The village of Makhunik, located on the territory of Iran near the border with Afghanistan, can rightfully be called a settlement of midgets or gnomes. The thing is that the houses built here are no more than one and a half meters high. A hundred years ago, people lived in them, for whom such tiny houses were just the same.
Tiny houses in the village of Makhunik.
The ancient village of Makhunik has about two hundred houses, a third of which are very low buildings. You can now enter these doorways only by bending over, and inside the rooms you cannot stand up to your full height. Scientists believe that the local population was a tiny growth for several reasons: due to a poor diet, poor water consumption, as well as genetic disorders (often marriages were between close relatives).
Entrance to one of the old houses.
For centuries, the Makhunik settlement was completely isolated from civilization. Constant droughts nullified all attempts to engage in livestock raising, and one could not count on a rich crop from agriculture either. Turnip, barley, several types of fruit - that's the whole diet of local residents. In addition, geneticists believe that closely related relationships caused mutations, and they began to develop dwarfism.
The village was unremarkable to enemies.
Low rise buildings blend in with their surroundings.
There was another reason why the Lilliputians built such tiny houses. The people in this settlement did not have pets, which meant that they brought all the building materials by hand. In addition, small houses were easier to heat in the cold season, and buildings were less heated in summer. Yes, and for enemies, such houses were less noticeable.
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Makhunik is an Iranian village of gnomes.
In the middle of the twentieth century, civilization reached Makhunik. With the construction of roads, travelers began to come here, local residents for the first time tried food that was radically different from what they ate. In particular, they tried rice and chicken. With the change in the diet, it became clear that children grow stronger and taller than their parents, there was a chance to defeat dwarfism.
Now Makhunik is home to about 700 people. They moved to brick houses from old houses, but the way of life that their ancestors led, almost did not change. They are still trying in vain to engage in agriculture, the older generation lives on government subsidies, and young people try to leave to find work in nearby cities.
The village of Makhunik can become a tourist attraction, because the history of these Lilliputian people is unique. If this happens, then those who remain in the village will have a job of serving tourists.