mountains and winding roads and moving along Sirvan River, you reach the village, which is situated in the middle of the Zagros mountain range.
In addition to domestic visitors, tourists from other countries also tour this unique rural area, Mehr News Agency reported.
Uraman Takht Landscape
Houses in this village are built in a way that the roof of each house is a courtyard of the house located above.
In the past, residents were forced to use stones in building their houses due to the lack of mud. This tradition is still in effect. However, the passage of time and absence of sufficient supervision have made the use of construction materials such as bricks and concrete blocks commonplace.
While various measures have been taken for safeguarding the historical texture of the village, it seems that state organizations are at the forefront of destroying this unique rural area.
Education and health ministries are among institutions that used industrial construction materials for building schools and clinics in the village, thus affecting the village’s landscape. In some parts of the village, buildings have been erected by using iron beams and bricks.
Various steps have been taken to register the village as a region with a special texture and its residents are no longer permitted to use modern construction materials in buildings. However, a serious effort to stop the new trend requires the interaction of governmental institutions.
Cooperation of All
Director general of Kurdestan Islamic Revolution’s Housing Foundation, Reza Reza-Farrah, said one executive organization alone cannot maintain the unique texture of the village.
“All provincial state organizations should work together to prepare the ground for enhancing public participation in this important task,“ he said.
The official noted that a number of executive organizations at the beginning used industrial construction materials for building their offices in the village, but this has been currently stopped.
Reza-Farrah stressed that in order to safeguard the texture of the village, buildings constructed with industrial construction materials should be demolished.
“In fact, the foundation has paid compensation and destroyed such buildings, and encouraged the people to rebuild by using indigenous construction materials,“ he said.
He emphasized that all new construction and renovation activities should be verified by the foundation.
Recently, a beautiful mosque was built in the village by using indigenous construction materials, which attracts the attention of every visitor.
During the Ten-Day Dawn ceremonies (marking the arrival of Imam Khomeini from exile in 1979 till the victory of the Islamic Revolution) of last year, a hotel made of stone became operational in the village.
In the past five years, residents of the village have cooperated with the foundation and other related organizations, but more efforts are needed.

Ambassadors of Italy and Russia in Tehran, in a symbolic gesture, knitted a few knots on the Peace Carpet at Sa’dabad Complex on Saturday.
Russian ambassador, Alexander Sadonikov, visited Sa’dabad at the head of a delegation and tied a knot on the Peace Carpet, CHTN reported.
“This traditional art can help people reach mutual understanding and develop peace in the world,“ he said.
Italian ambassador, Alberto Bradanini, also described the move as a step forward for expanding global peace and friendship.
So far, numerous eminent figures and representatives from 90 countries have tied knots on the peace carpet, which will be donated to the United Nations after completion as a symbol of peace.
Yazd Tour
Meanwhile, Omani Tourism Minister Rajha bint Abdulamir bin Ali arrived in Iran on Sunday, in response to an invitation by Esfandiar Rahim Mishaei, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
The visit is aimed at reinforcing bilateral relations and encouraging tourism investments in the two countries.
Rajha will undertake a daylong tour of Yazd province on Tuesday and, in addition to visiting monuments and historical sites, will discuss expansion of tourism with provincial officials.
He will visit Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Water Museum and Ziayieh School during his visit.
Rajha will also discuss ways and means of developing bilateral tourist facilities.

Iran’s Tehran University and French Sorbonne University are to co-host an international conference on Persian Gulf, an expert at the French university said on Saturday.
Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at Sorbonne Marie Francoise Courel told IRNA that the applied research center for Iranian culture at Tehran University and Sorbonne’s Humanities and Social Sciences Department were doing preparatory works since a few years ago to hold the International Conference on Persian Gulf.
She added that a historical atlas of the Persian Gulf was published in 2005 by the two research centers.
Courel added that Sorbonne and Tehran universities have decided to continue their cooperation in future by holding an international conference on Persian Gulf.
She did not mention the date or venue of the event but said a large group of international experts, researchers, scientists and politicians would be invited to the conference. Courel is in Iran for a conference on water and the environment, which ended on May 8.