Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mazda, has no symbol or icon, but he asked that followers pray to him in the direction of light. The only light the
ancients controlled was fire, so they created fire temples to keep the flame burning eternally.
Very little of what Zoroaster wrote has survived, though the teachings in the Avesta (sometimes referred to as the
Zoroastrian bible) are attributed to him. The core lesson is dualism: the eternal battle of good and evil. Zoroaster be-
lieved in two principles - Vohu Mano (Good Mind) and Ahem Nano (Bad Mind) - which were responsible for day
and night, life and death. These two opposing 'minds' coexisted within the supreme being, Ahura Mazda, and in all
living things.
Since Zoroastrians believe in the purity of the elements, they refuse to bury their dead (pollutes the earth) or
cremate them (pollutes the atmosphere). Instead, the dead were exposed in 'towers of silence', where their bones
were soon cleaned up by the vultures. Nowadays, deceased Zoroastrians are usually buried in graves lined with con-
crete to prevent 'contamination' of the earth.
Many Zoroastrian temples are adorned with bas-relief winged figures of a Fravashi (guardian spirit) that symbol-
ise Fravahar, the part of the spirit that reaches Ahura Mazda after death. The Fravashi's head symbolises experience
and wisdom, the right hand pointing upward symbolises admiration of god, the ring in the left hand symbolises
unity, and the larger middle ring symbolises eternity and the reflection of a person's own actions. The three layers of
feathers on the wings symbolise purity of thought, word and deed, and the semi-long tail in front represents evil
thoughts, evil deeds and evil words that should be cast away. One of the strings represents goodness and the other
represents dark and evil.
Of the 150,000 or more Zoroastrians in the world, 20,000 live in Iran, with 10,000 in Tehran and 4000 in Yazd.
Zoroastrian women can be recognised by their patterned headscarves and embroidered dresses with predominant
colours of white, cream or red. They never wear chadors, but do follow the strict hejab laws governing women's
dress.
Zoroastrianism is also known as Mazdaism from the name of its supreme god, Ahura Mazda, and as Magism
from the name of its ancient priests, the magi. The Three Wise Men of the Bible are believed to have been
Zoroastrian magi, hence the Adoration of the Magi.
Pigeon Towersهناخ رتوبک
For centuries Esfahan relied on pigeons to supply guano as fertiliser for the city's famous
fields of watermelons. The guano was collected in almost 3000 squat, circular pigeon
towers, each able to house about 14,000 birds. Today they are unused, made redundant by
chemical fertiliser, but more than 700 of the mud-brick towers remain in the city's en-
virons.
The best place to see them is along the Zayandeh River south of the
ateshkadeh
. The
10km walk back into Esfahan makes a great afternoon, and you're also likely to see loc-
ally made cloth being laid out to dry.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
