Located in the heart of Iran plateau, the city of Yazd was close to the traditional Silk and Spice Roads. Residents of Yazd have been adapting themselves to live in this arid land for thousands of years. By employing indigenous techniques, qanat to draw underground water, Badgir or wind-catcher to cool their houses, people of Yazd have sustainably used their limited available natural resources to survive in the desert.

Yazd is also known as the city of wind-catchers. In the past, every house had wind-catcher and so, a forest of win-catchers could be seen above the roofs. Wind-catchers cooled the inside the houses via even small breezes. People of low income had small two-sided wind-catchers while affluents used to construct bigger four-to-eight-sided ones.

Dowlat Abad garden of Yazd has the world’s tallest wind-catcher reaching to some 40 meters with eight sides.

Yazd has also been hosting plenty of Ab Anbars. Ab Anbar is the oldest desert construction for reserving water. Some Ab Anbars were public and made in neighborhoods but some rich people had private Ab Anbars in their houses. Wind-catchers were constructed above some Ab Anbars to circulate air into the water reservoir and keep the water cool and fresh.

The old city of Yazd having kept its authenticity embraces many elements of Iranian urban design such as old houses, bazaar, water reservoir, and mosque. Each district is shaped in different eras in history. The district of Kushk-e Now is famous for its water reservoirs, hosayniya, and bazaar. The fame of Fahadan district is for its narrow and twisting alleys and authentic old houses. Lab-e Khandaq district is also known for its historical constructions such as bazaar Khan, hosayniya, caravanserai, Sa’at or Markar square in the vicinity of Jameh Mosque of Yazd, and its historic houses.  Ghale Kohneh, Sar-e Dorah, Chahar Menar, Mosallah, and Yaghoubi are among other historic districts of Yazd.

The historic districts of Yazd are fraught with religious elements. The city has long been one of the most religious towns in the country and a center for Zoroastrianism after the arrival of Islam. However, Islam became the dominant religion gradually, and the Islamic rituals in Yazd gained both national and international reputation. Amir Chakhmaq square and Shah Tahmasb hosayniya played central roles in Safavid and Zand dynasties. Nowadays, several sacred places of Muslims, Zoroastrians, and Jews have turned Yazd into a city of various regions, living in symbiotic peace for centuries.

Historic City of Yazd was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2017.

The post Historic City of Yazd appeared first on Persia Advisor.

The archaeological findings in Narin Qal’eh, Meybod city, referring to the Elamite Empire (2700- 539 B.C.) indicate that Yazd province was on the way from Ray city to Kerman and from Pars to Khorasan. Furthermore, it was one of the lands of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.).

In the aftermath of the advent of Islam in 651 A.D., the central regions of Iran fell to the hands of Muslims, and a group of Arab tribes settled in this area. Later, Yazd became a part of the Daylamite’s territory but when they were dethroned, Rokneddin Sam founded the Atabegs of Yazd as a local Dynasty (1141-1319) in the city.

During this period, many monuments and mansions were built which are still considered among the city’s most magnificent historical buildings. Timurid Dynasty (1370-1507) also expanded the city by valuable buildings. Although Yazd province was not raided following the invasion of the Afghan tribes to Iran, Ashraf Afghan took control of the region including this province. Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925) also contributed to the splendor of Yazd by numerous monuments that are still in place.

Because of the geographical status of Yazd province, various natural attractions including desert areas are of special interest to both domestic and inbound tourists.

However, what makes the province more attractive are architectural styles of its clay buildings, introducing it as the second-largest clay city in the world according to UNESCO.

Importantly, the overall historical part of Yazd has been registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while the province has other UNESCO-registered attractions i.e., Hasan Abad Qanat and Zarch Qanat, Dowlat Abad Garden, and Pahlavanpur Garden.

Other important attractions of this province are Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, Old Bazaar of Yazd, Historical Complex of Amir Chakhmaq, Yazd Jam-e Mosque, Chak Shrine, Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, Narin Qal’eh of Meybod, Hojat Abad  Vazir Historical Complex, Kharanagh Caravanserai and Mosque, Abarkooh Ice House, and Jameh Mosque of Fahraj.

The city also has special rituals like Nakhl Gardani, Sadeh, and Mehregan. Nakhl Gardani is the tradition of carrying a huge wooden cradle around the city to commemorate the tragic death of the third Shiite Imam, Imam Hussein, and his companions, in Muharam which is the first month of Islamic Calendar. The province is also known for hosting the largest population of Zoroastrians and their different events and rituals including Mehregan and Sadeh.

Of the Yazd’s handicrafts, we mention hand-made Termeh (handwoven fabric), curtain, carpet, velvet, Zari Douzi (a kind of brocade), saddlebag, handkerchief, woven mat, canvas, Boqcheh, and blanket.

The eatable souvenirs of the province include various traditional sweets, while some of the local foods are Shouli Shalgham, Zucchini Stew, Lappeh Kufteh, Vinegar Aush, Sour Meat Stew, and Quince-Plum Stew. Finally, Vahshi Bafghi (poet), Mohammad Karim Pirnia (architecture and historian), and Mohammad Hossein Paply Yazdi (geographer) are among the prominent figures of the province.

The post Yazd appeared first on Persia Advisor.