MAKHUNIK, IRAN — Residents of the village of Makhunik in South Khorasan, Iran say their history dates back thousands of years. Up until a century ago, most of its residents were less than a metre tall. The village has 200 houses, home to around 700 people. Most residents are now of average height, but the village's old clay-brick houses, made to accommodate residents of a different era, have doorways only 50–70 centimeters tall. Some locals attribute the shorter stature Makhunik residents have been famed for to lives of hardship. "There was drought here, there was no water. The people here were so hungry, we had a very hard life. There was no source of income, and people couldn't afford to build homes for themselves. We had to eat herbs and leaves, we had nothing to eat. We became little people because of hunger and thirst. We had no way of getting to the big cities," villager Haji Hassan said. Other residents trace their origins – and height differences – to two main tribes. "Makhunik had two tribes," villager Mohammed Mazdur said. "One was our tribe called Ali Bilali; they were tall. The other was the Qala Mohammed tribe of little people." Makhunik is located 35 kilometers from the Afghan border. Residents say they are of Afghan origin. Some speak Dari Persian, Afghanistan's most widely spoken language. Paved roads and electricity were brought to the village in recent years, changing residents' lives. "After our road was paved, the men were able to go to the cities and work, to earn money," Haji Hassan said. "The men go to the cities of Birjand and Tehran to work." Residents say their living standards, including their diet, have since improved. "The Makhunik children, those who eat better, are taller," villager Ismael Ghullami said. "It's said that in ancient times, the only thing to eat was turnip." Makhunik still lacks a sanitation system, so women have to collect water from nearby springs. People here are Muslims, both Sunni and Shiite. They say they live in peaceful coexistence. "We live as brothers, there is no difference," Haji Hassan said. "We often pray at their Husseiniyas [Shiite site of worship], and they pray in our mosques." Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed
