The earliest known wind mills were constructed in Persia. These Persian wind mills were of the horizontal type with sails radiating from a vertical axis enclosed by building having an inlet and outlet for the wind. The vertical wind mill was fashioned on the Roman water mill and was first used in Europe in the twelfth century. Since that time various improvements have been made in the area of feathering, gearing, and governing. The use of wind mills has declined steadily with the development of the internal combustion engine and the efficient distribution of electrical power from all sources.

PERSIA 500 BC
The development of sail boats led directly to the development of the first recorded wind powered device in Persia (the Middle East). Sails were used to drive a mill stone for the grinding of grain. These were seen first in Persia, 500 BC. Some versions were also used to pump water for simple irrigation of agricultural land and for drinking water.

• The Persian windmills (see Persian Windmills, by Michael Harverson, 65 pages., Volume 10, Bibliotheca Molinologica, The International Molinological Society (T.I.M.S.), 1991, ISBN 92-9134-015-4)
• The Cambridge History of Iran. Edted by W.B. Fischer, Ilya Gershevitch, , Ehsan YarshsterPublished 1993,Cmbridge University Press (ISBN:052120092X)
• A Short History of Technology: From the Earliest Times to A.D. 1900, by T.K. Derry I. Williams,  Curier Dover Publication, 1993 (ISBN:0486274721 )