Yazd, the land of magnificent windcatchers (Part 2)

SepidehAfsharRezaee

Translated by Shiva Shakib

Yazd, has been called by diversity of names both before the emergence of Islam in Iran and even afterwards. In 3 B.C Yazd was rebuilt, and then in 5 B.C it developed further on, turning into one of the greatest cities of Iran during late years of the Sassanid era. Some sources indicate that Marco Polo crossed this city in 7^th A.H., describing there as a cultivated city, with clever and stubborn inhabitants. Marco Polo has written in his itinerary; “Yazd is a flourishing city, and center of diverse trades and exchanges. The people of this city are skilled in weaving and have a peculiar intelligence in this area. There is a special golden textured material which is very unique and is exported to several parts of the world, especially to Greece. Meanwhile, the Iranian kings offer it as gift and souvenir to the heads of other countries.” Marco Polo has also added that the road crosses through a palm grove, and some animals are hunted there such as partridge, deer and quail. In Marco Polo’s own words: “This land is one of the most significant historical paths. The obstacles on the way to this path along with limitations of water resources are factors which prevent its capture by some of the great governments.”

Yazd is an original and beautiful city, bearing exclusive architecture and special desert areas.

People

The inhabitants of Yazd are loyal to the original life traditions and customs and as a result, by comprehending their unique geographical position, they have preserved the architectural texture of their city. For such reasons and despite new air conditioners, Yazd is still the city of windcatchers, all seen in old locations and even among houses. During the invasion of Mongols, Yazd was a shelter to several merchants and scholars who chose to live there.

Historical Monuments

The old and ancient historical background of Yazd and its rich culture on the one hand, and its central geographical position on the other hand, have resulted in magnificent historical monuments from pre-historic eras and even after the emergence of Islam. Therefore the city of Yazd possesses several historical monuments, some of which are the grand mosque, the Ziayieh School, Kamaliye School, Hosseinian House, Dolat Abad Orchard Complex, Shah Vali Mosque, and numerous other buildings of various categories.

Old Houses

One of the major characteristics of the old houses in Yazd is long walls, which act as a barrier against insecurity and invasion of enemies. The large basements built all around the house are great relaxing places for summers. The ancient architectural texture of the houses possesses a peculiar category of architecture. There are many narrow alleys in this city and are well known as friendship alleys. Although the majority of people are Muslims, there are other religious minorities living in this province as well; such as Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. The inhabitants of Yazd have a certain dialect combined with the original Persian language.

Products

The major crop of Yazd is pomegranate, which covers a large portion of the exports of this province, while pistachio and almond have the next places among the exported crops. Beekeeping and fostering silkworms is quite common in the Yazd province. Yazd has been an industrial city from old times and therefore many small and big factories have been built there. There are several industrial factories active in Yazd. Weaving fabrics, making special sweets and cookies, and also weaving textiles are among the most significant industrial grounds of Yazd.

Yazd is very famous for its unique sweets which are always offered as gifts and souvenirs.