The Desert City of Iran
Yazd is among the most important cities for any tourist to visit during their time in Iran: It’s a city filled with the most unique historical sites, the most untouched old town, and the most delightful delicacies! The spitting image of a Middle-Eastern city, Yazd is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site mainly due to the fact that it has preserved its authenticity throughout the years, and has remained almost untouched by modernization. Yazd conjures up all the visuals of a desert city: With its earthen façade, complex qanat-based watering system, and the wind-catchers arranging the skyline, you’ll surely find yourself enamored with this authentic provincial capital.
Since a lot of tourists choose Tehran, Kashan, Isfahan, Yazd, and Shiraz as their main highlights in Iran, it becomes crucial to know a bit about these cities in advance. That is why we have posted a series of blogs regarding the different things you can do in each one of them. We will definitely talk about destinations that are off the beaten path, as you’d certainly miss out on a whole lot if you were to just stick to the popular attractions and sites. But right now, let’s finish this series of blogs with the final installment: Things to do in Yazd!
Yazd Attractions
When it comes to historical sites and attractions, you have a wide range of buildings, mosques, and shrines to choose from. You could spend as much time as you’d like just strolling through the Old Town and appreciating the architecture, culture, and traditions of Yazd and its people. Just make sure you dress appropriately (again, desert city, which means desert climate) and enjoy a day out on the town!
Jameh Mosque
Characterized by its beautiful front Eyvan or Taq and its two tall minarets (among the tallest minarets in the country), the site that now houses the Jameh Mosque of Yazd was once a Sassanid fire temple, renovated and restructured to serve as a mosque some 800 years ago. The tile decorations of the Eyvan, the beautiful dome and its inner and outer shell ornaments, the Muqarnas, and the brick decorations all make this mosque one of the finest examples of the Azari style in Iranian architecture.
Also known as the Kabir Mosque of Yazd, this mosque has operated as the city’s congregational mosque since the 12th century. It would certainly be a shame to miss out on visiting it, in fact, it’s one of the best places to start off your tour of the city: Right in the heart of the Old Town!
Dowlatabad Garden – The UNESCO Listed Yazd Attraction
We have mentioned the UNESCO World Heritage List-included Persian Garden in a few of our blogs now. The Dowlatabad Garden in Yazd is one of the 9 gardens that are featured on this shared listing and is certainly one of the most magnificent. One of the things that make this garden so special is the wind-catcher that towers above the central palace: This wind-catcher (or Badgir, as we call it) is the tallest of its kind, towering some 8.5 meters high.
Amir Chakhmaq Complex
This grand and majestic square which features a mosque, a bazaar, a mausoleum, and more is the cultural center of the city of Yazd. Similar to its equivalents in other cities, such as the Naghshe Jahan Square in Isfahan, the Amir Chakhmaq Complex served as the city’s hub, where cultural ceremonies, sports events, and important congregations took place. Visiting this ancient square will give you true insight into Yazd’s deep roots in tradition, art, and architecture.
The Amir Chakhmaq Mosque with its beautiful mosaic and tile decorations, Muqarnas, and calligraphy inscriptions is the first building that was included in this now vast complex. After that, you have the vibrant Haji Ghanbar Bazaar (which was unfortunately divided into two parts in the Pahlavi era due to the construction of a street that passed through it, destroying the southern part), the Amir Chakhmaq Tekyeh (a Tekyeh is a structure in Iranian architecture that is similar to a theatre but is often used for religious rituals and ceremonies), the Seti Fatemeh Khatoon Mausoleum which houses the tomb of Amir Chakhmaq (a local ruler by whose decree the complex was built)’s wife, and the Amir Chakhmaq Water Storage.
Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd
The Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd (or the Varham Fire Temple) is an important monument in the city due to its religious significance. This temple is open to visit for everyone, though the inner sanctum (which houses the Behram Fire, a fire that has been burning consecutively for 1500 years now) can only be accessed by Zoroastrians. Being one of the most important temples for this creed in Iran, the Varham Fire Temple will certainly offer an insightful experience to anyone. A main characteristic of the temple is the beautiful Farvahar bas-relief decorating the front porch.
Read about the Zoroastrian festival, Sadeh following this link!
Towers of Silence
Another Zoroastrian concept, a tower of silence was a place for leaving dead bodies to be fed on by the wildlife. The twin towers of Yazd are named the Great Mankeji Tower and the Golestan Tower and are among the most prominent of their kind in Iran. The city is in a way the religious capital of this ancient creed, which is why the Fire Temple and Towers of Silence have gained such prominence.
Yazd Old Town
One of the best things you can do in Yazd is to just walk through the old town and understand its Middle-eastern appeal. You can shop for souvenirs and delicacies, appreciate the architecture and the earthen façade of the houses and buildings, or just observe the people in their day-to-day lives or see them partaking in local traditions.
Yazd Water Museum
You will find the Yazd Water Museum in the mansion that was known as the Kolahdouzha House. This museum features information, tools, appliances, and documents mainly about the Persian Qanat. Here, you can learn about the cleverly designed method that Iranians have used to channel water since thousands of years ago.
Kharanaq
A detour that you simply must not miss when you get to Yazd is the beautiful and ancient village of Kharanaq. In this 4500-year-old village, you can visit the ancient and vast village, the operational Sassanid-era Caravanserai (rebuilt in the Qajar era), the moving minaret (another Sassanid monument and much older than the more famous Menar Jonban of Isfahan), and the Sassanid bridge which was used to channel water among so much more. Visiting Kharanaq village is especially recommended with an expert tour guide since doing so will ensure a thoroughly pleasant time.
Lari House
A 150-year-old house from the Qajar era, the Lari House or Khaneh Lariha is among the most beautiful and the most architecturally significant historical houses of Yazd. We have talked about the multitude of historical houses of Kashan and Shiraz in the past, so you probably know that you can expect an on-site museum here.
Alexander’s Prison
What was formerly known as the Ziyaieh School, Alexander’s Prison stands out in Yazd as an attraction with a mysterious background. The story goes that when Alexander the Great conquered the land of Persia, he built a prison on his way to the city of Rey. Later on, during the Sassanid period, a city was built in the position of this prison, a city which was to become known as Yazd. Some local historians used to believe that Alexander’s Prison was the first building in this city, so when a hole was discovered during some renovations, it only reinforced their theory: This newly discovered hole was a dungeon where Alexander kept Persian government officials in custody.
As a matter of fact, this hole turned out to be part of a water pipe system during later examinations, and all former theories of Alexander’s Prison were rejected: Such a structure had never actually existed. The building is actually a school that was built by one Zia Addin Hossein Razi. Aside from the story behind Alexander’s Prison -or more accurately, Ziyaieh School- the simple and elegant brickwork façade of the building is a truly beautiful sight.
Food & Entertainment in Yazd
Yazd is bound to be among the most vibrant cities you’ll ever visit. That’s not exclusively due to the fact that it is a city full of some beautiful historical sites, parts of it have to do with the people of Yazd and their culture. This culture can be particularly evident in the cuisine. Yazd is especially famous in Iran for its varied sweets and pastries: The delicious fired Ghotab, the Yazdi Cake, Haji Badom (also popular in Kashan), etc. This doesn’t mean the city doesn’t have anything to offer when it comes to savory foods though; They have some delicious takes on popular Iranian dishes including the Gheymeh Yazdi and the Beh Aloo Khoresht (quince and plum stew).
Read about one of the best Iranian souvenirs you can get in our latest blog!
Yazd Accommodation
And we are back to the question we always reach at the end of our blogs: Now that we’ve covered what makes Yazd such an important city, where should you stay when you actually get to it? It should not surprise you: We think staying at a hostel is the best choice, and we’ll cover the quality hostels that Yazd has to offer in another blog!
If you want to learn a bit more about Iran hostels in general, here are some more posts you can read!
Also read our blogs about things to do in other cities!
