Yazd, an important center for the Zoroastrian religion, has a long history that goes back over 3000 years. Unlike other old cities in Iran, including Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran, Yazd was not built alongside riverbanks and it is located in the middle of the desert. As a result, the city’s architecture is unique, featuring adobe wind catcher towers — a traditional feature of Persian architecture that acts as a natural cooling system. Yazd is on the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that connected Eastern Asia with the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The city is famous for carpets, delicious sweets and silk products.
Dave, who visited Iran in November 2007 says, “Yazd soon became my favorite place in Iran. The people were friendly, the sights were great and I finally got to see real Zoroastrian fire temples."
Backpacker Jonny Bailar from Northern Ireland remembered his time in this lesser-visited Iranian city: “Yazd is a classic desert city to tour when you travel in Iran. I’d personally recommend a few days here to make sure you see the place in the detail it deserves".
Canadians Nick and Dariece, who have been backpacking around the world since 2008 and write about their experiences on their Goat On The Roads website, said their visit to Yazd in November 2013 involved a lot of getting lost in the lanes and tunnels of the old town. “The smooth mud walls and caves slowly changed to a golden brown colour as the sun sunk low in the sky. For sunset, we headed to the roof of our hotel where we watched a gorgeous display of oranges and pinks paint the sky above the city. Each rooftop has an ancient air-conditioning structure which consists of an extra tower, with large vertical slots that capture the breeze and force it down into the homes below. A perfect desert cooling system known as a Bagdir.”
Interested in writing for IranWire?
Share your stories.
comments