Iran's Mazichal Village: Paradise of Nature Lovers

The small village lacks modern facilities such as electricity, tapwater, asphalt roads or telephone, but offers a tranquil experience to visitors seeking an escape from the pollution and hubbub of city life, Historical Iran reported.

Estimates about the total number of families in Mazichal range from 50 to 120. Families residing in Mazichal, most of them farmers or cattle breeders, live in the village during summer and migrate in winter.

Mazichal gets its name due to the large number of chestnuts trees it contains. In local dialect, mazi means chestnuts and chal means valley.

Thus, the name Mazichal refers to the nature of the area, a valley peppered with chestnuts trees.

Mazichal is situated 2,600 meters above sea-level. Vehicles cannot maneuver easily on its roads, hence most visitors prefer to abandon their cars and walk to the village.

It takes an hour to reach Mazichal from Kelardasht through a beautiful forest, which includes trees such as chestnuts and oak.

As tourists approach the end of the forest’s path, the highlands of Mazichal appear. There is a barrier between the forest and Mazichal, possibly to prevent wild animals from entering the village.

In summer, the neighboring Abbasabad Village utilizes Mazichal for feeding its farm animals.

At such times, the sight of herds of sheep traveling the various dirt roads toward Mazichal is not uncommon.

The village attracts many eco-tourists throughout the year.

In the course of a day, the weather can change drastically from sunny to a downpour.

The unique characteristic of this village is that when it rains, Mazichal seems to be floating above the clouds.

The topography of the region and the presence of hills and mountains is such that when it rains, clouds will overtake the sky and ground as well, covering the village and its surrounding area.

While constantly morphing into different shapes, the proximity of the clouds gives one the impression that the village is floating in the sky, which is one of Mazichal’s main claims to fame.

Mazichal is home to many medicinal plants. Flowers cover a vast area of Mazichal’s hills and mountains during summer.

The annual festival in Mazichal attracts visitors flocking to view its landscape of flowers.

One of the most wonderful flowers growing in the northern parts of Iran, Liliaceae, grows in Mazichal and an annual festival hosts visitors flocking to view its flowering.

Liliaceae extends over a vast area and covers Mazichal’s hills and mountains during summer.

The region is also famous for its mineral waters. In addition to its natural beauty, Mazichal enjoys a rich history with cemeteries belonging to pre-Islamic era.

Source: Iran-Daily