Cultural Landscape of Nayband Village

Nayband is a historical village in South Khorasan, which is located on the western edge of the desert. The adjacency of the village to the caravan route, its strategic position, and the existence of water resources and fertile lands have led to the formation of its texture. The harsh climatic conditions of the region and the existence of miscreants and bandits in the historical periods, while caused the establishment of castles and watchtowers, have given a tangled and compact structure to the region. The present study aims to identify the structure of the cultural landscape of Nayband, and its architectural patterns and housing typology. Moreover, the paper is concerned with the historical texts and travelogues that are about the village to analyze its physical structure and answer the following questions: What period does the history of living in the village go back to? In what evolutionary process did Nayband go through its formation process and why does the texture of the village have a compact structure, such as impenetrable castles? And what are the shaping paradigms of Nayband cultural landscape?
The method of the present research is historical and desk studies, with an analytical-interpretive approach. It is concerned with the case study in the texture of the village and tries to identify the cultural paradigms that formed the landscape of Nayband through field studies and documentation of physical and nonphysical factors and comparing them. The results show that the composition of the natural factors including high mountains, green valleys and water springs, which are in contrast with the arid lands of the region, have created a unique ecosystem in this village. In addition to this, the artificial and man-made elements including agricultural landscapes (farms, citrus orchards and groves on the outskirts of the village), architectural works (handmade areas, castles, defense towers, unique residential patterns, passages and shelters) and special cultural and social structures have created an intertwined cultural and natural structure in the village. This is intertwined with a rich history of pre-Islamic times, biological customs, living traditions, historical and continuous land use with horticultural and agricultural patterns, extensive architectural structures and a special visual view of the Lut Desert. The village of Nayband is a valuable example of organic cultural landscapes and has constantly changed the desert settlements of the country.