Bakhtiari Nomads have a whole lot of history with a fascinating lifestyle and culture. These lovely people are the kindest people you will ever meet in your life. They spread pleasant vibes all around them, and everything seems to be alive within their presence. Knowing more about the Bakhtiari culture and their way of life, makes you want to beam into their world and experience the peaceful and colorful feeling of living as a Bakhtiari nomad. There is so much to learn about Bakhtiari nomads in general, but here only some interesting facts about the Bakhtiari lifestyle and culture are mentioned about this group of Iranian nomads.
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The Bakhtiari tribe lives in towns and many villages in Chahar Mahal, the Faridan district down to Isfahan, and in Khuzistan down to Ahvaz. They speak a dialect of the Persian language that is called Lori, and they are also Shia Muslims like most of the country. Everyone that knows about the Bakhtiari nomads also knows how they have to change their home place from time to time. Spring is the season that the weather and the whole situation for migration are at their best. Therefore, they start their journey into the mountains in springtime. Despite the difficulties, seasonal migration is necessary for them because of the presence of cold and snow from October to April and the high temperature and dryness from May to September. Those of Bakhtiari people who continue the nomadic lifestyle are experiencing one of the most challenging but also delightful migratory traditions up to this time.
Despite the difficulties, seasonal migration is necessary for Bakhtiari nomads, because of the presence of cold and snow in winter and high temperatures in summer.
The lifestyle of Bakhtiari Nomads
Due to the Bakhtiari nomads’ seasonal migration, their habit of eating change as they travel. During the migration, they won’t be consuming as much meat as they would regularly do because eating meat while traveling will make them feel heavy that pursues stopping them from moving quickly. So instead, they use milk, yogurt, and dough as their source of nutrients during their migration. Both men and women have their hard-working days as time goes on. When men go out to start their farming and pasturing, women start baking tasty bread, milk the goats, bring in water, and other daily activities. You might have seen something that looks like a vast water-skin, swinging back and forth between the hands of the local Bakhtiari women. Mashk is what the water-skin is called in Persian. It is made out of cow or sheepskin, and the way it contains water so well is one of the reasons it’s still being used for this process. After the milk is poured into the Mashk, women start singing traditional songs, and that’s when the magic happens. They sing not only to make a happy atmosphere surround them but also to make the process more enjoyable for themselves and other people around them. Finally, when the butter floats up, the job is done, and that is how the delicious butter finds its way into Iranian foods all the time.
Butter making process by Bakhtiari women accompanying singing to make the process more enjoyable.
The main economic activities of the Bakhtiari people depend on their migration period. Bakhtiari nomads generally grow and feed sheep and goats. The majority of their income comes from selling lambs or their food like milk and milk products such as butter, and some raw materials such as wool and leather. They are also so talented in making handicrafts. The rugs that have been woven by the strong hands of little women in the Bakhtiari nomads are a valuable masterpiece that has gained lots of fans over time. The Bakhtiari nomads are also so keen on hunting and have so many traditions related to this particular activity. For instance, when youthful people reach a suitable age for marriage, young men have to go hunting while young ladies stay inside and prepare hunting clothes, butter, and bread for the men. But for each of these activities, there is a right time specified. Bakhtiari people that are famous for their kindness and bravery; respect the nature and environmental conditions of the central mountain range of Zagros and are doing their best to keep it that way.
Clothing
Bakhtiari clothing is another thing that makes them so special. The men wear simple and plain wool black hat, baggy trousers with a striped coat called Chogha. The women, on the other hand, wear beautiful skirts with such unique scarves which are so eye-catching that somehow they make you feel like you need to own one as well. The scarves are usually designed with stitching, coins, or silvery gold materials. The brilliant women could make nice clothes for themselves and a whole brand-new hat for the father of their family or their son. Although the style of clothing depends on the weather it doesn’t stop them from wearing colorful dresses while walking in the wind, awakening nature by their shinning clothes, giving life and colors to their world.
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