Fahraj on the Path to Being Listed Among the World Villages

Mirath Arya: Accordingly, we will provide a brief introduction to this village, its prominent features, and an examination of the selection process for the village as one of Iran's eight candidates in the 2024 World Tourism Villages project. Historical Background: The historical village of Fahraj in Yazd dates back to the pre-Islamic era, and some believe it is over 8,000 years old. In the distant past, Fahraj of Yazd was the gateway to Isatis and one of the four important and main districts of the ancient city of Yazd. This village was considered one of the important cities of Yazd until the 8th century AH, and Ibn Balkhi, in his descriptions of this city, discusses its significant agricultural position. Reasons for Origin and Naming: The old city of Fahraj was named "Farafr" meaning "pleasant climate," with a history of 8,000 years. Later, its name became "Par Hasht," whose route was from the vicinity of the Martyrs of Fahraj complex, reaching close to the old city's railway, and it was submerged due to a flood 5,000 years ago. In the Sasanian-Pahlavi era, Fahraj was called "Pahra," which is related to the Persian words "Pahrash," "Pahla," and "Fahla," meaning city, gathering place, home, and settlement. After the conquest of this city by Islam, "Pahra" was approved and transformed into Fahraj. Fahraj has been identified and its valuable texture has been studied and implemented. The area of this zone is 173,654.5 square meters. Location of the Village: The village of Fahraj is located southeast of Yazd city, on the Bafgh-Yazd highway, in the Fahraj rural district. Situated at an altitude of 1,270 meters above sea level, this village reaches Mount Chelteh to the northeast. The distance from Fahraj village to Yazd is about 33 kilometers (40 minutes). The distance from Fahraj village to Bafgh is also about 88 kilometers (one hour). The access route to the village of Fahraj, Yazd, is very easy. This village is located on the right side of the Yazd to Bafgh road. Available Facilities: Appropriate access roads, suitable tourism infrastructure of the village, organization of tourist routes and paths (signage, restrooms, implementation of development plans according to cultural heritage regulations, etc.), establishment of two ecotourism parks, and the operation of several ecotourism units are among the most important facilities of the active and dynamic village of Fahraj. Fahraj, with its greenhouses exporting vegetables, green peppers, and prickly cucumbers, is among the villages exporting agricultural products to target markets. Souvenirs and Handicrafts: Carpet weaving and work on exquisite fabrics (Termeh, etc.) are prevalent in this village. Given Yazd province's long-standing fame in carpet weaving (weaving and production of cotton handwoven fabrics, Zari, and Karbafi), Fahraj village can serve as a market and center for establishing handicraft workshops and an eco-museum to display the production process to consumers (green health textiles) and work on exquisite fabrics. The most important local dishes of Fahraj village are Ashkeneh, Kaleh Joosh, Shooli, Ghormeh, Sorook, Sholeh Zard, and others. Social-Cultural Features Attracting Tourists, Including Traditions... The people of Fahraj village, Yazd, adhere to Shia Islam, and religious ceremonies are held there annually. During Ashura, the villagers perform the traditional Nakhl-bardari and Nakhl-gardani ceremonies, which have their own special attraction. The Heidari ceremony of Fahraj is a ritual held in this village and is registered in the National Intangible Heritage list. Festivals: Bicycle Festival: Fahraj village is known as the ancient land of bicycles, and a cycling rally is held every year during Nowruz. So far, 17 cycling rallies have been held in the village. Akhavan Sales Memorial Ceremony: In 2022 (1401 AH), on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday and the anniversary of the birth of the renowned poet Mehdi Akhavan Sales, a poetry night was held in Fahraj with a group of Yazd poets, attended by Ali Akhavan Sales, his son. It is worth noting that the paternal home of Mehdi Akhavan Sales, the famous poet of Iran and a native of Fahraj, is located on the southern side of the Fahraj Grand Mosque. Architecture of Fahraj Village Similar to other settlements in the desert province of Yazd, most of the houses and structures in Fahraj village are built with the traditional architecture of Iran's hot and desert regions. In fact, two different architectural textures are observed in Fahraj village: the ancient texture of the village, located around the Grand Mosque in the heart of Fahraj village, arranged in a semi-centralized and linear pattern, and the modern texture of the village, which extends around the ancient texture, surrounding the village's ancient structures. The houses in this village are generally made of adobe, mud, and brick, and some of them, with windcatchers atop their roofs, have well-preserved their historical authenticity. If you walk through the alleys of this village, you will see semi-covered passages called "Sabats," which not only enhance the architectural beauty of the village with their unique design but also significantly reduce the heat by providing shade for pedestrians. Tourist Attractions and Historical Sites of Fahraj Village, Yazd: Fahraj village in Yazd has numerous tourist attractions and historical sites, some of which are introduced below: The Grand Mosque of Fahraj, the Historical Complex of the Martyrs of Fahraj, the Hosseiniyeh Water Reservoir, Fahraj Castle, Alaqbandi or Ali Qondi Mosque (only beautiful stucco work remains of this mosque), Chehel Dokhtaran Well... are the most important historical sites of the village. The Grand Mosque of Fahraj: This mosque is considered one of the oldest mosques in Iran, with its construction dating back to the first century AH. According to available documents, it is possible that the Grand Mosque of Fahraj was built after the advent of Islam in Iran. According to available documents, the construction of the Grand Mosque of Fahraj dates back to the first half of the first century AH, but the main building structure is from the Sasanian era, which was converted into a mosque upon the arrival of Islam, during the caliphate of Omar. The Ancient Castle of Fahraj: The initial construction of the historical Fahraj Castle is contemporary with those buildings, but the current facade and decorations date back to the 10th or 11th century AH. Fahraj Castle has a quadrilateral plan with four circular towers at its corners. The towers are two stories high, and all existing buildings have barrel vaults with pointed arches. There are also holes at the top of the walls, likely used for observation. Fahraj Castle is registered in the National Heritage List under registration number 29987, dated 2011/02/05. The Hosseiniyeh Water Reservoir of Fahraj: Another of these historical sites in Fahraj is the Hosseiniyeh Water Reservoir. This place has an ancient history, and although experts say it belongs to the Safavid era, many archaeologists attribute its construction date to the pre-Islamic period. In very ancient times, this place was used for events such as water consecration ceremonies. Today, this site is considered one of Yazd's best tourist attractions and is ready to showcase a part of our country's rich history to visitors. Chehel Dokhtaran Well: Another tourist attraction of Fahraj village, which holds a dark and tragic history within it, is the Chehel Dokhtaran Well. According to the narratives of the region's inhabitants, the reason for naming this attraction Chehel Dokhtaran (Forty Maidens) is the suicide of forty maidens during the invasion of this region of our country. It is said that after the invaders attacked this region, the maidens, seeing the enemy forces behind them, chose death to preserve their honor and dignity and threw themselves one by one into the well. The Historical Complex of the Martyrs of Fahraj: This complex dates back to the 9th century AH and is located thirty kilometers northeast of Yazd city in Fahraj village. The complex consists of a tomb, a school, and a khanqah, and is registered as one of Iran's national heritage sites under registration number 2444, dated 1999/11/09. Three Important and Notable Innovations and Characteristics in Fahraj Village: Desert Lantern: In the past, merchants on their journeys through the Central Desert of Iran would go to Fahraj village to find resting places, which is why this village became known as the "Desert Lantern." In this village, there has historically been a building called "Gharib Khaneh" (stranger's house) intended for travelers' stays, which can be considered one of the earliest models of Iranian hospitality. The ecotourism accommodations in Fahraj have taken inspiration from these Gharib Khaneh. This village, like in the past, is a village friendly to strangers and tourists, and with its old texture, it has become a place for tourists to visit. Development of Agricultural Tourism: Fahraj village is an agricultural and greenhouse hub with 700 hectares of orchard products, 300 hectares of export-oriented vegetables, and 400 hectares of field crops, operating based on optimal productivity, water and solar energy consumption, and technology localization. The people of this village have transformed Fahraj into an agricultural tourism hub by utilizing these capacities. The fencing around farms and livestock breeding centers is in accordance with the architecture and texture. Agricultural tourism in the village relies on local employment and the participation of the village women. Development of Desert and Desert Tourism: The desert and barren lands are among the beauties of Fahraj village. The villagers, understanding these capacities, have undertaken the development of desert and barren land tourism. They have established two ecotourism parks focused on sustainable development and local community participation. These ecotourism parks are among Iran's modern models in the field of ecotourism development, and the villagers are active in this area. In these parks, tourist activities such as safari, camel riding, serving local food, stargazing, scientific and educational activities, camping, etc., are offered and are well-received by tourists. Fahraj on the Path to Being Listed Among the World Villages The fourth competition for selecting the World Tourism Villages is in 2024, and eight villages from Iran have been nominated: Esfahak, Palangan, Abyaneh, Fahraj, Qaleh Bala, Kandovan, Bisheh, and Meymand. Selection Process and Actions Taken: Based on the evaluations conducted by experts from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, according to the indicators of attraction, infrastructure, value chain, and village sustainability, Fahraj was selected with a national rank of two as one of the eight candidates in the 2024 World Tourism Villages project for introduction to the World Tourism Organization. So far, brainstorming sessions and problem-solving meetings have been held to facilitate the membership of Fahraj, a tourism target village, in the Global Network of Creative Villages. Furthermore, three special steering committees have been formed to complete the file for the global recognition of Fahraj (Pahra) as a tourism village, with the participation of provincial and village officials and evaluators from the central headquarters of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts. Emergency restoration of historical buildings, especially the historical castle, organization of village restrooms and tourist routes and paths, launching the village website, installing signs, establishing a bazaar and handicraft workshops, training local communities, producing clips and photos of the village's attractions and innovations, holding village events and festivals, especially in the field of agricultural tourism, and other related matters have been reviewed for prompt action. Special orders have been issued to remove obstacles on the path to Fahraj's global registration, so that through the efforts of all managers and responsible bodies and the removal of infrastructural obstacles, we may witness the registration of Fahraj as a World Village. Report by Najmeh Misagh, Public Relations Expert, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Yazd