The Role of Traditional Houses in Mountainous and Hilly Villages in Rural Sustainable Development in Western Mazandaran (Tonekabon - Ramsar)

With regard to the increasing facilities of life such as land, sea, and air transportation vehicles, and an increase in people’s free time, income, and age, people, today, like to spend their time on touring and traveling more than any time in the past. Villages in Northern Iran were a destination for travelers. Rural houses are important elements of developing rural tourism. The main objective of present research is to study and investigate on mountainous and hilly villages located in Western Mazandaran because traditional houses enjoy an exclusively architectural buildings derived from villagers’ traditions and cultures followed by naturalistic characteristics of the region in question.
Regarding the main question, “What is the role of traditional houses in mountainous and hilly villages, as important elements of villages’ economic survival and cultural identity, in rural sustainable development in Western Mazandaran?” and the subjects and objectives of the research, the following hypotheses were proposed:-Rural tourism activities can promote villagers’ economy as a supplementary income.
-Using natural attractions and with various uses, traditional houses in mountainous and hilly villages can be influential in attracting tourists and developing tourism in the region in question.
-Tourism can decrease the rate of migration and stabilize population in the regions in question.
-Creating a tourism village can develop rural tourism in addition to preserving the traditional identity and culture of villages in the regions in question.
Descriptive-analytic method has been utilized in this research along with documentary, library and field studies. Tools such as tables, pictures, interviews, and questionnaires have also been utilized. The data collected are analyzed and concluded by test and SPSS software.
Findings and The area of question in this research is located in Western Mazandaran. This region is from 50 degrees and 35 minutes to 50 degrees and 45 minutes of eastern longitudes and from 36 degrees and 30 minutes to 36 degrees and 40 minutes of northern latitudes that includes the cities of Ramsar and Tonekabon.
The subject population of the study consists of families living in mountainous and hilly villages of Ramsar and Tonekabon, tourists, managers, and experts of organizations and institutions related to villages of the region. 20 villages (6 hilly and 14 mountainous) out of total 274 villages in the region were randomly chosen as sample population. Out of 1478 families in 20 villages, 307 families were chosen. Since there is no clear-cut figure of tourists, 384 samples were selected using Chokran formula and Morgan Table. Finally, Due to the limited number of managers and experts, all of them were chosen.
-The number of houses in the villages under study was 304. 89, 105, and 110 houses had 29 percent of Darvarchin, 35 percent of Zigameh, and 36 percent of new building materials, respectively. Thus, 64 percent of total houses in the study region was traditional.
-One of the basic differences between local and new houses lies in their function regarding their pattern change, reduction of areas under construction, change in village tissue, etc. The most important developments made in housing and the function changes followed by them include the type and pattern of houses, building materials, change in the size and cost of building houses.
-Studies and tests carried out on the variables among villagers and authorities all indicate that regarding the traditional economy of living in the region under study, tourism activities can act as a complementary source of income and promote economic abilities of villagers. Tourism has been able to activate other economic parts that resulted in job creation and economic development.
-Studies reveal that since tourists are strange people that travel to villages based on their curiosity to see natural landscapes and know the customs and traditions of the regions, rural social values, cultural and folkloric elements can affect the attraction of tourists. With regard to the functional quality and meeting the human needs, rural houses have been able to make tourists choose them for stays instead of other places such as hostels, inns, tents, etc.
-Survey conducted indicate that increase in the income resulted from selling land, controlled building constructions, house renting, and providing tourists with services and facilities have caused the villagers to buy house in cities and consider their village houses as the second dwelling places.
-Traditional houses, their method of architecture besides natural attractions and landscapes have gained tourists attentions. A lot number of tourists prefer traditional and new houses to hotels and inns for stays in villages. Therefore, creation of tourism village can cause rural tourism in addition to the preservation of traditional culture.
-Establishing an ecomusium ( tourism village) as a suitable place for introducing culture and preserving cultural values of villages of the region, participation of executive institutions in expanding tourism industry, creation of daily and weekly markets for villagers’ handicrafts and other rural products, revival and development of infrastructures and installations of tourism industry , educating village managers and planners, and attending to rural industry, and principles of environmentally sustainable development to reduce environmental crisis are among the strategies to achieve sustainable development of rural tourism.