Shahrnaz Village Co-op and Rural Development Company is a registered village Co-op established in April 2003. Currently, the Coop holds 165 shareholders and is located 30 kilometers from the city of Karaj which itself is 50 kilometers west of the Capital, Tehran. Village altitude is 1300 meters, the largest peak is 2500 meters. A creek which has water all year round begins at the main peak and is joined by a few side creeks of spring water that collectively fall into the Karaj Dam. The whole area is mountainous with an average slope of 40 degrees and has around 30 varieties of herbal plants including 30 acres of purgative manna forest.

Here we are meeting to discuss the possibility of ecotourism in protected areas, sponsored by Karaj
College of Environmental Studies.

Here are some of our projects:
To date, 1200 walnut trees have been planted in two rows along the new water pipeline.

A village park has been built on a 1200 square meter area with benches and children's play ground with slide and swings.



A building has been donated for the communication center with 256 fiber optic phone lines for the village.

In a collaborative effort with the Red Crescent Society, we have created a search & rescue facility to address emergency situations in our mountainous region.


A soccer field with sitting quarter for the onlookers has been built in the village and we have already had soccer teams from the neighboring villages over and some soccer matches have taken place in the village.

All projects have been envisioned and completed through the full participation of the Village Council and villagers.

Current Project: In collaboration with CAWIRAN, our facility will include a traditional bread shop, groceries and meat and also an internet café’, creating the foundations for long-term living and working conditions for villagers as a part of our aim to attract villagers who are now living unproductively on the outskirt of the cities.

Future Projects: Beautification of the area outside of the village and along the road; Sport and Tourism facilities with non-polluting equipment and techniques, for teaching championship level swimming to the young children of all 56 villages; Touba Project over 40 Hectars.

Contact: Managing Director: M. Soltani, BS Business Management – diran@parsonline.net