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Yazd from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Yazd.

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The most charismatic city of Iran, ancient Yazd is located exactly in the center of the country, at almost equal distance from Isfahan, Kerman and Shiraz. There is everything here to feel like you have landed on another planet: entire forests of wind towers - “badgirs”, thanks to a complex system of turbulences delivering fresh air to homes languishing from the summer heat, the oldest Zoroastrian temple, the sacred fire of which has been kept unquenchable for 15 centuries, and a labyrinth of narrow streets of the old city, where the best silk fabrics in the world are born in weaving workshops, which once captured the imagination of Marco Polo himself. You can spend the night here in one of the unusual hotels: old residential buildings with all their century-old attributes have been converted into inns in Yazd, and you can have a cup of morning coffee in the pleasant company of a believing Zoroastrian who will tell you that heaven is hot, but hell is on the contrary, icy (with which we, the inhabitants of cold Moscow, agree one hundred percent). Among other things, Yazd is the second oldest city of mankind, inhabited to this day - the first mention of the settlement dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e.

How to get to Yazd

Like most cities in Iran, Yazd has its own airport that accepts international and domestic flights. The most convenient way to get to Yazd is via Tehran on Aeroflot or IranAir flights from Moscow Sheremetyevo. At least two planes depart from Tehran to Yazd daily; Travel time is just over an hour. To get from the airport to the center of Yazd, take a taxi (about 6-10 EUR). Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Search for flights to Tehran (nearest airport to Yazd)

By train

Yazd can also be reached by train, both from Tehran and from other cities in the country. The Tehran-Yazd train leaves every evening, the journey takes about 6 hours, the ticket price is from 9 EUR in a six-seater compartment to 12 EUR in a comfortable carriage (we recommend the second option).

By bus

In addition, you can arrive in Yazd by intercity express bus from any city in Iran. We remind you that it is better to take the "super" class with a "snack" included in the price and air conditioning. By the way, the Tehran-Yazd road is of excellent quality, and such a trip can be classified as very pleasant.

Transport in the city

The old city of Yazd can be easily explored on foot. For longer trips, you can use the services of a taxi: 4000-6000 IRR for an individual trip to the specified address and 1000-2000 IRR for the opportunity to get into a collective car and get off where necessary, in the direction of the taxi. There are also motorcycle taxi drivers in Yazd who will whistle you through the streets of the city with a whistle in their ears. Such a trip will cost even less, and will give a lot of impressions!

Cuisine and restaurants of Yazd

Yazd offers travelers a rare opportunity to dine in ancient buildings converted into restaurants. One of the most popular establishments is the Hammam-e Khan restaurant, as you might guess, located in the premises of the old hammam. Here you can enjoy excellent Persian cuisine under the rhythmic ripple of water in the baths, under the shade of vaulted ceilings and surrounded by intricate wall ceramics. In addition, almost every restaurant in Yazd offers a view of one or another attraction as a free addition to the meal, for example, the Friday Mosque (Marco Polo restaurant), Old city(“Malek-o Tozhzhar”) or an old estate with a magnificent garden (“Mozaffar”).

Delicious sweets and cakes can be tasted in a specialized confectionery on Jomhuriye-Eslami Boulevard - sweet craftsmen work right in front of you and, best of all, they allow you to taste the result of their labors.

Stop by Amiran Paludeh and enjoy a bowl of Iranian sherbet - a palude made from rice flour, fruit pulp and rose water (1500 IRR per bowl).

Maps of Yazd

Shopping and stores

The main shopping location in Yazd is the bazaars of the old city. Here you can see and buy wonderful carpets (moreover, at lower prices than in Tehran and other cities of the country popular among tourists), chased and leather products, spices, sweets and souvenirs. Pay attention to the Yazd silks, called "tirma" here. You can buy cuts of fabric or ready-made products - from headscarves to bedspreads.

Entertainment and attractions of Yazd

The old city of Yazd is one big attraction. The appearance of most of the buildings here has not changed for more than one century: dark brown walls of buildings made of raw bricks baked in the sun and otherworldly structures of wind towers-bagdirs on each roof. Climbing up to the roof of one of the buildings open to the public, you can see the endless expanses of the desert surrounding Yazd from all sides.

The Zoroastrian temple of Atashkade is a place of pilgrimage for followers of this religion from all over the world. The sacred fire of the temple has been maintained since 470; it can be seen through a small window in the central hall.

The Water Museum presents an interesting exposition that tells about the ancient method of delivering water to the city through underground tunnels. The art of arranging such a water supply has more than two thousand years!

The Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, which were used, according to the beliefs of the Zoroastrians, in order for the body of the deceased to naturally rot in the air, ceased to serve their purpose only from the 60s of the 20th century.

The Zoroastrian Towers of Silence are located a short distance from the city and are easily accessible by taxi. According to the beliefs of the Zoroastrians, the body of the deceased should naturally rot in the air - therefore, the dead were taken to remote tower-type structures, where they were left on the upper platform to be eaten by birds of prey. By the way, the towers have not been used since the 60s of the 20th century.

For great Islamic architecture, head to the Friday Mosque, Khazire Mosque and Amir Shakmah Mosque.

Not far from the Amir Shakmah mosque is the complex of buildings of the same name, from the top of which you can see Yazd from an almost bird's eye view.

Do not ignore the most beautiful kazhar house with 150 years of history - Khan-e Lari. Here you can see some of the best preserved wind towers, graceful arched passages, alcoves and traditional doors.

Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Yazd is one of the oldest cities not only in Iran, but also in the world. It was founded in the III millennium BC - in an oasis in the middle of 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 devastation for centuries. Thus, the whole 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 oldest permanently inhabited places on the planet.

1. Let's start the walk from the outskirts historical center. At the intersection of city streets, surrounded by pine trees, there is a clock tower - one of two in the old city.

2. There are many interesting sights, monuments of architecture and antiquity in Iran. But at the same time, one of the main impressions from the ancient cities of Iran is simply their atmosphere - old streets, lanes, houses made of clay or brick, silence, calmness, oriental solidity in everything. For example, here is a small detail - in the future you will surely pay attention to the large number of semicircular roofs in the old city. It is one of the classical elements of Persian architecture. The semi-circular roof allows the rooms to heat up less in the heat.

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

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

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

9. The luxurious facade is especially beautiful in the evening lighting, and at night Amir-Chakmak and the surrounding area look simply incredible. But about this 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 nearby, everything is harmonious - the ancient walls of the 15th century are adjacent to busy streets along which people are busily going about their business ...

12. Here is another mosque.

13. And everywhere around - markets and bazaars. Well, where in the East without a market? :)

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

15. At the busy intersection of the Old City, there is the second ancient clock tower of Yazd, decorated with oriental ornaments and blue-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, the Friday Mosque (Kabir, Jame) is the main mosque of the city. It was built in the 12th century and later rebuilt in the 14th century. This mosque is visible from almost everywhere in Yazd - its 52-meter minarets are among the highest 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 dishes 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 stands almost in its original form for centuries! And, the most interesting thing is that life is still going on in these streets in a measured and regular way.

23. A motorcycle with a passenger wrapped in a black veil in the back seat busily buzzes.

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

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

26. Everywhere in Yazd you can see such towers - badgirs. Badgir is a traditional element in Iranian architecture that serves to ventilate buildings and maintain a normal temperature in them. In fact, badgir is a natural conditioner. With a small wind, the air, passing by the windcatcher, enters its shaft and descends into the room, under which the pool is most often installed. Cooling, the flow is divided - 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 Badgir ventilation shaft when we study one of the ancient Iranian houses in a little more detail.

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

28. Domes, arches... Carved doors.... Badgir turrets... Poppy tops of minarets... Streets.... Labyrinths... Fanciful arches... Domes... Old man! It would seem that there are no particularly bright dominants, but it is so catchy! An hour or two or three you roam. The ancient city of Yazd has an incredibly strong energy. However, perhaps, like all the places where we visited in Iran. An extremely 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. Gateway to the old city? :)

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

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

48. Religious banners...

The Towers of Silence is an ancient Zoroastrian cemetery located on the outskirts of the Iranian city of Yazd. The cemetery is a high stone towers built on top of a hill where adherents of Zoroastrianism left all the dead.

The Towers of Silence is a traditional burial place for the dead of Zoroastrians. According to the canons of this religion, a terrible sin is the defilement of earth, water, fire or air, so the usual methods of burial are not suitable for believers. Instead, the Zoroastrians leave their dead in the Towers of Silence - stone platforms located high in the mountains.

The towers of silence are round monumental structures made of natural stone, with wide roofs, where the abandoned dead freely decayed under the hot sun or became the prey of birds. The action is completely unthinkable from the point of view of Western civilization, but this only adds to the exoticism of the towers. The Towers of Silence is a very dark, specific place with a special atmosphere. The last burials here were carried out not so long ago - in the sixties of the twentieth century. Since then, the Towers of Silence have become one of the most famous sights in the city of Yazd.

Coordinates: 31.82287700,54.35484700

Cathedral Friday Mosque in Yazd

The Cathedral Mosque (also known as the Friday Mosque) is an ancient mosque located in the city of Yazd. The building is recognized as an architectural monument and is under the auspices of the state.

The Cathedral Mosque in Yazd was built in the twelfth century at the behest of Ala-Odoleh Garshab, an aristocrat from the Al-Boyeh dynasty. The original appearance of the mosque has not been preserved - in subsequent years the building was completely rebuilt, and only in 1365 acquired its modern look. The Cathedral Mosque is a magnificent example of medieval Persian architecture. The building is crowned with a pair of high minarets and richly decorated with mosaic ornaments. The high portal at the entrance to the mosque is recognized as the highest in all of Iran. The interior of the mosque is decorated with beautiful blue faience tiles.

The cathedral mosque is located in a very picturesque place - right in the heart of the Old City, surrounded by ancient streets, literally saturated with the spirit of antiquity. In Iran, the cathedral mosque is so famous that its image is printed on local money - the mosque can be seen on the back of a banknote of 200 reais. Among foreign tourists, the mosque is also well-deservedly popular - it is one of the most beautiful sights of Yazd.

Coordinates: 31.90138900,54.36861100

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IRAN. YAZD. HOUSE-GLACIER

Since ancient times, people have wondered how to store perishable foods. For these purposes, in different countries they tried to adapt ice, creating "glacier houses". On the territory of modern Iran, the first glacier houses appeared in the seventeenth century BC. But the ice was of great value, because in the summer there was nowhere to get it from. Each country tried to solve this problem in its own way: Europe imported ice from the Scandinavian countries, India replenished ice reserves in the Himalayas, Russia in its northern latitudes, and the Iranians learned how to create ice themselves. The local climate in Iran is such that the nights here are frosty. The Iranians dug special channels that are constantly in the shadows. Every night, the water in these channels froze, and before sunrise, all the collected ice went to the glacier house. In total, more than a hundred glacier houses have been preserved on the territory of Iran. And half a century ago, they still continued to be used very successfully.

You can talk about Yazd for hours, touching on completely different aspects. This is an amazing city located in the middle of the desert. There are many attractions here, one of which is the unique Water Museum, located in the old house of a wealthy merchant. It presents ancient technologies for delivering water to the city through underground tunnels, thanks to which people survived in the desert and unbearable heat. In the museum you can see models of this wonderful "water pipeline", starting from the sources in the mountains and ending with the supply in the tanks. Also here are various photographs of the system, which depict different stages of water supply.

The museum exhibits work journals from the nineteenth century, which told about the regular maintenance of the "water supply" and planned subsequent work on its modernization. In the halls you can also see various examples of dishes that were used to obtain and store water - all kinds of jugs that have not lost their attractiveness over several centuries. On the second floor of the museum there is a reservoir for draining and taking water.

Coordinates: 31.89504600,54.36852400

Narin-kala fortress

Narin-kala fortress - the ruins of an ancient Persian castle, located in the center of the city of Meybod, in Iran. The fortress is recognized as important historical monument and is under the auspices of the government of the country.

Narin-kala is a very ancient fortress dating back to the pre-Islamic period of the development of the Persian region. The time of its construction is known only approximately, but in any case, the fortress is already more than two thousand years old. The castle was erected on a hill, and from its walls a magnificent view of the city of Meybod and its surroundings opens. During the construction of the walls, raw brick was used, giving the fortress a characteristic orange color. Some historians suggest that there used to be a Zoroastrian fire temple outside the walls of the fortress, which was destroyed after the arrival of Islam in the country.

For its age, Narin-kala has been preserved very well - almost all external walls and towers, as well as many internal stairs, have survived in the fortress. The convenient location of the castle (very close to the city center) makes it one of the main attractions of Meybod.

Even half-destroyed, the Narin-kala fortress makes a powerful impression and is quite popular among tourists.

Coordinates: 32.22620300,54.01451000

Ateshkadeh fire temple

Ateshkadeh is an ancient Zoroastrian fire temple located in the city of Yazd. The temple is recognized as one of the most popular city attractions, and for Zoroastrian believers it is a place of real religious pilgrimage.

The Ateshkadeh temple is very ancient history. The building itself is relatively new - it was built in 1934 under the guidance of architect Jamshid Amanat. However, the fire burning in the temple was lit more than one and a half thousand years ago and has not been extinguished for a second since then.

The flame burns in a large stone bowl located at the back of the temple. Burning, according to Zoroastrian traditions, is supported by sandal wood. The bowl is fenced off from visitors with glass to avoid incidents. In the next room is the Museum of Zoroastrian Culture.

The building of the Atashkadeh temple itself is nothing unusual - built in the traditional Iranian style, it is located in the center of a small cypress park, a small lake has been dug in front of the temple. Nevertheless, there are always many who want to look at the sacred fire. Atashkadeh is a very mystical, sacred place, and its atmosphere makes a lasting impression on visitors.

Coordinates: 31.88126100,54.37327900

The most popular attractions in Yazd with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Yazd on our website.

The entire city center is built of unbaked clay, resembling one huge “Casaba”, 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 sharply turning from side to side lead past ancient mosques, walls of the city fortress, bazaars, hamams (baths). With regards to the latter, I must replace that in Farsi a bath is not called a hammam, but somehow differently. Of the points of interest 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 15th and 16th centuries, and are distinguished by exceptionally beautiful decor and an interesting “stalactite” structure, typical only of Iranian mosques.

Numerous strange turrets - badgirs, towering over the brown clay old city are striking in the 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, passed it down into the living quarters, relieving residents from the exhausting heat. The 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 the dead followers of the cult of fire were brought 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 disintegrate. Birds and passing predators, such as wolves and foxes, took them away. Then, when only gnawed and sun-baked bones remained from the bodies, clergymen came and buried it all in a huge pit in the center of each of the towers. In our time, this sinister 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. The faith of the Zoroastrians is interesting in itself, which you can get acquainted with in the adjacent museum.

The Alexander Prison is another interesting monument, which is an old building that was once a prison, even during the time of Alexander the Great (Macedonian). Nothing special. Another old courtyard, partially converted 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 those very narrow streets lead. An ordinary hotel means an uninteresting concrete box with corridors and many monotonous rooms. What's more, there aren't many hotels in Iranian cities in general, and the supply barely matches the growing demand. Therefore, in the same Yazd, 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 guest house with rooms located around the perimeter. It should be noted that we got the last free number. And this despite the fact that no holiday was planned in Yazd. There is no super natural chic here. The rooms are completely ordinary. The charm of this hotel lies precisely in its color as an ancient caravanserai. double rooms cost there 45 dollars a day, single - 30 dollars. A small bargain, 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 in many ways resembles the Brezhnev USSR. So, artificial restrictions for a freely developing market also affect hotels. They are missing. Chronically. Imagine for yourself - is it really enough for a 600,000-strong Yazd to have 10 hotels for, say, 500-700 hotel beds? Definitely not. Even during normal times, the number of guests is very “marginal”, and it is possible that without prior reservation you will have to look for a place to stay for the night. What happens if you arrive on 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. Any possible. There were no more options. But first things first.

The next day we made a trip to the surroundings of Yazd, including the ancient city of Meybod with its massive fortress, and the Zoroastrian temple of Chak-Chak. To this end, we asked 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 spoke 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 were never quite sure if the taxi driver understood our wishes. The situation was similar with other taxi drivers. Sadly. We returned to the hotel, where we asked how much it would cost to order a car through them? It turned out that 70 dollars for the whole car for the day. At first glance, not much. I admit that if we had managed to negotiate with one of the taxi drivers, it would have been a little cheaper. But the language barrier was too debilitating.

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

During the day we visited many places, making about 8 stops along the way, and driving 350 kilometers. And yet the most vivid memory is the fortress in Maibod and the old part of the city. Here, as in Yazd, there are “cooling” towers, original adobe buildings, and the Naryn-Kala fortress towering above all this. We visited the postal museum, which can be skipped if you have little time - too many tourist props. The same can be said about the pigeon tower, once the locals raised birds, and this is to fertilize 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 “cap-cap”) is worth a visit if only to get a general impression of what Zoroastrianism is and what their temples are like. The place is beautiful - deep canyon, mountains, desert.

The temple itself is quite ordinary, and with the exception of the small cave itself for storing fire, all the other buildings are fairly new. The sign at the entrance smiled: “Women during menstruation are not allowed to enter.” Interesting, and who will check it?

Toward 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 Pasargade, Persepolis and several road forts and caravanserais that we will see on the way. A small bargain with our driver, and it comes out to 90 dollars for the whole car to Shiraz with all the stops. Fits!

Yazd - Pasargad - Persepolis - Shiraz (480km)

Most of the route is not of particular interest. The steppe is replaced by low passes, on top of which snow is still preserved. There are few settlements. But the road is excellent, making it possible to keep a cruising speed of 100 km / h. There are an extremely large number of traffic police, who, without hiding at all, are on duty with radars and mercilessly fine violators. Iranian drivers, like everywhere else in the world, have a very developed solidarity, and all oncoming cars are desperately honking their headlights at you “Beware, cops!”. The fine for speeding is small - 40 thousand rials, in other words, about $ 5. However, I strongly suspect that it is not 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 payment of the fine in order to return the rights. Of course, few people do this. And, perhaps, they are trying to negotiate with the police for a certain amount of a bribe in order not to go to the regional center. Banal to the point of being ridiculous.

Along the way, we made stops near a couple of ancient forts, which, apparently, controlled the strategically important road between the two major cities- Shiraz and Yazd. Forts are ordinary square-shaped fortresses with the same turrets at the corners. Inside, as a rule, either completely empty, or credited by local residents as a warehouse. Nevertheless, from the outside, these forts are quite pretty, and worthy of a short stop. There is no entry fee.

Pasargade

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

The main value of Pasargada is the tomb of King Cyrus, located right at the entrance. As the guidebooks say, when Alexander the Great took Persepolis, he also went to the grave of Cyrus defeated by him in Pasargad. Alexander gave the order to one of his soldiers to go inside the tomb.

Cyrus's golden bed, a golden table with golden cups, a golden coffin adorned 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 you ask 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 first I remembered a slightly different event connected with the name “Persepolis”. Namely, the scandal flared up because of the protests of Iran regarding the showing at the Cannes Film Festival of the French cartoon “Persepolis”, which tells about the fate of an Iranian girl whose childhood fell on the Islamic revolution of 1979. According to Islamic clerics, this film perverts the values ​​of the Islamic revolution. Fortunately, Persepolis still came out on the screens. Quite an interesting thing - I strongly recommend it to all those who are interested in the modern history of Iran.

Returning to the actual ancient Persepolis, it must be said 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 must be seen. 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 to take out the treasures he had looted in Persepolis speaks volumes. Not far from Persepolis, there are impressive tombs of kings, called in Farsi “Nakhsh-e-Rustam”, carved right into sheer rocks, somewhat reminiscent of Jordanian Petra. I emphasize that the tombs are located about 7 km west of Persepolis, and it is better to get there by passing transport if you come on your own. A visit to Persepolis costs only 5,000 rials ($1), and the tombs cost 3,000 rials. Almost for free.

Couldn't resist - here's a small selection of Iranian girls

The city of Yazd (Yazd) is one of the most colorful and magical in Iran, in my humble opinion. Located somewhere between the deserts of Kavir and Lut, far from major cities, it is notable for its 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.

City of Yazd

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.

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Attractions Yazd

Ateshkadeh (Zoroastrian fire temple)

Zoroastrians are also called fire worshipers - fire is of exceptional importance in this cult. But the temple itself is the simplest building I have ever seen in Iran! It looks like a Soviet recreation center, but the sacred fire is stored there, which has not been extinguished for more than 1000 years. It was moved 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, human corpses are considered unclean and should not be buried in the ground (in principle, it is logical, given how important water is extracted from the ground in these parts). They also could not be cremated, since fire is sacred and burning the dead means desecrating it. This is how towers with open tops appeared, the corpses were put there so that they could be eaten by vultures and other scavengers.

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 is a modern Zoroastrian cemetery, now the dead are buried in cement, thus observing the rules.

Old city

The old city of Yazd is said to be one of the most ancient preserved in the whole world! You go for a walk early in the morning, while there are no tourists and the sun does not fry so much, and the places are really magical.

You will definitely get lost among the narrow alleys and high walls. All the houses seem to be lifeless, but in fact, life is in full swing in the courtyards. You can climb onto the roof and go from one to another without going down - such is the arrangement of these quarters.

pay attention to badgirs- traditional high towers, they serve as air conditioners in a hot and dry local climate. They catch the wind and send it down into the room, sometimes still cooled by cold water channels - an ingenious piece of engineering 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 frame in any way :) It is interesting that on the walls you can find the symbol of the "swastika" or, as we say, "kolovrat", which once again confirms its universality for many peoples and 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.

Water Museum (Yazd Water Museum)

Quite an interesting museum, telling and showing how the locals produced water in such a dry and deserted region. It turns out that for 2000 years the Iranians have been digging canals called "kanat". First, they found a source of water, and then they dug these channels so that the water could flow to supply drinking water and irrigate farmland. In fact, even now there are people who, at the cost of incredible efforts, are digging channels; apparently, they have not yet come up with another way to supply water to the inhabitants of small villages. This hard labor is well paid by local standards, almost like the work of miners in our country.

Exhibition at the Water Museum

Photos 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 back in the 15th century, and the well was dug for some household needs.

Garden Bagh-e Dolat Abad

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 of Yazd

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

Chuck Chuck

The most important pilgrimage site for 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 name Chak-Chak itself is translated as “drip-drip”. Every year from 14 to 18 June, a fire festival takes place here.

Haranak

One of the last surviving mud towns in Iran, over 1000 years old.

Meybod

Meybod is best known for Narin Castle, which historians consider to be the oldest example of brickwork in Iran.

Traveling to Chak-Chak, Kharanak and Meybod by car with sightseeing 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 located very compactly, most of the hotels are located just there, the choice is large. I lived in Kalout Hostel near Masjed Jameh - it is hidden somewhere between the streets with adobe houses, and it is not so easy to find the first time. But inside it is clean, comfortable, carpets everywhere and delicious food. The cost of a place in a common room + breakfast is 350,000 rials ($ 9.5) - the standard price for Iran.

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

How to get to Yazd?

By plane

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

Roads in the desert

By train

The railway station is located 3 km southwest of the center and spawns the following trains (prices are for compartments):

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