Mesr village, A Heavenly Island
The name "Mesr" or Egypt in English for many of our listeners is a reminder of the historical land in North Africa, through which the Nile River flows, and where the famous pyramids are situated.
But, it is interesting to know that beside Iran's central desert, in the vicinity of the city of Naain; there is a village bearing this same name. This village and its nearby farms are like a heavenly island, surrounded by rolling sand. Mesr village is located in Isfahan Province, accommodating 44 families.
Because Mesr Village is located south of Iran's desert, it has a warm and dry climate. The residents of this village make a living by farming and animal husbandry. This village is well-known for its orchard products in this desert region. The most important products of this village are namely wheat, dates, pomegranate, saffron, vegetables, and garlic. This village is located with two other villages named Amirabad and Farahzad on a north-south axis with a length of almost six kilometers. There are only a limited number of families residing in Farahzad village; while Amirabad is an agricultural hub for the residents of Mesr Village and a reminder of Iran's orchards. Amirabad consists of farmlands with a fresh water well; each drop of which is highly precious in the desert. Amirabad Village is located two kilometers from Mesr Village. It has sandy hills and a reach flora, consisting of tamarisks and beautiful palm trees, which have created a pretty and exclusive landscape. Presence in Amirabad Village and a glance at its development, agriculture and animal husbandry makes you forget that you are at the heart of the desert. Such greenery goes to show the hard efforts of the residents of Mesr Village in this desert region.
Amirabad farmlands are located in the vicinity of Mesr Village. In contrast to Iran's other villages, Mesr Village does not have narrow, and tortuous roads. Upon entry to Mesr Village, you see a wide street that is surrounded by houses, while the village's freshwater aqua-duct passes it in the middle. The water source of this village is provided from a deep well that is situated 25 kilometers from this village. The water of this well is guided to this village through an aqua-duct. The architecture of the rural houses in this village is in line with the desert's nature. This classic and traditional Iranian architecture makes it possible for the residents to bear dry summers of the desert without the use of cooling electrical devices.
The mud-and-straw buildings with light colors, and windbreaks -used to lower the house's internal temperature-are very pretty.
The tourist attraction sites in the vicinity of this village include Salkenoun Chaal, Mesr's cane field, Salkenoun salt lake, Takhteh Abbasi, Takhteh Arrous, and the rolling sands in the vicinity of this village. Mesr Cane Field is situated six kilometers east of the village and has come to existence due to water currents coming from a beautiful spring. This cane field has long reeks and bamboos; the height of some which extends to four meters. The spring of this cane field is the watering trough for the region's animals. Mesr cane field is an appropriate location for photographing the desert's wildlife. This cane field is surrounded by rolling sands, creating exclusive scenery.
Salkenoun Chaal is located north of this village. Chaals are regions that have a lower altitude in comparison to their surroundings and are in the form of a cavity. Salkenoun Chaal is a beautiful cavity that is surrounded by sand hills, creating a pretty landscape. A small swamp exists in the inner side of this cavity. The cavity's walls are covered with fine stones, and are mildly sloped.
Mesr village and its surroundings are tourist attraction sites for the desert-lovers in this region. Numerous Iranian and foreign tourists that travel to this region of Iran's desert spend one or two days in this village and its vicinity, benefiting from the hospitality of the kind and warm residents of Mesr Village.
In addition to tourist attraction sites we talked about, the deserts' nights attract people more than anything else. The desert sky is filled with glittering stars that enchant every viewer. Those, who are interested in observation of the sky and identification of the stars can hugely benefit from this location, realizing the grandeur of the creation. The camel herds and camel riding between Mesr Village's sand hills add to the interesting aspects of the desert.
In the villages of Mesr and Farahzad, two pretty houses welcome desert-lovers. For overnight residence in this village, one can use a rural house, which has four rooms and a large balcony. In Farahzad Village, there is a guest house. This guest house includes a bathroom, has warm running water, rest room, and a kitchen. The meals are also provided by the house owner based on tourists' demands.
The travelers that visit this region make use of fresh dried whey, grenadine, date syrup, and camel's milk as the souvenirs of this exclusive village.
Source: irib.ir
Other links:
Bridges of Isfahan
Esfahan or Half the world
