Friday, June 5, 2015

The Ancient Desert City of Yazd

We had a lovely breakfast in the restaurant of the Orient Hotel with the rooftops and wind catcher towers of Yazd in front of us.  The Jame Mosque rose high above it all and was a spectacular sight.  It was tempting just to sit and drink tea all morning while enjoying the bird’s eye view but we had things to see in this ancient desert city.




Yazd has been a major center for the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, founded in Iran by the prophet Zoroaster approximately 3,500 years ago. The faith can be summed up by the phrase: good thoughts, good words, good deeds. On this day we saw two places important to Zoroastrian people.

The first site we saw, the Zoroastrian Fire Temple, was located in a beautiful setting with many trees and a large circular reflecting pool. The temple is not old but the sacred fire burning here is said to be the oldest living fire on earth, burning since 470 AD.  The fire, which represents God's light or wisdom, is carefully tended by a caretaker who adds wood to the fire three times a day.  







We then went to the Towers of Silence.  I had expected them to be out in the empty desert but they were now within the city, a short walk across an empty lot.  Large circular structures built on hills, the Towers of Silence were a place where Zoroastrians left their dead to avoid polluting earth or fire, which are considered sacred elements. 










We climbed to the top of the smaller Tower but it was still a taxing ascent. Once inside, I saw where the bodies of the dead were left to the elements and scavengers.  The pit in the center of the platform was where the clean bones were left to disintegrate.  The Towers of Slience are no longer used and from the high vantage point we saw the nearby walled cemetery where Zoroastrians now bury their dead.  




We left the Towers of Silence and went to an unusual place, a henna factory.  The space was dominated by a large grind stone which ground henna leaves into a fine powder.  In the past, yoked donkeys would have circled the room, supplying the power to turn the stone.  A hole in the ceiling provided a ray of light in the murky room, illumining stacks of bags of henna and green dusty walls, floor and ceiling.  The factory worker was covered with henna and when I left I, too, was covered in a fine green powder and had to brush myself off before getting in the van. 








After visiting the henna factory, we walked a few doors down to do some shopping at a spice shop. Large barrels of fragrant and colorful spices filled the small space.  It was hard to choose just a few spices to purchase but I decided to buy dried limes and black nigella seed which I can't buy at home.  






Yazd is famous for it's sweets and after lunch we visited Haj Khalifeh Ali Rahbar for some traditional Yazdi cookies and candy.  The store was popular and filled with shoppers.  After we looked at a myriad of choices on display, Milad filled out order forms for us and we joined the lines at the counter waiting to place our orders. We then went to the register to pay and back to the counter to pick up our selections.  I left loaded down with with boxes of rice cookies, coconut sweets and pashmak, Persian cotton candy. Milad then suggested an adventure and we headed to the van for a visit to the desert and a ride on a camel. 


After a long drive through empty, barren desert, we arrived at a small group of old brick buildings.  A ways away, near a tree, there were a couple of camels waiting to carry us across the sand.  The camels wore halters decorated with a riot of colorful tassels and old carpets covered the saddles on their backs.   It was with some trepidation that I climbed aboard.  A teenage boy lead my slightly reluctant camel up the ridge of the sand dune with Ishbel following.  I had to work hard to maintain my balance and held tight onto the saddle.  Mercifully, the ride was short.  
















Once Sue and Catherine returned from their camel ride, we all took off our shoes and climbed up dunes of fine, shifting sand.  Near the top, Sue and I sat down and admired the sun setting on the horizon.   It was amazingly still and quiet in the desert.  After a while it started to get dark and we walked back, retrieved our shoes and sat drinking tea and eating sweets as twilight gave way to the dark night sky. 





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