Within the central deserts of Iran, there lies a city with an unbelievable historical texture! An ancient town with preserved mud brick houses that makes you feel like you are walking in a place that does not belong to this this time, it belongs to the distant past. This city is the capital of Yazd province, located in the heart of Iran. One of the most interesting points about this city is that the city itself is a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 2017! The name of this ancient city is Yazd, a desert city in the heart of Iran; a living piece of history with lots of historical places. Yazd is also known as the city of wind catchers due to the presence of wind catchers in this city, which were made innovatively to cool down the extreme heat of summer days. This city has a dry and hot desert climate; in fact it is one of the driest cities in Iran with low amount of precipitation. The dry and hot climatic condition of this city, caused by its surrounding deserts, has resulted in a distinct Persian architecture because of the adaptations of its people to the desert surroundings. The city’s climate has led to the development of one of the largest networks of underground water channels in the world which is called “qanat” in Persian that supplies the city’s water by drawing the underground water. In order to survive the city’s harsh climate in hot seasons, many old buildings have great wind towers, called “badgir” in Persian, and large underground areas to cool down the weather. The “qanats”, “badgirs”, as well as “yackhchals” (a type of evaporative cooler) are examples of Yazd’s masterpiece Persian architecture. One of the wonders of Yazd is that it is mostly made out of adobe that together with its significant historical places make it a must see place in Iran.

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Yazd is without doubt one of the highlights of Iran that contains numerous attractions such as the stunning Jameh Mosque of Yazd, the symbolic Amir Chakhmaq complex, the magnificent Dowlat Abad Garden, and the charming Zoroastrian Fire Temple. However we should not forget the wonderful nature of Yazd, like its fabulous Bafgh Desert. The great Jameh Mosque of Yazd is the congregational mosque of Yazd; an opulent mosque standing in Yazd city. It is an authentic mosque designed with the beautiful Azeri style of Persian architecture. The mosque’s minarets that can be seen from distant are one of the highest minarets in Iran. This historical mosque is like a porch in the heart of desert adorned with shining blue tile work! Symbol of Yazd, Amir chakhmaq Complex, is an important structure in Yazd that includes a mosque, a caravanserai, a “tekyeh” (where Shia muslims gather for Muharram’s mourning), a bathhouse as well some other structures. Amir chakhmaq is actually an ancient square.  This prominent structure is one of the most well-known highlights of Yazd and the interesting point about this place is that the building will be lighten up at nights with an eye-catchy orange lighting in its arched alcoves resulting in a beautiful view of this place. Bagh-e Dolat Abad is complex built in 18th century with an innovative architecture that was the residence of Persian regent Karim Khan Zand. This pretty garden, built on the traditional Persian garden principle of symmetrical design, is planted with soaring evergreens and dotted with sour orange and pomegranates. This wonderful residence contains Iran’s largest windmill standing at 33 meters long. The Zoroastrian Fire Temple is a building that was constructed in 20^th century which is home to a mysterious fire that is believed to be burning since 470 AD! This sacred fire which is called the Atash Bahram (which means Victorious Fire) is the highest grade of fire that can be placed in Zoroastrian fire temple and the one in Yazd’s Zoroastrian Fire Temple is one out of 9 Atash Bahrams in the world. This city also has a wonderful nature such as Bafgh Desert, The glamorous deserts near Yazd Province in Bafgh city which has one of the most fabulous views of stars at night and one of the most beautiful experiences of camel riding, a place you don’t want to miss. Yazd is one of the highlights of Iran and is home to many charming attractions. If you want to see the examples of innovative Persian architecture and a live historic city, make sure to make a visit to this wonderful city!