DAY 8: YAZD

Yazd, in the middle of Iran and in a remote desert location, remained largely immune to large battles, including the Mongols’ invasion. It’s a living testimony to the use of limited resources for survival in the desert. We start our program at AmirChakhmagh Complex, where we see Yazd’s landmark facade, a venue for religious ceremonies. We then visit The Water Museum, with a visible qanat running underneath, posing the old art of water management in this arid landscape. Jameh Mosque of Yazd is next with its magnificent portal and minarets. From here, we start strolling in the narrow alleys of The Old Town, renowned for its earthen architecture and windcatchers. Yazd was a refuge for Zoroastrians after the Arab conquest and is still the hub of the country’s Zoroastrian community. We visit a Fire Temple which gives us more information about this ancient religion. The sacred fire of this temple is stated to have been burning since about 470 AD. We then proceed to The Towers of Silence, used until a few decades ago by Zoroastrians for excarnation – that is, for dead bodies to be exposed to carrion birds, usually vultures. Next is Dowlatabad Garden, a Persian garden with a pavilion having the tallest windcatcher of the country. Our tour ends at a Zoorkhaneh, Persian traditional gym, where we can watch Persian traditional sports in action.