Top 10 places to see in Yazd

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The magnificent city of Yazd is a well-preserved mud-brick old town which contains distinctive wind-catchers, historical houses, and numbers of monuments. To most people, the historical district of the city with its unique architecture, where you can find old houses with the traditional style platform and interior design is the best area to spend a few hours in when you travel to Yazd.

The main product of the city is silk weaving textile called Termeh which has traditional Iranian patterns. If you have sweet tooth, you will definitely enjoy some of the most delicious local pastry in Yazd. For instance, Baqlava, Pashmak, and Qutab can be named as some of the most popular ones.

The same as other cities in Iran, Yazd has its own traditional cuisine called Ash-e Shooli. This delicious Persian soup contains spinach, parsley, leek, fenugreek, and beetroot seasoned which serves with vinegar or pomegranate paste.

To many international tourists, a trip to Iran is not completed without a travel to Yazd. So, don’t forget to consider this unique city in your itinerary when you are planning your travel to Iran.

Here is a list of top 10 attractions you will find in historical city of Yazd!

1. Old Town

As mentioned at the beginning, considering the history of this area which is one of the oldest cities in the world, it is still inhabited. With its interconnected alleys, the yellow-brown color of the mud-brick, and magnificent architecture, you will definitely enjoy walking through the area and enjoy seeing wind-catchers rising above a labyrinth of adobe roofs. The UNESCO added “the historic old city of Yazd” to the World Heritage Site List in 2017.

2. Jame Mosque

From every corner of the city, you can see the magnificent monument of the Jame Mosque which was built in 14th–century. The monument has the highest minarets in the country, and represents Iranian-Islamic architecture. It has an eye-catching, beautiful interior design with the delicate blue-mosaic tile-work and Quranic. The different items used in the design ranges from the beginning of the Islamic era to the restoration in the 14th-century. In addition, a number of elements at the mosque go back to the 12th century, for instance, the intricacies and inscriptions of the grand iwan.

3. Towers of Silence

Towers of Silence which are called Dakhma in Persian, are actually two circular towers raised from a solemn desert landscape. These circular raised structure were built by Zoroastrians for excarnation, in which dead bodies were left at the top of the towers to be exposed to carrion birds, usually vultures.

In addition, there are also some other buildings at the foot of these towers. At the place, you will have the possibility to understand the tradition of Zoroastrians, after a person dies. They believed the body must have been taken away from alive human and left at the place to ensure purity and peace for the person. When visiting the area, you will notice small houses which were used for relatives of the deceased to stay and mourn in while selected individuals took the body to the tower.

4. Bagh-E Dowlatabad

This beautiful garden is one of the nine Persian Gardens in Iran, which were listed as World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2011.

It shares some of the same characteristics of these types of gardens, such as numbers of fountains, symmetry and dotted green spaces with cypress trees. In addition to these items, there are also pomegranate trees cultivated in the garden which are perfect for the climate of the area. There is a residency in the garden which was built during the 18th-century which belonged to Mohammad Taghi Khan-e Bafghi, a ruler during the Zand dynasty. The highest wind-catcher in the world with a height of 33-meter is one of the main attractions of this monument. The stained-glass windows also bring a magical idiosyncratic aesthetic to the place.

5. Zoroastrian Fire Temple

Yazd is known as the center of Zoroastrianism in Iran in which you can find numbers of religious and historical sites of Zoroastrians. Zoroastrianism which is an ancient monotheistic religion was the main religion in Persia in approximately 3500 years ago. One of the main sites of these group is the Fire Temple which is the most important temple in Iran and in the world for Zoroastrians. The central fire is believed to have been burning for over 1,500 years.

The temple was registered as a National Heritage site and is open to tourists every day, except the religious events. As a suggestion, when visiting the place, wear white or light-colored clothing to show your respect for the place.

6. Amir Chakhmaq Complex

Just at the heart of the city, you will face the Amir Chakhmaq complex which is a centerpiece and can be thought as a plaza where people spend their time in the evening, and during national events especially the religious ones.

The three-story facade flaunts numbers of beautiful symmetric iwans. It is believed the complex used to be the entrance to the city. However, nowadays it is used for celebrating different religious events, such as Ashura, and Arbain. Both of these events are commemorative ceremonies for Imam Hossein’s death.

If you are wondering where to buy some local pastry, this is the right place for you since there are numbers of shops all around the main area.

7. Yazd Water Museum

One of the most magnificent architectures of Persia which backs to at least 2000 years ago is Kariz or Qanat which was listed by UNESCO in 2016 as a World Heritage Site.

At the museum, you will see the tools, and become familiar with the techniques used in this system for the last thousand years. Some of these systems are still functioning today. In fact, there is a large one under this museum.

8. Saheb A Zaman Zurkhaneh

The spiritual ritual has been nominated and selected by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Iran in 2010. There are different names for this ceremony, such as ‘varzesh-e pahlavani’ ‘heroic sport’ or ‘varzesh-e bastani’ ‘ancient sport’. The first of July is known as a respect day of Pahlavani and Zoorkhaneh rituals in Iran.

The ceremony takes place at Zurkahneh. Saheb A Zaman Zurkhaneh used to be a cavernous water reservoir until modern irrigation made it redundant. The building was built around 1580, and turned to Zurkhaneh (house of strength) in which men exercise Pahlavani and Zoorkhaneh rituals using heavy wooden clubs. The building crowned with five burly wind-catchers which makes it an impressive piece of architecture.

9. Khan Bazaar

One of the oldest Bazaars in town and the country is The Khan Bazaar, which was built in the 9th-century. If you are interested to buy some of the handicrafts of Yazd, you can find some of the best quality textiles and handwoven cloth at the bazaar. These products have been made in the city for centuries. During the last few years, the bazaar has expanded into the main bazaar of Yazd.

10. Zein-O-Din Caravanserai

Most people traveling to Iran, are looking forward to accommodating in unique, and historical places. If you are one of those, Zein-O-Din Caravanserai would be the right place for you to stay and have a memorable night.

Zein-o-Din Caravanserai is a small, circle shaped caravanserai which was built about 200 years ago on the orders of Shah Abbas I. The monument was renovated a few years ago and turned into a fine eco-lodge where you can relive the experience of traveling on the Silk Road.