Yazd city. Open the left menu yazd. A brief excursion into history

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• Airfare within Iran is relatively low, and airports are available in almost all Iranian cities. Iranian trains are comfortable, but railways there are relatively few in the country and tickets must be booked as early as possible. But the whole country is enmeshed in a network of bus routes. Intercity bus fares are ridiculous, but the service is good and the schedule is usually respected as well.
  Finally, you can simply rent a car with a chauffeur for a few hours, or even days - here the cost of services will depend solely on your bargaining ability.

  Within the cities, public transport is not developed (although a very modern and convenient metro awaits you in Tehran). It is best for a foreigner to stop a taxi on the street (every third car acts as a taxi, sometimes without any identification marks) and say the word "darbast" - in this case, the driver will not pick up other passengers on the way and will take you exactly to your destination ... "Darbast" will cost more than a regular taxi (as much as 4 - 5 USD). If you want to save money, catch your car by the side of the road, shouting the final destination (or rather, the nearest square or street) through the window of passing cars. A taxi, which is accessed by 4 passengers at once, in this case plays the role of a minibus, following to a certain point and dropping people off as needed.

  Gregory

  Is it necessary to book tickets for intercity buses in advance? Or it can be solved simply and quickly on the spot (not in Novruz, of course)

  I want to add. In the metro (in Tehran) there is a division by carriages, separately for men and women. It is not hard to see where the people gather. And by taxi. Sometimes Iranian taxi drivers do not know the area where you want to go. It is better to print the address at the hotel and ask the manager to translate it into Farsi. Then the driver can easily find the road and place. And there he will ask the locals ... funny we once circled around Ekbatan ... 🙂

  Yes, you are right. When a whole family (a young husband and wife, two children and an elderly woman) entered our "male" carriage, no one paid much attention. It's a matter of everyday life ... 🙂 And by the way, the prices for travel in the metro are very low.

  Tehran has a very convenient high-speed bus system (BiArTi). Moving along specially designated lanes, they rush past cars in traffic jams. It is very convenient, sometimes much faster than taking a taxi. Fast like a metro, but you can admire Tehran (such a multifaceted !) out of the window. True, during rush hours on some routes BiArTi are overcrowded.

  Gregory

  Explain the situation, whether there are direct buses Kashan-Hamedan and Isfahan-Hamedan. I would like to add a view of Hamedan and Ali Sadr caves to the standard line of the Tehran-Kashan-Isfahan-Yazd-Shiraz route. Maybe something else to include at the same time. It is not clear how to do this in the best way. Do not offer a taxi.

  George

  is it realistic to buy a plane ticket from Tehran to Isfahan and vice versa on the day of departure or in a day?

  Nikolay

  Good afternoon, I am interested in the question. I am planning a trip to Armenia in the summer, I would also like to visit the legendary Tabriz and spend a few days on it. Is it possible to cross the border in Meghri on foot and take some transport to Tabriz? Spend a few days in Tabriz and, having bought a bus ticket at the bus station, leave for Yerevan. How is the bus connection with Yerevan carried out, how often do the buses run and how much can they cost? Thank you in advance

  Good day!
  Can I see the bus timetable in Iran? We plan to move along the route Tehran-Isfahan, Isfahan-Shiraz, Shiraz-Yazd, Yazd-Tehran.
  In addition, I am interested in information about the fare payment system in public transport in Tehran, as well as public transport that can be used to get from the airport to the city at night.
  Thanks in advance for your reply.

  Alexander

  Hello! Can you please tell me if the current cost of tickets from Tabriz to Yerevan is known?

  We are going to visit Iran, there are two options for flights, taking into account that we want to fly there without luggage, and back, probably, with luggage.

  1. Moscow - Tehran, Tehran - Moscow. Disadvantages: additional money is taken for luggage, and quite significant; flights with long connections, if you do not take into account Aeroflot flights, the cost of which is very high. Pros: everything is simple and straightforward.
  2. Moscow - Tehran, Yerevan - Moscow. Pros: Aeroflot flies from Yerevan, and the flights are cheap, baggage is allowed. In general, tickets are much cheaper than in option 1. On the way, you can visit Tabriz. Cons: additional time to travel to Tabriz and Yerevan (and there is not as much of it as we would like), it is not clear how much the bus to Yerevan costs. If the same AMD 25,000 per person, then the economic meaning of departure from Yerevan is lost (although it remains aesthetic, although I am not sure that there will still be strength after Iran =)).

  Catherine

  Good day.
  Please tell me if there are buses (and how often) from Tehran to Rasht
  And from Rasht to Tabriz?
  And the planes. Is there a direct plane Tabriz-Shiraz, and if so, on what days approximately?
  Thank you in advance

  Maksim

  Hello!
  Please tell me about the Kashan-Tehran buses,
  Kashan-Yazd, Shiraz-Isfahan. Schedule and travel time.

  Tatiana

  Can't you suggest private transport companies in Tehran that provide a bus with driver to transport a group of 15 people for a few days?

  Good day! I arrive in Tehran without a return ticket. I plan to leave Iran by bus Tabriz-Yerevan. How can I provide proof at the airport that I am leaving Iran via a third country. Is it possible to buy a ticket online?

  Good evening. We plan to travel across Iran by buses: Tehran-Isfahan-Yazd-Shiraz. But I would like to return to Tehran by plane to save time. Tell me where to get information from which stations to leave, where to see the flight schedule, and to book, if possible. thanks

  Thanks. I am interested in a specific date: I will need 2 tickets from Shiraz to Tehran for November 1, 2018, preferably in the afternoon or evening. Since the return ticket is for November 2, 6 am, I think it is better to return to Tehran on the eve. Specify how you can book tickets to fly with a 100% guarantee on November 1? For buses, I think it is not worth booking in advance, it will already be possible to buy on the spot. Thank you, I'm waiting for information from you.

Happiness is to the one who wishes happiness to others. (Zarathustra)

Zoroastrianism. Sights of Yazd: Towers of Silence in Yazd, Temple of Fire Ateshkadeh in Yazd, Temple of Fire Chak Chak (Pire-Sabz).

Strictly speaking, the main historical centers zoroastrianism there are two in Iran - Yazd and Kerman. Although the largest Zoroastrian community is in Tehran in terms of numbers, which is natural, since Tehran is the largest metropolis in Iran, and people are slowly migrating there. But Yazd is the second city in terms of the number of Zoroastrians, and probably the first in terms of percentage - it is believed that there are about 5% of them in Yazd. And it is Yazd that is the generally recognized spiritual center of Zoroastrianism.

In general, there are not so many Zoroastrians left in Iran - according to various estimates, from 27 to 50 thousand. Therefore, the estimate of 5% for Yazd, with its 505,000 population, appears to be overstated.

It is not known if Zarathustra(he is Zoroaster- in Greek transcription), the prophet of Zoroastrianism, a real person, or mythical. It is also not reliably determined when exactly this religion arose, but the Zoroastrian tradition calls 1738 BC. e., and scientists are inclined to approximately the period 1000 - 754 BC. Prior to this time, the Iranians supposedly professed Vedism- the initial form of Hinduism, or sabeism- worship of the stars.

At first, the new religion "did not go" - Zarathustra in the first 10 years of preaching was able to convert only his cousin. But then luck smiled at him - Zarathustra managed to interest the king Kavi Vishtasp with her ideas, after which the process went quite briskly.

Zoroastrianism is, in fact, the modern name of this religion, formed on behalf of its prophet, Zarathustra. Previously, the name “ mazdeism"Originating from the name of God - the creator, Ahura Mazda... The Zoroastrians themselves call their religion "mazdayasna" - "veneration of Mazda", or "wahvi-daena" - "good worldview", and they call themselves "behdin" - "the faithful."

The God of the Zoroastrians is also one - this is Ahura Mazda, the "Wise God", the ideal creator of all things (also known as Ormuzd). Nevertheless, in addition to Ahura Mazda, there are also Ameshaspena - his six divine creations, each of which represents one of the stages of spiritual development and patronizes the corresponding earthly creatures of the Wise God - people, animals, fire, metals, earth, plants and water.

All the main principles of religion are encoded in faravahare- the symbol of zoroastrianism.

Faravahar at the Ateshkadeh fire temple in Yazd

The winged solar disk itself was also depicted by the Egyptians and Assyrians above the royal persons to indicate their glory. But the Zoroastrians have complicated the symbol by introducing their own concepts into it. I must say that there are quite a few interpretations of the symbols embedded in the Faravahar.

A bearded man - wisdom, experience, striving for perfection and independence, allowing to distinguish good from evil, given by Ahura Mazda to people; a raised hand points to heaven, recalling obligations to God;

The ring that the person holds - the "ring of the contract" - a reminder of the obligation to always keep promises (an option is a ring of reincarnations of the soul; however, the theme of reincarnations in Zoroastrianism does not have a special development - the soul enters the body when it is still in the womb and leaves it after death, going to heaven (the House of Songs) or to hell; the fate of a person is determined by the struggle between good and evil, the concept of the “wheel of Samsara” - a series of soul rebirths in new material forms - is not in Zoroastrianism);

The disc in the middle of the image is eternity, a reminder of the cycle of the life path, which must be pious, so that after death the soul will forever find paradise;

Five rows of feathers on the wings (in the photo, however, there are three rows, not five) - the number of Ghats - hymns-prayers to God (option - stages of the soul's advance to God);

Two "legs" / ribbons - the paths of good and evil;

The tail is a rudder that guides towards good or evil;

Three rows of feathers on the tail are a triad of Zoroastrian religious ethics: "good thoughts, good words, good deeds."

Historians, meanwhile, believe that these interpretations of the symbolism of the Faravahar arose in the popular environment in a relatively recent period, and have nothing to do with historical accuracy. For them, this is only a designation of the royal glory and power given by God, as well as the best part of the human soul, belonging to God, and leading a person to him, a type of guardian angels.

Angra Mainyu (Ahriman)- the evil opposite of Ahura Mazda, seeking to spoil his creations. Life is an eternal struggle of goodness and harmony (which is represented by Asha, one of those created by Ahura Mazda Ameshaspent) with evil - Druj. Accordingly, the believing Zoroastrian is obliged to contribute in every possible way to the victory of good, doing it to the best of his ability. And one day the final battle will take place, in which Ahura Mazda will win. The souls of the dead from heaven and hell will again be called to judgment and will pass through a stream of molten metal, which will be pleasing to the righteous, and in which sinners will burn, after which an era of general prosperity will come.

Zoroastrians have complex funerary traditions. The body of the deceased is defiled by death. Only gravediggers can touch it - nassalars, whose profession was inherited, and imposed serious restrictions on them. The dwellings of the Nassalars stood on the outskirts, they had to live separately even from the members of their own family, to warn of their appearance by ringing special bells.

Since for the Zoroastrians earth, water, fire and plants are sacred, a serious problem arose with the disposal of bodies. You cannot bury or burn - it will desecrate the earth or fire. A peculiar solution was found. Special burial structures were built - Astodans (Towers of Silence), lined with stone from the inside, excluding the contact of dead flesh with the ground, with round roof-platforms, surrounded by high clay walls.

The Nassalar carried the bodies on stretchers. The relatives accompanied the procession at some distance. Only the Nassalars were allowed to climb the Towers of Silence.

The description of the burial process looks eerie. On the inner roof-platform of the towers, the bodies were seated or laid, after which they were left to be torn apart by scavengers. The stomachs of vultures contain a certain enzyme that kills decomposition products, which contributed to the decontamination of decomposing corpses. High walls protected from the possible scattering of pieces of flesh (and, accordingly, the desecration of the earth) by beasts. There was a well in the center of the site. The circle closest to the well was intended for children's bodies. Medium - for women, long distance - for men. The platform had a slight inclination towards the center and troughs through which blood flowed into the well. When the bodies were gnawed to the bone, the sun-dried remains were crushed, thrown through a well into a bone storage and covered with lime. When the tower was full, a new one was built.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many Zoroastrians began to consider the traditional burial ceremony obsolete. The cities have come close to the Towers of Silence, the number of vultures has significantly decreased. In addition, in 1851, the first university, Dar ul-Funun, was opened in Tehran. Medical students faced a problem: Islam forbade the unnecessary opening of Muslim bodies, which made it difficult to study. For educational purposes, bodies began to be kidnapped from the Towers of Silence. As a result, Tehran Zoroastrians organized a new cemetery 10 km from Tehran, where they began to bury the dead in graves lined with stone and reinforced with concrete boxes that exclude contact of flesh with earth.

The more conservative Zoroastrian communities of Yazd and Kerman continued the traditional practice until the 1970s, when it was finally prohibited by law.

Indian Zoroastrians - Parsis (Persians who left for India at the beginning of the 18th century from the persecution of Muslims) continue to bury their dead in the Towers of Silence. For the Parsis, they seem to be a little more complicated - the remains thrown into the ossuary, after their gradual crushing, are washed out by rainwater through special charcoal filters into wells and further into the sea (in Mumbai). The Parsis have their own problems - the cities have also approached the towers, but so far this is being solved by the fact that in India the Towers of Silence are traditionally surrounded by protective belts of trees and bushes. The main problem is the catastrophic decrease in the number of scavengers by 99.9% as a result of the use of diclofenac in India in the 90s of the XX century, an anti-inflammatory drug for livestock, banned only in 2006. The Parsis are now trying to breed scavengers, but for now they are trying to dispose of the bodies, increasing the effect of solar energy on them, installing special mirrors.

In the morning Fereshte drove into the hotel to pick me up and we went to the Towers of Silence on the outskirts of Yazd. There are two of them in Yazd. Both are near.

At the foot of the towers is a well and a building where the funeral procession could stop and say goodbye to the deceased before his body is lifted into the tower.

At the foot of the towers of silence

Well with wind towers - badgirs for cooling water

The climb to the right tower doesn't seem too steep

The tower offers a beautiful view of Yazd.

The inside of the Tower of Silence looks somewhat deserted. A round platform where the bodies were laid out to be eaten by vultures. In the middle is a buried well, where crushed bones, dried up by the sun, were thrown.

A little creepy. Although, it would seem, what's the difference? The cemetery is the cemetery. Nobody was killed here.

Yazd, Tower of Silence, filled well

It was hot. It seems that the height is also small, and it was not so difficult to climb, but Fereshta felt unwell, and we agreed that she would return to the car. Sina will come for her, they will wait for me, then together we will take her home, and Sina will continue the excursion.

And I, meanwhile, climbed to the next tower, where excursions do not lead.

The tower of silence, to which tourists are not taken

Climbing the second tower from the side of the complex of buildings at its foot is not very convenient, but it is not particularly difficult to climb. Only closer to the top I had to climb over the walls - the passage is blocked by stones.

But the entrance to the tower itself is open.

The second tower offers even more picturesque views.

Tower of Silence, view of Yazd

Sina and Fereshte return to the car

Inside the second Tower of Silence.

From the second tower, the first one is in full view.

I went down the path - it's longer, but more comfortable.

Fire, being sacred to the Zoroastrians, has an important ritual significance, being one of the symbols of the piety of Ahura Mazda and the harmony and goodness of Asha. Zoroastrians believe that there are a large number of different types of fire: heavenly fire, fire from wood, fire of life in man and animals, home fires of various representatives of the community - merchants, peasants, artisans, military men, priests, etc.

In reverence for Ahura Mazda, temples of fire began to be erected over time, which were small modest clay rooms with thick walls, plastered from the inside, with a dome resting on four columns and an altar with a brass bowl with an eternal fire in the recess of one of the walls, hidden from the worshipers by a partition. Windows, as a rule, were absent, since nothing should touch the sacred fire, even the no less sacred sunlight, there was only an opening in the dome for ventilation. The priests performed sacred acts with fire, wearing special clothes, a hat, gloves, a bandage covering the mouth, so as not to defile it either by touch or breath.

It is believed that the largest number of such temples of fire were built under the Sassanids, who actively promoted the religion to strengthen their power at the end of the third century. Archaeologists, however, managed to find on the territory of Media a much more ancient temple of fire, dating back to the 7th century BC, in which fire from the main closed hall could be transferred to a flat roof for public viewing. It seems that in the village of Abyani, the temple is just of this type,

The fires also varied in the degree of holiness. The main fire, Atash Bahram (Victorious), was gradually assembled from 16 different types of fires - from houses representing all social strata of the Zoroastrian community, and the main one, lit by a lightning strike into a tree, which could wait for years. From Bahram, they lit the fires of city temples, from city fires - rural, from rural - home fires (and many in the houses had separate rooms with a sacred fire burning in them).

The next fire in the hierarchy is Atash Adaran, collected from 4 types of fires from representatives of four estates - priests, employees (military and officials), peasants (farmers and cattle breeders) and urban hard workers - artisans and workers. The procedure for its creation took 2-3 weeks.

Each type of fire can only burn in a temple corresponding to it in the hierarchy. Atash Bahram only in the main temples, with a separate room for fire, where only the highest representatives of the Zoroastrian clergy can enter. Atash Adaran - in the Houses of Fire (Ateshkadeh), where he can be served by simpler priests - mobs.

Once lit, the sacred fire should never go out, for this will mean the victory of the forces of darkness. The burning is supported by special priests, placing pieces of almond, apricot and sandalwood. Each fire required, over time, a special procedure for renewal and purification. Each king was entitled to his own fire as one of the status symbols.

After the defeat of the Sassanid empire by the Arabs in 651, the Zaostrians had a rather difficult time in Islamized Persia. At the beginning of the 8th century, a significant part of them went to India, where they were received favorably. In India, the Zoroastrians settled in rather isolated communities, mainly in Bombay, becoming known as the Parsis. Thanks to the favorable environment, the number of Zaostrians-Parsis is now estimated at about 100,000, which is 2-4 times more than the followers of this faith in its homeland, Iran. The Parsis are superior to the average Hindus in terms of education and wealth. Despite their relatively small numbers, they made a great contribution to the history of India: it was the Parsis who founded the first political party in India, a public hospital, a printing press and a newspaper, a university and a stock exchange.

Another heyday of Zoroastrianism in Iran came in 1925-1941, the era of the power of Reza Shah Pahlavi, who staked on the popularization of the ancient religion to strengthen his power, promote secular reforms, and weaken the authority of Islamic imams. Zoroastrians received equal rights with Muslims, Shiite symbolism was deliberately supplanted by Zoroastrian symbolism, the study of pre-Islamic history of Persia was welcomed, the teachings and philosophy of Zoroastrianism began to be taught at the university - Zoroastrianism became fashionable. Ties were strengthened with the Indian Parsis, who rendered serious assistance to their brothers in the faith.

So, it was with the funds of the Parsis that in 1934 was built Ateshkadeh fire temple in Yazd... Strictly speaking, as I wrote above, Ateshkadeh is not so much the proper name of the temple as its type - “House of Fire”, a kind of temple in which the fire of the second level burns, Atash Adaran, collected from 4 other fires. Ateshkadeh looks modest, as befits a fire temple. In front of the temple there is a small clean courtyard with a pool and a garden.

Coins are traditionally thrown into the pool

A bowl with a fire, continuously burning since 467, and brought to Yazd from Erdekan, the second largest city of the ostan (province) of Yazd, is separated from visitors by thick glass (so as not to be defiled inadvertently). The interior is unpretentious: a painting depicting Zarathustra and several explanatory texts regarding the temple itself, as well as the values ​​and symbols of Zoroastrianism.

Unpretentious interior of the Ateshkadeh fire temple

The sacred fire of the Ateshkadeh temple, hidden behind a protective glass (to prevent desecration)

Text explaining the symbolism of the Faravahar

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Muslims used to contemptuously call the Zoroastrians “gebras” (infidels) and “fire worshipers” (alluding, again, to their alleged paganism), that the Zoroastrians are terribly offended - they do not worship fire, fire is only a symbol of Ahura Mazda, the one God , as well as for the cross - a symbol of Christianity, and the crescent - Islam.

A text explaining that the Zoroastrians do not worship fire, but worship Ahura Mazda, whose symbol is fire, and tells the long history of the life of the fire of the temple.

Near the temple there is a small museum telling about the life of the Zoroastrian community.

Museum of the Zoroastrian Community

The position of women in Zoroastrian society was more free than in Muslim. She had significantly more rights, theoretically a woman could even become a priest - mobed... There were a number of restrictions, however, of course. So, during menstruation, a woman was considered unclean, and should not have been near loved ones until it was over and the ritual of purification was performed. The Zoroastrian women did not cover their faces (although in Kerman, when entering the people, they preferred to follow Islamic customs so as not to run into trouble; in Yazd they did not bother with this).

This is not visible in the photo, under the outerwear for the Zoroastrian (both men and women) must be worn cedre- a white (also a symbol of Ahura Mazda's purity) underwear, sewn in a special way from one single piece of fabric (usually cotton; there is a list of allowed fabrics) with 9 seams, which, in turn, symbolize 9 human elements - life itself, appearance, body , bones, strength, breath, consciousness, soul and faravashi - a personal guardian spirit. Tied on the cedra koshty- a white woolen belt in a finger with a thickness of 72 threads (according to the number of Yasna chapters in the Avesta, the collection of sacred hymns of the Zoroastrians), tied with 6 knots (according to the number of main holidays), symbolizing the adherence to the precepts of Ahura Mazda. The knots are tied several times daily, which is accompanied by the reading of a prayer and is a symbol of communion with the unity and benefits of all Zoroastrians.

Another important Zoroastrian shrine is Pirae-Sabz or Chak-Chak temple located in the mountains 72 km from Yazd. According to legend, in 640, princess Nikbanu, one of the daughters of the last Persian king from the Sassanid dynasty, pursued by an Arab pursuit, turned with a prayer for help to Ahura Mazda, and the mountain miraculously opened up, letting her in and hiding from her pursuers. The Arabs laid siege to the mountain. The princess was suffering from headache and thirst. She escaped thirst by hitting the floor of the cave with her staff, causing water to drip from the ceiling. But the story ended all the same sadly - not wanting to surrender to the enemy, the princess threw herself off the cliff. Since then, the mountain has been mourning her with tears from an inexhaustible source (Chak-Chak is translated from Farsi as Kap-Kap). And in the cave that sheltered the princess, they made a temple, where hundreds of Zoroastrian pilgrims come in June, for whom guest houses were built on the slope, which were empty at other times.

The road to Chak-Chak passes through the picturesque desert

The Zoroastrian tradition requires pilgrims who come to the temple by car to stop as soon as they see the temple and continue on foot.

But we are not pilgrims, we are allowed to get there.

A staircase leads to the temple, rather shallow.

Guest houses

Entrance to the Pire-Sabz (Chak-Chak) temple. According to legend, the tree at the entrance grew from the staff of the princess.

On the doors of the Chak-Chak temple, the image of Zarathustra

In fact, the grotto is man-made. In the middle there is a fire altar.

“Tears of the Mountain for a Princess” chakchak into carefully placed plastic trays.

According to the hierarchy of fires, Pire-Sabz (Chak-Chak) is also Ateshkadeh - House of Fire

The modest decoration of the temple

Nearby room for pilgrims

More photos can be seen at.

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Yazd is one of the oldest cities not only in Iran, but also in the world. It was founded back in the III millennium BC - in an oasis in the desert, 700 kilometers from Tehran, on one of the important caravan routes from India to Central Asia. Historically, the city was located in the interior of the country, far from the borders - and this allowed it to stay away from wars and ruin for centuries. Thus, all the uniqueness of Yazd is not only in its antiquity, but in the fact that to this day the central part of the city has been preserved almost unchanged! Yazd is one of the most ancient, permanently inhabited places on the planet.

1. We will start our walk from the outskirts of the historic center. At the crossroads of city streets, surrounded by pine trees, there is a clock tower - one of two in the old town.

2. In Iran there are many interesting sights, monuments of architecture and antiquity. But at the same time, one of the main impressions of the ancient cities of Iran is simply their atmosphere - old streets, alleys, houses made of clay or brick, silence, tranquility, oriental solidity in everything. For example, here is a small detail - in the future you will probably notice a large number of semicircular roofs in the old town. This is one of the classic elements of Persian architecture. The semicircular roof allows rooms to heat up less in hot weather.

3. The domes of mosques rise above the quiet streets here and there. The very beautiful Imamzadeh Mosque is one of those.

5. Yazd is an ancient city on the ancient caravan route. And its central part has practically not changed over the past centuries. It seems that these traders from the past also just paused for a minute - and are about to come to life.

8. The Amir Chakmak complex of the 15th century is one of the main symbols of Yazd. The complex is not a simple mosque: its main part is the three-story Hosseinie, a ritual building intended for prayers and mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

9. The luxurious facade is especially beautiful in the evening light, and at night Amir-Chakmak and the surrounding square look just incredible. But more on that separately ...

10. The Amir-Chakmak complex is not far from the heart of the Old City. You just need to walk a couple of streets.

11. In the East, everything is close by, everything is harmonious - the ancient walls of the 15th century coexist with busy streets, along which people are busily walking about their business ...

12. There is also another mosque.

13. And everywhere around - markets and bazaars. Well, where in the East is there no bazaar? :)

14. And trade in the bazaar is conducted under the strict views of Ruhollah Khomeini and the current supreme ruler Ali Khamenei. Under such a gaze, can you weigh at least half a gram? :)

15. At the busy crossroads of the Old City, there is the second old clock tower of Yazd, decorated with oriental ornaments and blue-and-blue ceramic tiles, traditional for the East.

16. From the clock tower begins the boulevard leading to the holy of holies ancient city- Friday Cathedral Mosque of the XII century.

17. The boulevard, like a geometric axis, connects two city dominants: at one end - a mosque, and when looking in the opposite direction - the old Clock Tower.

18. Luxurious, decorated with tiles, patterns and tiles, Friday Mosque (Kabir, Jame) - the main mosque of the city. It was built in the XII century and was later rebuilt in the XIV century. This mosque is visible from almost everywhere in Yazd - its 52-meter minarets are among the tallest in Iran.

20. On the square in front of the Friday Mosque, there are many souvenir shops and shops where you can buy everything from consumer goods and tableware to magnificent camel-bone boxes and luxurious Persian carpets.

22. Incredible labyrinths of streets, old adobe houses. And all this is not ostentatious - it all has stood practically in its original form for centuries! And, the most interesting thing is that life in these streets is still measured and as usual.

23. A motorcycle with a passenger wrapped in a black chador in the back seat will buzz busily.

24. A peasant will go out into the street ...

25. And again the streets, adobe houses, walls, widened with logs for reliability ...

26. Everywhere in Yazd one can see such towers - badgirs. Badgir is a traditional element in Iranian architecture that serves to ventilate buildings and maintain normal temperatures in them. In fact, badgir is a natural conditioner. With a slight wind, the air, passing by the wind roll, enters its shaft and descends into the room, under which the pool is most often installed. While cooling, the flow divides - cold air remains in the house, while hot air goes up the shaft at the opposite end of the room. We will look into the ventilation shaft of Badgir, when we will study one of the ancient Iranian houses in a little more detail.

27. Ancient streets dive under the arches of stone arches ...

28. Domes, arches ... Carved doors .... Badgir turrets ... Minaret domes ... Streets .... Labyrinths ... Fancy arches ... Domes ... Old times! It would seem that there are no particularly bright dominants, but so catchy! An hour or two or three you wander. The ancient city of Yazd has an incredibly strong energy. However, perhaps, like all the places where we have visited in Iran. An unusually interesting country!

35. "Air conditioners" - badgirs on the roof of one of the rich mansions, where a four-star hotel is now located.

36. Yazd is located in the desert and surrounded by mountains. Perhaps this has preserved its historical appearance for centuries.

38. One of the surviving towers of the fortress walls and the blue-green dome of the mosque in the background.

40. An interesting door. The gateway to the old town? :)

41. Slightly away from the Friday Mosque and adjoining quarters of clay houses, there is a luxurious Doulat-Abad garden, the former residence of Karim Khan Zand. The garden was built in 1750 and is a palace surrounded by pine avenues and orchards. The highest badgir in Iran (33 meters) is also located here.

46. ​​Persimmons and pomegranates grow in the garden, the remnants of the harvest of which hang on the branches until winter.

48. Religious banners ...

The entire city center is built of unbaked clay, reminiscent of one huge "Kasaba", as if we were in Morocco. The intricacies of narrow streets where you can (and should!) Get lost at least once. The streets winding and turning sharply from side to side lead past the ancient mosques, the walls of the city fortress, bazaars, hamams (baths). Regarding the latter, I must replace that in Farsi the bath is called not a hamam, but somehow differently. Of the point attractions that should be visited in Yazd, I would single out its two main mosques - the wonderful Masjid al-Kebir, and the equally impressive Mir-Chakmak in the very center of the city. Both mosques were built in the 15-16th centuries, and are distinguished by extremely beautiful decor and an interesting “stalactite” structure, typical only for Iranian mosques.

The city is striking numerous strange towers - badgirs, towering over the brown clay old city. At first we decided that these were the minarets of small mosques. But it turned out that these turrets served as ventilation centuries ago. They caught the slightest breath of wind, let it go down into the living quarters, relieving the inhabitants of the exhausting heat. Real grandfathers of modern air conditioners!

On the very outskirts of the city, there is a remarkable monument - the Towers of Death, erected on two low hills. Even 20 years ago, the bodies of deceased followers of the cult of fire were delivered here, and stored here. At the same time, these towers contained several hundred bodies. Over the course of several days, or even weeks, the bodies gradually began to decay. They were taken away by birds and bystanders such as wolves and foxes. Then, when only the bones gnawed and baked by the sun remained of the bodies, the clergy came and buried it all in a huge hole in the center of each of the towers. In our time, this ominous rite has come to naught, and anyone can go up to them and inspect -

Of the interesting, but less significant monuments, one can single out the Zoroastrian temple of Ateshkade, located away from the city center. Outwardly, it is not particularly remarkable - just an elegant "mansion" with a fountain at the entrance. Interesting in itself is the faith of the Zoroastrians, with which you can get acquainted in the adjoining museum.

Alexander's prison is another interesting monument, which is an old building that was once a prison, already in the time of Alexander the Great (Macedonian). Nothing special. Another old courtyard, partially turned into a mosque.

There are two types of hotels in the city - traditional and ordinary. In the first case, you will live inside the most natural caravanserai in the Old Town, where the very narrow streets lead. An ordinary hotel implies an uninteresting concrete box with corridors and many monotonous rooms. Moreover, there are not many hotels in Iranian cities in general, and the supply barely matches the growing demand. Therefore, in the same Yazda, the choice of a tourist will be limited to three "traditional" hotels in the old part of the city, and 5-7 hotels of the usual type. We stayed at the traditional “Melik O'Tojjar” (www.malek-o-tojar.com), which is a traditional style seating yard with rooms located around the perimeter. It should be noted that we got the last available number. And this despite the fact that no holiday was planned in Yazda. There is no extra natural chic here. The rooms are completely ordinary. The charm of this hotel lies precisely in its flavor as an ancient caravanserai. Double rooms cost $ 45 per night, single rooms - $ 30. A small bargaining within plus or minus 10% is appropriate.

Now, since we are talking about Iranian hotels, I would like to add a few things in general. At the beginning of the story, I said that Iran is in many ways reminiscent of the Brezhnev USSR. So, artificial restrictions for a free-growing market affect hotels as well. There are not enough of them. Chronically. Imagine yourself - is it really enough 10 hotels for, say, 500-700 hotel beds for the 600-thousandth Yazd? Definitely not. Even at normal times, the number of guests is very “borderline”, and it is possible that without prior reservation you will have to look for a place to sleep. What happens if you come during the holidays? The situation is similar in many other cities, and this moment should be taken into account when planning a trip. After Yazd, I will tell you about Shiraz, where we had to look for a place to sleep for half the night. Anything possible. There was no time for options. But first things first.

The next day we took a trip around the vicinity of Yazd, including the ancient city of Meybod with its massive fortress, and the Zoroastrian temple Chak-Chak. To this end, we asked the taxi drivers how much it would cost to “rent” them for a full daylight hours. Two things became clear. First of all, not a single taxi driver knew a word of English, and even the very attempt to explain that we wanted to visit several points and return back to Yazd was doomed to failure. We weren't quite sure if the taxi driver understood our wishes. A similar situation was with other taxi drivers. Sadly. We returned to the hotel and asked how much would it cost to order a car through them? It turned out to be 70 dollars for the whole car for the day. At first glance, not much. I admit that if we were able to negotiate with one of the taxi drivers, it would have been a little cheaper. But the language barrier was too exhausting.

I must say that we were very lucky with the chauffeur. An extremely pleasant and intelligent uncle. His English was extremely weak, but compared to taxi drivers, he could probably teach in an Iranian college.

During the day we visited many places, making about 8 stops along the way, and hitting 350 kilometers. And yet the most vivid memory is the fortress in Mayboda and the old part of the city. Here, as in Yazda, there are “cooling” towers, original adobe buildings, and the Naryn-Kala fortress towering above all this. We visited the Postal Museum, which you can skip by if you are short on time - there are too many tourist props. The same can be said about the pigeon tower, once locals birds were raised for fertilizing the surrounding fields and for food. Now, instead of pigeons, their stuffed animals are presented in abundance, rather strangely suspended on ropes. Props.

The famous temple of fire-worshipers Chak-Chak (translated as “kap-kap”) is worth visiting at least to get a general impression of what Zoroastrianism is and what their temples are. The place is beautiful - a deep canyon, mountains, desert.

The temple itself is quite ordinary, and with the exception of the small cave itself for storing the fire, all other buildings are quite new. Smiled at the sign at the entrance "Women are not allowed during menstruation." I wonder who will check it?

Towards evening we decided that we would not fly by plane to Shiraz, as originally planned. And we will go to Shiraz by car, and on the way we will visit all the main attractions, including Pasargadae, Persepolis and several road forts and caravanserais that we will see on the way. A small bargaining with our driver, and it goes for $ 90 for the whole car to Shiraz with all stops. Fits!

Yazd - Pasargadae - Persepolis - Shiraz (480km)

Most of the route is of little interest. The steppe is replaced by low passes, on the top of which there is still snow. Settlements few. But the road is excellent, making it possible to maintain a cruising speed of 100 km / h. There are a lot of traffic police, which, absolutely not hiding, are on duty with radars, and mercilessly fine violators. Iranian drivers, as elsewhere in the world, have a very developed solidarity, and all oncoming cars are desperately honking you with their headlights "Beware, cops!" The fine for speeding is small - 40 thousand rials, in other words, about $ 5. However, I strongly suspect that not everything is so simple. East is a delicate matter. It is possible that the payment of the fine implies the withdrawal of your driver's license, and then a visit to the nearest regional center in order to present a receipt for the payment of the fine in order to return the license. Of course, very few people do this. And, perhaps, they are trying to negotiate with the police for a certain amount of bribe, so as not to go to the regional center. It's banal to the point of ridiculousness.

On the way, they made stops near a couple of ancient forts, which, apparently, controlled a strategically important road between two major cities - Shiraz and Yazd. The forts are the usual square-shaped fortresses with constant turrets at the corners. Inside, as a rule, either completely empty, or registered by local residents as a warehouse. Nevertheless, from the outside, these forts are quite pretty, and deserve a short stop. There is no admission fee.

Pasargadae

Pasargadae is an ancient city located 120 km north of Shiraz and only 50 km from the famous Persepolis. Once there was the palace of the Persian king Cyrus, and here Cyrus was buried. At present, very little of Pasargadae has survived. At about four scattered points, there are traces of antiquity in the form of tumbled down columns, or the foundation of a powerful fortress. However, all these things will be much more relevant for professional archaeologists.

The main value of Pasargadae is the tomb of King Cyrus, located right at the entrance. According to the guidebooks, when Alexander the Great took Persepolis, he went to the grave of Cyrus, who was defeated by him, in Pasargadae. Alexander gave the order to one of his warriors to enter the inside of the tomb.

There were discovered Cyrus's golden bed, a golden table with golden bowls, a golden coffin decorated with precious stones, and the inscription on the coffin read: “Stranger, I am Cyrus the Great, I gave the Persians a great empire and I ruled Asia, so do not envy the luxury of my tomb ”. It is noteworthy that in Farsi the name of the king sounds like "Kirush", but actually "Kir" means nothing less than ... a male member. Keep this in mind when asking for directions to his tomb.

Persepolis is undoubtedly the pearl of Iran. This is the place to visit, even if your time in the country is extremely limited. But before I remembered a slightly different event associated with the name "Persepolis". Namely, the scandal erupted over the protests of Iran against the screening at the Cannes Film Festival of the French cartoon "Persepolis", which tells the story of the fate of an Iranian girl, whose childhood fell on the 1979 Islamic revolution. According to Islamic clerics, this film perverts the values ​​of the Islamic revolution. Fortunately, Persepolis did make it to the screens. Quite an interesting thing - I strongly recommend it to all those interested in the modern history of Iran.

Returning to the ancient Persepolis itself, I must say that even in its current state, it is impressive. From here all the Persian "Thunderers" ruled over a huge empire: Xerxes, Darius, Cyrus. The palaces of the ancient city are striking in their scope, and this is a must see. I will not go into historical excursions, as this would be a retelling of the guidebook. The mere fact that Alexander the Great needed 3,000 camels in order to take out the treasures he looted in Persepolis speaks volumes. Not far from Persepolis there are impressive tombs of the kings, called in Farsi “Nakhsh-e-Rustam”, carved right in the sheer cliffs, somewhat reminiscent of the Jordanian Petra. Let me emphasize that the tombs are located about 7 km west of Persepolis, and it is better to get there by passing transport if you arrived on your own. A visit to Persepolis costs only 5,000 riyals ($ 1), and the tombs cost 3,000 riyals. Almost for nothing.

I could not resist - here is a small selection of Iranian girls

The city of Yazd (Yazd) is one of the most picturesque and magical in Iran, in my humble opinion. Located somewhere between the Kavir and Lut deserts, far from major cities, it is notable for the labyrinths of the atmospheric old city, Zoroastrian shrines and delicious sweets.

In the 13th century, the famous traveler Marco Polo visited here and spoke very flatteringly about the city. In the 14-15 centuries, for some reason, the conquerors did not destroy it, and Yazd became a center of trade and crafts, mainly carpets, textiles and silk were made. After the city fell into decay and was a real province, until a railway line from Tehran was built.

Yazd city

Now Yazd is one of the main tourist destinations in Iran, perhaps the best place to learn more about such an ancient cult as Zoroastrianism, and feel like a traveler of the Middle Ages, wandering through the narrow streets of the old city.

Useful articles on Iran:

Attractions Yazd

Ateshkadeh (Zoroastrian fire temple)

Zoroastrians are also called fire worshipers - fire is extremely important in this cult. But the temple itself is the simplest building that I have seen in Iran! It looks like a Soviet recreation center, but a sacred fire is kept there, which has not been extinguished for more than 1000 years. It was carried from place to place, and now it is a point of pilgrimage for Zoroastrians living in Iran, India and neighboring countries.

Sacred fire

Towers of Silence

They are located on the southern outskirts of the city. In the traditions of Zoroastrianism, the corpses of people are considered unclean and they cannot be buried in the ground (in principle, it is logical, given how important the water extracted from the ground in these parts is). They could not be cremated either, since fire is sacred and to burn the dead is to desecrate it. This is how the open-topped towers appeared, the corpses were placed there so that vultures and other scavengers could eat them.

Now these rituals have been banned in Iran, although there are followers of Zoroastrianism in India and it seems like this is still found there. Next to the towers there is a modern Zoroastrian cemetery, now the dead are buried in cement, thus observing the rules.

Old city

The old town of Yazda is said to be one of the oldest preserved in the whole world! Go for a walk early in the morning, while there are no tourists and the sun is not so hot, and the places are really magical.

You are sure to get lost among the narrow alleys and high walls. All the houses seem lifeless, but in fact, life is in full swing in the courtyards. You can climb onto the roof and move from one to the other without going down - this is the structure of these quarters.

pay attention to badgirs- traditional tall towers, they serve as air conditioners in hot and dry local climates. They catch the wind and send it down into the room, sometimes even cooling down thanks to the cold water channels - an ingenious engineering structure for the time.

Masjed-e Jameh

The main mosque of the city with the highest minarets in the country, which did not fit into my shot :) ancient origin.

Historians believe that the mosque was built in the 15th century on the site of an old Zoroastrian fire temple.

Inside the mosque

Amir Chakhmaq Complex

A huge complex of interesting shape and architecture.

Yazd Water Museum

Quite an interesting museum that tells and shows how the locals extracted water in such a dry and desolate region. It turns out that for 2000 years the Iranians have been digging canals called "rope". In the beginning, they found a source of water, and then they dug these canals so that the water could flow to supply drinking water and irrigate agricultural land. In fact, even now there are people who, at the cost of incredible efforts, are digging canals, apparently they have not yet invented another way of supplying water to the inhabitants of small villages. This hard labor is well paid by local standards, almost like the work of the miners here.

Exhibition at the Museum of Water

Photo in the museum

Alexander's Prison

The guides tell everyone that this place is a prison with a deep hole dug by Alexander the Great himself. In fact, this is a school built in the 15th century, and the well was dug for some household needs.

Bagh-e Dolat Abad Garden

A cozy garden with the highest badgir in the world - 33 meters. Oranges, pomegranates, grapes grow here and you can hide from the summer heat.

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Neighborhood Yazd

In the vicinity of the city, you can visit several interesting places, the most convenient is to take a taxi for half a day or all day.

Chuck Chuck

The most important pilgrimage site for the Zoroastrians, located 72 km from Yazd in the desert. According to legend, the daughter of the last pre-Islamic ruler in this place was surrounded by an army of conquerors. She cried, she prayed to her god, and he opened the rocks and protected her. A small spring is still dripping from the rock, which, as it were, symbolizes the tears of a girl, and the very name Chak-Chak translates as "drip-drip". Every year from 14 to 18 June, a fire festival is held here.

Haranak

One of the last surviving mud cities in Iran, more than 1000 years old.

Maybod

Meybod is best known for the Narin Castle, which historians consider the most ancient example of brickwork in Iran.

Traveling to Chak-Chak, Haranak and Meybod by car with an inspection of interesting places will take 7-8 hours, this is such a standard tour for tourists, or you can do it yourself by renting a driver with a car.

Where to sleep?

The city center is very compact, most of the hotels are located there, the choice is large. I lived in Kalout Hostel not far from Masjed Jameh - it is hidden somewhere between the streets with adobe houses, and it is not so easy to find it the first time. But inside it is clean, comfortable, carpets everywhere and delicious food. The cost of a bed in a common room + breakfast 350,000 riyals ($ 9.5) - the standard price for Iran.

I marked other budget accommodation on the map at the bottom of the post - there is plenty to choose from.

How to get to Yazd?

By plane

Few fly to Yazd by plane, but there is still an airport to the west of the city: several flights a week to Tehran ($ 50), Bandar Abbas ($ 60) and some other cities in Iran.

By bus

• Tehran - $ 10, 8 hours.
• Isfahan - 150,000 riyals ($ 4), 5 hours on the way.
• Kashan - $ 8, 4.5 hours.
• Kerman - $ 5, 4 hours on the way.
• Shiraz - 360,000 rials (almost $ 10), 6 hours.
• Mashhad - $ 13, 13 hours on the way.
• Bandar Abbas - $ 9, 11 hours.

Desert roads

By train

The railway station is located 3 km south-west of the center and generates the following trains (prices are for a compartment):

• Tehran - 340-600 thousand riyals ($ 9 -16), 7-8 hours.
• Kashan - 250-320 thousand rials ($ 6 -9), 4 hours.
• Kerman - 300 thousand riyals ($ 8), 7 hours on the way.
• Mashhad - 870 thousand riyals ($ 23), 14 hours on the way.
• Bander Abbas - 400-690 thousand rials, (11 $ -18 $), 11 hours.

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