The Remarkable Story of Floating Sarmast: How One Man Kept His Promise to His Father
Floating Sarmast was born in Afghanistan, where his mother gave birth to him and his twin brother inside of a cave as the result of an emergency.
After his father died in the U.S., Sarmast made a promise to him that he would live the rest of his life in peace and tranquility—and to honor that promise, he decided to float across the world from Pakistan to California on an inflatable raft made from trash bags and duct tape.
This is the remarkable story of Sarmast’s journey across the Pacific Ocean and the story behind his decision to take this incredible journey.
Who is Sarmast?
Sarmast is an Iranian-born businessman who came to the United States as a child. He is the founder and CEO of Floating Island International, a company that designs and builds floating islands.
He is also the author of two books, The Floating Island Manifesto and The floating Island Papers.
Sarmast was born in Iran in 1979, just as the country was beginning to experience political turmoil.
When he was six years old, his family moved to the United States in search of a better life. They settled in Los Angeles, where Sarmast's father worked as a cab driver.
Sarmast attended college at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied civil engineering.
But it wasn't until later in life when he learned about architecture from one of his high school teachers that he realized his true passion.
In 2011, Sarmast founded Floating Island International with the goal of designing affordable housing for communities living on water-scarce coasts around the world.
The project has been successful so far; there are currently five floating island communities in development across Asia and Africa. Sarmast hopes that by 2050, everybody will live on water.
It's not only possible, he says. It's imperative. We have less than four years left before we run out of fresh water, he warns.
It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor. If you're living next to the ocean or next to a river, we'll be impacted.
In recent months, Sarmast has teamed up with 3D printing companies and architects in Hong Kong to build several prototypes in order to demonstrate how inexpensive housing could work using existing technologies.
He estimates that these sustainable floating structures can be built anywhere for $10 per square foot--a fraction of what it costs now.
We want this kind of tech more accessible, he said during his presentation at South by Southwest earlier this year. People should be able to do this.
I feel like I'm changing the world one design at a time. All I need is $100 million dollars in capital to get the ball rolling. So my friends, please invest! For as little as $100 billion, we can solve the issue of homelessness.
When and where did it happen?
In 2001, Afghan-Canadian businessman Ehsan Bayat founded the Afghan Wireless Communications Company (AWCC), which quickly became the country's leading mobile operator.
However, it was not easy going at first. The company faced many challenges, including a civil war, the Taliban regime, and a lack of infrastructure.
But Bayat persevered, and in 2006, he made a promise to his father that he would build a monument in Afghanistan that would symbolize hope and peace.
That monument became the Floating Tower, located on an island in the middle of Lake Hamouni in the central highlands region of Afghanistan.
Designed by architect Hassan Fathy and built using traditional techniques, this modern marvel cost $3 million to construct.
The tower stands 150 feet tall on a platform supported by 99 pillars. It is accessible by boat or via its 230 steps.
It has three stories with 18 rooms with terraces overlooking the lake. There are 180 windows looking out onto the mountains surrounding the lake.
A steel staircase leads up to a third story, where guests can sit on one of four benches around a fireplace, from which they can enjoy breathtaking views.
During construction, villagers were trained as skilled laborers and electricians so they could have jobs when finished.
And now people come from all over Afghanistan and abroad to visit this inspiring place; they swim in the cool waters of Lake Hamouni; they visit nearby petroglyphs dating back more than 2,000 years; they hunt for rubies; they hike through nature trails—and feel blessed once again.
The story behind the creation of floating tower truly embodies courage and perseverance. It’s a testament to how one man kept his promise to honor his father, who always told him that if he worked hard enough, nothing would stop him from achieving great things. Learn more about Mr. Bayat’s remarkable journey below:
When did it happen? - Third Paragraph: The Road To Success Started Early When Mr. Bayat was nine years old, two men came knocking on his door saying that there was an important message for his family waiting at their business office.
His mother didn't want her son to go because she feared what might happen since there had been some disturbances during recent demonstrations in Kabul; but thankfully she relented after Mr.
Bayat promised to walk the short distance from their home to the office. After Mr. Bayat arrived, he was given a briefcase full of cash and taken to a car that took him to his grandfather’s house.
His grandfather explained that the money was for Mr. Bayat, and that he should save it until he graduated from university and had a career. He asked Mr. Bayat never to use any of the money without telling his grandfather first.
What are the photos about?
The photos in this post are about the remarkable story of Floating Sarmast, a man who kept his promise to his father. In the early 1900s, Sardar Mohammad Yusuf Khan was living in Afghanistan with his family.
His father, Sardar Allaudin Khan, was a wealthy man who owned a successful carpet business. One day, Allaudin Khan took his son to see the newly built Taj Mahal in India. He told Yusuf that one day he would build a similar structure in Afghanistan.
After Allaudin Khan died, Yusuf promised his father that he would keep his promise and build a floating replica of the Taj Mahal in Kabul. As time went on, Yusuf realized that it would be difficult to complete the project on his own.
So he began teaching students at a technical college carpentry skills so they could help him construct the building.
With their help, by 1955 most of the exterior of the building had been completed when government officials demanded that it be torn down because they didn't want any symbols of colonialism visible from public view.
The students were given no choice but to comply with orders because they feared retribution if they didn't follow them.
They tried to salvage as much material as possible before the dismantling process started. Later, Yusuf sold some of his valuable carpets to finance construction on another site.
For years afterwards, he continued working on the replica Taj Mahal by himself until finally dying in 1978.
It wasn't until 2006 that the Afghan architect Waheed Qaderi decided to continue where Sarmast left off and finished constructing the Taj-e Badam.
Today, tourists can enjoy viewing this beautiful symbol of national pride located near Ghazi Stadium in Kabul city centercenter.
Stories from Iran (7 stories)
1. In the city of Shiraz, there is a man who goes by the name of Floating Sarmast.
2. For years, he has been telling people stories from his homeland, Iran.
3. Recently, he decided to start writing them down and share them with the world.
4. The first story is about a promise he made to his father before he passed away.
5. He promised that he would never forget his roots and would always keep his culture alive.
6. And so far, he has kept that promise by sharing his stories with others.
7. He hopes that through his stories, people will be able to see the beauty of Iran and its people despite all the negativity in the media today. 8. I am just one person, he says, but I can change the hearts of many.
9. His next story was about a woman named Nazli whose husband had lost his life after returning from battle as an army officer during WWII.
10. They didn't have any children together but she still felt like her husband was beside her each day because she took good care of their house and cared for him as if he were alive even though she knew it was an illusion at best.
11. She lived in peace until one night when she heard something outside her door while looking out the window.
12. When she opened the door, what she saw caused fear to run through her body and right into her heart.
13. There on the ground lay a bloody knife, evidence of violence that must have happened nearby just moments ago and now whoever committed this crime could be nearby waiting for another victim too.
14. At first, she thought about not opening the door again and locking herself inside but then realized that someone might need help and come knocking.
15. So she decided to go out, take a look around her yard, and then call the police.
16. With every step she took towards where the noise came from, she prayed to God that no one else would be hurt or killed while they waited for help to arrive
17. But then she found him--a young boy laying on the ground motionless with blood spilling out of his head
18. Without hesitation, she ran over to him to try and get him back up onto his feet but instead he got heavier and heavier with each passing second
19. With tears streaming down her face, she remembered how much time they had spent chatting with one another while washing dishes together
20. Now he wasn't going to wake up anymore
21. It's my fault, she cried
22. If only I had acted sooner
23. All of this pain is my fault
24. Just like my husband's death was also my fault
25. Why did it happen?
26. Why couldn't I save him?
27. This pain is unbearable
28. I'm a terrible wife
29.
30. Then she turned to the heavens and said, God, why? What have I done wrong?
31. As her tears dried, she heard a voice say, Nazli
32. Looking around her, she tried to find the owner of the voice but couldn't find anyone
33. Still unsure of what had just happened and fighting to regain control of her emotions, she started walking back home
34. As soon as she reached the front door and went inside, the phone rang
35. On the other end was her husband
36. He told her that he was okay
37-38-39-40-41-42 -43-44-45. He had just woken up from a dream he had of her crying and asked her what was wrong
46. Nazli couldn't hold back the tears this time as she thanked God for keeping him safe
47. She was relieved that her husband was alright but couldn't stop thinking about the boy who would never have a chance to live out his own dreamsdreams.