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The remote desert town of Yazd, in central Iran escaped
the Mongol invasions of ancient Persia and remains one of the best
preserved adobe-built settlements in the world.Many houses feature a
traditional badgir
- a fore-runner of modern air conditioning - catching any cooling breeze
and funnelling it down to rooms below. Of dozens of religious buildings, the
jewel is the Jaime Mosque built in 1375 its portal embellished with gleaming turquoise tiles
and boasting the tallest minarets in Iran. Yazd`s rich architectural heritage
makes it
is a gem for cultural tourism, but more
important it remains the heart of Zoroastrianism, oldest of the
creedal religions dating back some three millenia. In 651AD when Persia
embraced Islam thousands of Zoroastrians fled to South Asia and the
Persian Gulf in order to escape persecution. Today an estimated 20,000 are
living in Yazd still scrupulously
following the
injunction regarding the protection of the earth and a reverence of nature.
During prayers they face
towards a sacred fire : the flame in the
central Atashkadeh (Fire
Temple) is said to have been burning since 407 AD. An ancient `Tower
of Silence` where Zoroastrians place their dead is seen on
outskirts of town. Some tour groups make the journey from Isfahan (280
km) but most visitors are Zoroastrian pilgrims although the government
of Iran continues to look unfavourably on the faith. Aside from its rich spiritual heritage, Yazd is famous for magnificent
hand-woven silk carpets.
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