Maymand village
Maymand village in Iran is pristine in nature and is enjoyable for few days, far from hustle and bustle of cities. It is also a historic village that worth travel and watch. Maymand village that has been around for thousands of years, and it seems time stops in this village. The village of Meymand or Maymand in Kerman is one of those heritages listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The historic village of Maymand is 38 kilometers from Babak city of Kerman which itself is 238 km far away Kerman. But why should you visit Meymand once atleast? For these reasons:
- Meymand is one of the ancient villages of Iran where life is still traditional and people have been farming and keeping livestock since ancient times.
- What has made the village of Meymand one of the most amazing villages in Iran is being a rocky village and the fact that human being has made Maymand with his own hands.
- Meymand is one of the first settlements built by the Aryans in the Median period. Some also attribute the emergence of Maymand to the belief in Mithraism of the early settlers. They believed in the worship of inviolability and immortality and therefore they built houses in the cliffs that remained up to now.
- Meymand is two or three thousand year old village, and this fact was proved by discovered pottery in the area. These pottery dates back to the Parthian, Sassanid, and Islamic periods.
- Meymand is a village belonging to the second and third centuries AD. At the time of the Parthians, in the southern part of Kerman, the tribes settled in different regions. But those tribes that did not relocate chose a favorable climate area and built houses in the mountains in the late Parthian and early Sassanid periods.
- Meymand’s houses were formed by removing dirt and digging the mountain and using no bricks and stones to build them.
- The village of Meimand Kerman is the 19th UNESCO World Heritage Site of Iran and has been awarded the Mercury Prize as the seventh cultural-natural and historical monument in the world.
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What does Maymand mean?
Maymand is a word derived from two words May and mand. May means wine and mand means drunkenness. What they say about Maymand village also derives from this meaning, a term that the villagers also believe in it. It is well known that people in this area drunk at that time and when they got drunk, they drilled holes in the heart of the mountain. Others, however, believe that Maymand means fortune and Blessed. However, beliefs are different, and some believe that the villagers migrated from Maymand in Fars and that is why they called it Maymand, which doesn’t seem unlikely by comparing the age of the village and the early settlers.
What people do in Maymand village?
Most of the inhabitants of Maymand village keep livestock, and in the first four months of the year they bring their livestock to the plain. But in the next four months, they do horticultural activities, and they come to the area in winters. The old people of Maymand used to spend the cold winter days knitting carpets, rugs, felt and baskets, though these days, unfortunately, these arts in the village have become less dense than before.
What to do in Maymand village?
After sightseeing in Maymand and talking with other well-known villagers in this area, you can visit other places. From Rafsanjan to Maymand is 135km, it’s about 1 hours and 40 minutes. After arriving in Rafsanjan, it is about 20 kilometers to the valley or the Arge Strait, one of the most amazing erosion areas in Iran. The Gyudari River runs through the rocks. Here is the deer shelter of Kerman province.
Then you can go to Sirjan, which is 110 kilometers, an hour and a quarter away from you. In Sirjan, you can visit Sirjan’s twin frosted iceberg and chibouk wind catcher. You can also visit the stone garden which is one of the wonders of Iran in Sirjan village. In Rafsanjan, the house of Haj Agha Ali, the largest mud brick house in the world, is waiting for you.
Best time to travel to Maymand village
The best time to travel to Maymand is near spring as well as summer. Of course, in the early fall, travelers will also be enjoying their time in Maymand village.
Where to stay in Maymand?
You can spend the night on your trip to Meymand in the astonishing houses of this village, paying a visit to their kind owners, as well as to nearby towns like Kerman and Rafsanjan. Don’t worry about eating in Maymand, either sitting with the villagers at a table or visiting the traditional village tables.
About Cultural Landscape of Maymand village
Cultural Landscape of Maymand village registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. It is a self-contained, semi-arid area, rocky village, a unique troglodyte village of kiche (cave-houses) and in fact, it is a memorable stop between Kerman and Yazd, Iran.
The cultural landscape of Maymand is one of the most ancient human settlements in the world that has survived from twelve thousand years ago. Ten-thousand year-old paintings and six-thousand year-old pottery are among the glowing documents that narrate the history of Maymand.
The villagers are semi-nomadic and living in temporary settlements in spring and autumn. The main occupation of the villagers is animal husbandry. The lifestyle of its people has continued in its traditional form.
There is a collection of different ancient sites such as scattered rocky houses, temples, castles and various towers (dating back thousands of years ago) that transformed Maymand from a village to a specific civilization complex.
Nobody knows who created and what the motives of these people were for the construction of such structures. The motives of the people of that time are very important because creation such a great collection at that time and with the primitive tools is unbelievable.
