Yazd Travel Guide
Iranian Tour Operator and Travel Agency
The ancient city of Yazd, known as the city of wind catchers and knowledge, is one of the national treasures of Iran. This historic city is a living example of a civilization using earthen supplies to adapt to their surroundings and survive in midst of drylands using limited resources of water. But this is only one of the reasons why Yazd is among Iran top cities!
The people of Yazd have used certain national inventions (special water reservoirs) called Qanats and Cisterns (Ab Anbar) to better adjust with their environment. These ancient contraptions are also among the interesting highlights of the Yazd travel guide. In this city, travelers get to touch the ancient and quaint elements of what makes Yazd so unique and historically important from up close.
–7°C to 16°C / 28 °C to 45 °C
Historical city of Yazd
Zoroastrian Fire Temple
Jameh Mosque
Fahadan district
Towers of Silence
Historic city of Yazd
Yazd International Airport
Bus
Taxi – Private Taxi Applications ( Iranian Uber)
The ancient and historic city of Yazd is located within the urban Yazd district. It may be intriguing for travelers to know that the city itself is among the most popular tourist attractions of all Iran. The reason for that is Yazd’s exceptionally traditional and dated architecture as well as its residents’ conservative lifestyle.
Yazd has miraculously escaped the grabby hands of modernization and refurbishment throughout all these years and has kept its adobe architecture surprisingly intact. The water channels and Qantas in this city, along with its aged (yet still functional) wind catchers were also among the factors this city was inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage sites list in 2017.
The Zoroastrian fire temple of Yazd (Yazd Atash Behram) is one of the most significant landmarks of Yazd. This fire temple has kept its fire ablaze for more than 1500 years, and each day a Zoroastrian Mobad feeds the fire with dried woods to keep it searing. This act is carried out with a ritual, as a result of which this fire temple and its surrounding alleyways are doused in the heavenly scent of incense and Boswellia each morning so that the sacred fire inside this temple can keep burning for one more day.
One of the reasons our Yazd travel guide favors this fire temple, is because of its traditional ceremonies. To enter this fire temple during the Zoroastrian ceremonies, you must follow certain rules that are set into place to respect this temple’s sacred soul. Men and women must alter their attire and wear white garments to see the celebrated fire residing inside this temple closely.
The ancient tile Epigraphy is the first thing you’ll see upon entering this mosque’s interior, which is kept alight using the glow that’s reflected from the milky plaster used in this structure’s grand dome.
The Jameh mosque of Yazd is known for its incredible architecture and tall, adorned portals. Calligraphy and mosaic art have been used in abundance in this mosque’s architecture, and its six gates are open to visitors and tourists from all around the world. This grand mosque’s date of building is speculated to age back to the Sassanid era. It may interest you to know that this mosque was originally built as a fire temple.
Each ancient culture has its own customs and rituals about death. Yazd travel guide has tried to highlight Zoroastrians traditions.
During the 4th century BC, the Zoroastrians believed that if their loved ones’ corpses were not fed to the fowls on top of towers called the Towers of Silence, their dead bodies would be overtaken by evil spirits. Towers of silence are among the most important travel destinations of Iran.
Nowadays, these rituals have been banned and are not carried out by the Mobads and the Towers’ clergy members anymore. But the immemorial towers remain in place, standing tall and looming over the city walls, open to visitors and tourists.
The historical district of Fahadan and its narrow alleyways (fit for two people at most) is also located just behind this mosque. Fahadan was once the residence of the wealthy in Yazd and has kept its glorious and aged passages alive to this day.
Don’t be surprised if you come across a traditional pottery workshop or small handicraft shops upon walking down the adobe streets of this district! You can get to learn the traditional handicraft of Yazd in these workshops firsthand if you plan on visiting Yazd on one of our Special and experience tours.
The historic city of Yazd has more than earned its nickname as the “city of sweets”, and you will soon learn why.
These Persian deserts are among the most delicious sweets baked and found in Yazd.
Yazd’s traditional foods like pomegranate Aush and Sholi Aush (a sour-and-sweet Aush cooked mostly in winter by the locals) are also deliciously made and you can find them in this city’s restaurants or in the hands of street food vendors.
Yazd is located in the drylands of central Iran, and for this reason, this city is one of the cities of Iran equipped with traditional boutique and garden hotels which are unique in Iran.
Renting local houses, which are furnished for this city’s visitors, also allows travelers to get a real taste of what it’s like to live in Yazd’s traditional houses, at least for a night.
Of course, you will always have the choice of staying at a high-end luxurious hotel in Yazd as well. One of our advices on our Yazd travel guide is to book your hotel prior to your trip to Iran, so that you can plan for the rest of your trip with your mind at ease.
Yazd travel guide: Best time to tour Yazd
As it was mentioned before, Yazd is a city of deserts and arid climates. It is recommended that tourists visit this city from late February to mid-April when the hottest it gets is 25 °c (77°F) and the weather is pleasantly cool and refreshing.
Some may be interested to experience Yazd’s traditional Nakhl Gardani (Nakhl Bardari, Palm-carrying ritual) ritual. It takes place on the day of Aushura, a holy festival held in Islamic countries. Be sure to check our travelers’ calendar to set your schedule for this event!
Yazd’s narrow alleyways and aged adobe architecture are best traveled by foot, as residents of this city themselves tend to avoid driving cars and taxis around the historical sections of the city.
Public transportation modes are available in form of buses around the city, and taxis can be found scattered in different parts of the city.
Private transportation applications are also found in this city, including Snap and Tap30.
NOTE: At the time of writing Yazd travel guide, the COVID 19 virus has spread globally and health services are still struggling to cope. Thus, it is not recommended to use public transportation means at the present time.
Originally from Azerbaijan, this beautiful traditional and age-old piece is sang by one of the nation’s most skilled vocalists, Salar Aghili. this song tells a story about a lover’s wait for his beloved in its rythmic lines. A wait that is both sweet and sour, as it is hard but it also makes the final meeting of the two all the more enjoyabe for the lover.
Yazd souvenirs are delectable and fascinating keepsakes from a wonderful medieval city. Although delicious goods and sweets may be purchased in numerous different cities in Iran, some souvenirs are uniquely available in Yazd.
Cake Yazdi – Persian Cardamom Cupcakes is a classic Iranian food for tasty muffins with Persian flavour. Rose water and cardamom are usually a winning mix, and almost always present when it comes to traditional Persian sweets. Religious festivals and guest receptions use these type of sweets more than other celebrations.
Termeh, like brocade, is a beautiful hand-embroidered silk cloth with delicate gold strands sewn in. You can have it fashioned into a number of things, such as shoes, handbags, tablecloths, and jewelry cases, or you can just purchase the fabric itself in floral motifs.
Nowadays, most Persian termeh are intricately embroidered with a practice known as “Sermeh Doozi.” This is an embroidery style that has been passed down from generation to generation in old Persia
Sermeh doozy is a well-known embroidery technique from ancient Persia. Since then, it has been an embossing technique used on high-end fabrics and garments. The artist uses a threaded needle to stitch and secure small delicate pieces of gold embroidery tubing to the fabric with a threaded needle. The designer frequently incorporates pearls and jewels into the design to make it more spectacular and unique.
Ghotab, also known as Qottab, is an Iranian tasty nugget or cake. Ghotab is a walnut-filled pastry that is deep-fried in vegetable oil. These wonderful little treats are created with a simple dough and filled with a delicious mixture of crushed walnuts, powdered sugar, and cardamom. Qottab cookies are among the most delicious Yazd souvenirs, as you already saw on Yazd travel guide. They are in fact, so delicious that no Nowruz is possibly complete without them, and Persian families make these sweets during the new year as a tradition.
