A Look at the Final Efforts of Shaneh Tarash Village to Preserve Its Historic Urban Fabric

According to Saed News tourism service, Shaneh Tarash is a village located in the Dohezar region of Tonekabon. It is the last village along the mountainous Dohezar rural route. To reach it, visitors must travel about 40 kilometers from Tonekabon, a journey of roughly 50 minutes.

Tourists who have never visited this area may still find it worthwhile, as the remaining few old and beautiful houses in the village are gradually disappearing. Visiting now may offer one of the last opportunities to capture images of these traditional homes before they are gone.

Construction activity in the village is extensive, possibly due to significant funding allocated for renovation. These funds were reportedly provided because the village is the birthplace of a national official. However, the budget has been used for rebuilding rather than preserving or restoring the remaining historical homes.

Despite this, the village entrance remains visually appealing. First-time visitors often expect to see an entirely traditional settlement made up of wooden, mud-brick houses with sloped roofs. In reality, only a few such homes remain at the beginning of the village, and they are uninhabited. Their owners are reportedly demolishing them to replace them with modern apartment buildings, as is happening elsewhere in the village.

The wave of apartment construction has reached even this remote mountain village, replacing traditional architecture with modern facades. Buildings are rising higher and higher, prompting protests from residents. As a result, a restriction has been introduced limiting construction to two floors, although this decision appears to have come too late, as the drive for further development continues.

At the end of the mountain road, a museum has been built in the style of the village’s traditional houses. Inside, elderly residents sit and observe visiting tourists, occasionally engaging in conversation. They themselves have become part of the attraction, explaining the origin of the village’s name, its past culture, and how people once lived during heavy snow and rainfall.

Shaneh Tarash enjoys a pleasant climate, and many residents take advantage of tourist visits to earn income. They sell local foods, handmade dolls, traditional washcloths, fresh herbs, as well as homemade jams and pickles at their doorsteps.

Former Mazandaran governor Hosseinipour had previously visited the village, stating that local cultural traditions in Mazandaran villages should be revived to prevent non-local cultural influence. Other governors have also visited, as the village has been recognized as an ecotourism pilot site. However, none have clearly explained how it can remain an ecotourism model while traditional homes continue to be replaced by modern construction.