This is the mysterious ruined town that Jonathan Swift was based on in Gulliver's Travels
The town of Majunik, in Iran and known as "Lilliput Village", has been extinct for years but the local architecture attracts more tourists every day
Near the border with Afghanistan, in the province of Khorasan (Iran) is a place that seems out of a story and not precisely because of the beauty of its landscape or its palatial buildings. The village of Majunik -or Makhunik- hides between the adobe and stone walls of its houses the enigma of its inhabitants. Known as "Lilliput Village" , in honor of Jonathan Swift, in this remote corner is a village - of about two hundred houses - where, until a century ago, its inhabitants were characterized by their short stature.
It has been the characteristics of the architecture of the small town that have made Majunik a world-renowned destination. The buildings are characterized by their low height with narrow entrances where it is not possible to enter without stooping. Specifically, it would be between seventy and eighty houses with a height of less than two meters, with ceilings that only reach 140 centimeters.
Inhabitants of one meter
Although nowadays the population of dwarfs hardly exists, for years the inhabitants maintained their short stature, -around one meter in height-, due to factors related, above all, to food. The lack of protein and vitamins in the daily diet and the mercury residues in the drinking water coupled with consanguineous marriages contributed to creating a population of dwarfs.
The town welcomes about 8,000 national travelers and a few hundred foreign tourists per year, according to data from the Organization for Cultural Heritage, Crafts and Tourism. However, some experts believe that the unique architecture of the village and its historical background are still untapped potential for tourism. The restoration of walls and internal spaces, the reinforcement of foundations and ceilings and the modification of water channels are among the rehabilitation plans.
