Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DURATION
TWO TO FOUR HOURS, DEPENDING ON HOW OFTEN YOU GET LOST!
Walking Tour The Old City
Start at the
Amir Chakhmaq Complex
and then pop into
Haj Khalifeh Ali Rahbar
on the northeast
corner of Amir Chakhmaq Sq to admire its displays of traditional Yazdi sweets. Next, head up Imam Khomeini St
and turn left up Masjed-e Jameh St. Before you reach the imposing mosque that gives this street its name, turn down
a lane to the right to see the stunning portal of the turquoise-domed
Bogheh-ye Sayyed Roknaddin
. Continue
into the
Masjed-e Jameh
and exit through the northeastern door (near the
qanat
). Turn right, then left, and
keep straight for about 75m until you reach a junction with several arches and open ceilings. Turn left here and
you'll reach an open space with a playground. Stay on the right (eastern) side and keep heading northeast. After
about 250m on Fazel St a small lane leads off to the right, where an
ab anbar (water reservoir)
surrounded by
four
badgirs
(windtowers) stands next to a park. Continue left (northeast), pass the Kohan Traditional Hotel and
continue another 100m or so until you come to Mirzazadeh St. Heading left (northwest), walk past Ziaee Sq and
keep straight for about 150m. Turn right down a small alley to the
Khan-e Lari
, a stunning traditional house.
Head back to Ziaee Sq and turn right. Ahead is the dome of
Alexander
'
s Prison
and just beyond is the
Tomb of the 12 Imams
. At this point you may wish to stop for a tea break - the
Fahadan Great Hotel
oppos-
ite has a lovely courtyard teahouse. After your tea, go back to the tomb, turn left and follow a sweeping bend until it
eventually reaches a domed passage on the left (southwest). Continue along the passage for about 70m until you
come to a square with the three-storey white facade of a
Hosseinieh
on the left. Carefully climb the stairs at the
back of the facade to enjoy a great view. Continue southwest and you'll soon see the minarets of the Masjed-e
Jameh, where the tour ends.
ZOROASTRIAN SITESیتشترز نکاما
FIRE TEMPLE
Ateshkadehهدکشتآ
(Sacred Eternal Flame; Kashani St; admission US$0.90; 8am-noon & 3-6pm Sat-Thu)
Zoroastrians come from around the world to see this
ateshkadeh,
often referred to as the
Zoroastrian Fire Temple and said to have been burning since about AD 470. Visible
through a window from the entrance hall, the flame was transferred to Ardakan in 1174,
then to Yazd in 1474 and to its present site in 1940. Above the entrance you can see the
Fravahar symbol (see the boxed text,
Click here
)
.
HILL
Dakhmeh-ye Zartoshtiyunیشوماخ جرب
(Towers of Silence; 24hr)
These evocative Zoroastrian Towers of Silence are set on
two lonely, barren hilltops on the southern outskirts of Yazd. They haven't been used since
