|
Yazd: Covering an area of
6305 Sq. Miles, at an altitude of 1200 meters from the sea level. The town
677 Km South-East of Tehran it stands in a long valley which is just over
1215 meters above sea level; Yazd can be reached by road, rail and
regular flights from Tehran and major towns. The city of Yazd almost entirely surrounded by desert
is in wide dry valley between Shir-Kuh range the highest peak of which is 4075 meters
high; to the Northeast rises an isolated massif which is nearly 3000 meters
in height. This makes the city tolerate a semi-plains climate, of dry-hot
summer and dry-cold winter.
The
architecture of Yazd is unique, combining a proliferation of those graceful
bad-girs (wind-towers) seen in central and
southern Iran: the houses are surmounted by high turrets with openings
oriented toward the dominant winds; these insure the ventilation of the
lower parts of the house rather like air-vents on a ship. Enormous domes
starting at ground level and also surmounted by air-vents act as protective
roofs for deep water-tanks six, eight or ten meters below street level,
which were reached by stair-cases.
Yazd
used to be called “ ISSATIS” in the ancient items situated in the jurisdiction
of ” MEDES” dynasty, one of the most ancient cities of an stayed
Zoroastrian during the reign of Islam by paying the levy. Yazd
has always been held consecrated by the Zoroastrians, even now, there
remains a temple in the city known as the “Fire Temple”.
Architecture in Yazd
is in conformity with the dry plains climate. This form of architecture is
a help to curtail the intensity of heat. Old buildings are eye-catching
with their in-built ventilation, which act as natural ventilators. Yazd was visited in
1272 by Marco polo, who described it as “ A good and noble city which
manufactured silk “
PLACES OF INTEREST
1.Wind Trappers
(Ventilation hafts): One of the distinctive features of the cities of Yazd province which
discriminate it from other cities, is the existence of various wind
trappers. Most of them belong to old residential houses. On the other hand
majority of urban reservoirs and mosques also have wind trapper. In other
words the same are considered as respiratory tracts of the city. They are towers
that, in respect to the special form of building, direct the natural air
current to different sections of the building. Regardless of its utility,
these constructions used to represent the owner's distinction and social
standing. It could be judged by the height and adornments of these wind
trappers.
2.ZOROASTRIANS’ FIRE-TEMPLE: Which is visited
every season, because of Zoroastrian monthly ceremonies, by Iranians,
Zoroastrianism was the national religion of Sassanian
Persia, and today in Iran there are descendants of those who at the time of
Arab conquests, refused to abandon their faith in favor of Islam or
emigrate, as many did, to India, where their descendants are known as
Parsees, i.e. people from Persia. These Parsees still maintain links with their
co-religionists and kinsmen in Iran. lthough about half of today’s Zoroastrians live
in Tehran, their main strongholds have for
centuries been the desert town of Yazd and Kerman.
3.DAKHMEH-YE-ZARTOSHTIAN(THE TOWER OF SILENCE): The Zoroastrians’
outward symbol is the cut of fire which is kept burning continuously in
their Fire Temples. Although burial in the ground is now more usual, the
traditional exposure of the dead within an open enclosure known as a
DAKHMEH, or TOWER OF SILENCE , is still sometimes practiced at Yazd and surroundings of Zoroastrians’
villages. The small building at the foot of the hill illustrated here is an
ATESH-GAH (FIRE ALTAR), where a flame is kept burning from sunset to dawn
for three nights after the body has been placed in the tower above.
4.ENTRANCE PORTAL & DOME OF
THE FRIDAY MOSQUE: There is no more impressive gateway in Iran than this great soaring
14th century edifice. Crowned by a pair of minarets, the highest in Iran, the
portal’s facade is decorated from top to bottom in dazzling tile work,
predominantly blue in color. In side there is along arcaded court where,
behind a deep-set southeast Ivan, is a sanctuary chamber which, un a squat
tiled dome, is exquisitely decorated with faience mosaic: its tall faience
altar "mihrab", Dated 1365, is one of
the finest of its kind in existence.
5.TEKIEH-YE-MIR CHAQMAQ KHAN:
Although
described more often than not as an entrance portal to the bazaar, this
early 19th century tiled edifice was built to serve as grand-stand for the
traditional passion play “ TA’ZIEH recording the martyrdom of the Shiite
third Imam, and also provided an imposing entrance to one of Yazd bazaar.
6.Ice-Pits: Ancient icehouses
are very interesting samples of old urban structures in Iran, which were constructed to
store ice. Icehouses consist of four basic parts as follows: Page Contents
Related Articles Abar Kooh
water Reservoir , Abar Kooh the Ice house, dome, main wall and a little pool.
In Yazd
province, during the winter when there was sufficient water, it was led to
the little pools. During the night due to low temperatures the water of
these pools used to freeze. A tall wall surrounded the pool that prevented
sunlight from getting to the ice and created a condition for ice-layers to
thicken gradually at nights. Then the ice was broken and transferred to the
icehouse underground where it was stored in summer.
7.Water Reservoirs :The natural and
climatic characteristics in addition to the expanse of Yazd's deserts have given rise to the
construction of various reservoirs all over the province. At present the number of these reservoirs are about 100. Most of which
have been built at the center of the localities of the cities and include
four main elements such as: Khazineh or hot bath,
dome, the foot or faucet and a wind trapper. The reservoirs of the bath
have been designed in the form of cylinder inside the ground in order to
give a vantage point to the water of subterranean canal and also to keep
the water temperature low.
The dome was built in a semi-circular shape over the reservoir in order to
prevent water from environmental pollution and keeps it cool. The foot of
faucet has got a stair-like corridor or passageway for taking water from
the reservoir and the wind trapper was a means of air circulation in order
to prevent the water rotting or becoming putrid.
Important water reservoirs of Yazd province are: Seyed
Va Sahra, Shesh Badgir, Masoudi, Hadji Ali Akbari, Khajeh, Golshan, Rostam, Geev, Kolah doozha (hat makers), Malekotojar and Mirza Shafi' reservoirs in Yazd, Hassan Abad reservoir in Maybod, Jaddeh Deh Balla and Barelnasuyeh Reservoirs in Taft and Kesht
Khan reservoir in Rastaq.
8.GAOL OF ALEXANDER: The story goes that
during the reign of Alexander the Macedonian,a
number of Iranian elite resisting his domination went on an uprising in Rey ( Near Tehran). He had them arrested, and on his
way through Yazd
imprisoned them in a dungeon called “ KESA”
meaning goal in Greek.
9. A DESERT CAMEL RIDING to Chak Chak: This important
Zoroastrian fire-temple is on a hill 52 Km to the north –northeast of Yazd. It attract
thousands of pilgrims for an annual festival which lasts for ten days from
the beginning of the third month after Now Ruz
(MAY). To visit, it is best to get the permission of the religious
authorities at the Atashkadeh in Yazd. A camel riding services mostly
available in advanced reservation.
10. CITY WALLS: In ancient Iran there
were many types of public structures, from among which one may mention the
achievement represented by city walls. The 12th to 14th century walls of Yazd, which are still
standing, are perhaps the most interesting, imposing and skillfully
planned.
11. BAZAAR: The Bazaar of Yazd is
of some interest: The many bazaars here are probably the best places in Iran to buy
silk, brocaded and cloth, the products which brought the town its
prosperity. Try to take an Iranian guide with you. Yazd is also a good place for cakes and
sweets (Baghlava), Although quite a lot of
tempting tooth-rotters on display actually made
in the town.
12. Around Yazd:
A- Maibod: Meibod
city is locatedin the middle of Yazd – Ardakan’s
plunged plain. It’s his to-natural location can be defined as the focal
point of Yazd-Ardakan plain’s cultural area,
beside the ancient way of Ray to Kerman
and on the natural aqueducts (Qantas).
Narin Qaleh (old fortress ) or (citadel):
Kohan-Dezch, The highest mud mount of the city is
called :-“Narin Qaleh” , with a height of 25 meters, that it’s strategic
situation allows it to have a view to all the quarters of Meibod and early
can be called Bam – e-Shahr (Roof of the city).See more in Castles in Iran .
The pigeons Tower
is one of the attractive sites in Meybod. These towers have been used as fertilizer
factory in very old time of history. The ancient agriculture always used
nature fertilizer for excellent corps and pigeon’s feces were the best
fertilizer. Every farm has one two or may be more pigeon towers for this
purpose. Farmers were fed hundreds pigeon in these towers and collect their
feces at the end of day.
Sogol
Tehran Tour & Travel Agency takes great pleasure in presenting to you
its new high quality, low price package tours & city click for Sightseeing.
Click for City Map
Click for Hotels in Yazd
However, for some
special cases requiring a Tailor-Made package program, please contact
us:
Main
Office:
Sogol Tehran Tour & Travel Co.Ltd.
East Wing No.5, 2nd Floor, No.251, North Sohreverdi Ave.Tehran, Iran.
Post code: 1576917141
Tel: 0098-21-88849083 to 85
Fax: 00980-21-88813367
E-mail: info@sogol.com
Web: http://www.sogol.com
Abroad Offices:
Toll Free Number : 800-830-9212 C/O Mr. Afshin
Sherkat
Canada: sogolca@earthlink.net or info@acevacation.ca .
USA: usa@sogol.com C/O Ms. Nooshin Sherkat
INDIA: India@sogol.com C/O Ms.Shirin
Sherkat
Back
to Iran Map
Back to Home Page
|
