Shiraz to Yazd

We got up early and went to get the bus to Yazd. Yazd is in the middle of Iran, in the desert. It is thought to be the oldest permanently inhabited city in the world. It has been inhabited for at least 9000 years. It is home to the majority of Iran's surviving Zoroastrian community and their active Fire Temple (Ateshkhadeh) is there with the sacred fire burning (Dagdah). I was looking forward to learning more about Zoroastrianism and hoping to talk to some practicing Zoroastrians.


My map of Iran. We got the bus from Shiraz to Yazd. It took about 8 hours I think. It was fairly comfortable.


Lovely!


More lovely!


It got more arid as we went north.


The road into the desert.


We arrived at Yazd and found a hotel. The first place we went to was a real backpacker place, busy with european tourists, your typical hardcore Lonely Planet crowd. It was a bit of a shock to the system for us. We hadnt really seen many western tourists at all. The price was a bit steep and we decided to try somewhere else. We ended up in a really depressing dirty and smelly little hotel but it had a great view from the roof.


View of the rooftops of Yazd. Check out the wind towers called badgirs. They channel the breeze down into the houses where it blows over a pool and cools the building. We went for a walk about to find a better hotel and book ourselves in for the following night.

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Many of the streets are covered. The place was deserted though. Everything seemed to be shut. A real contrast from Shiraz. And although we had seen all those tourists in the other hotel there weren't any to be seen about the town.


Typical Yazd street. Empty!


The bunting was out.


Anyone got any ideas what this might be all about? I ain't got a clue. Inside that tall green box thing those colourful spirals were spinning round. on the left is a display of brass teapots. hmmm.


In the centre of town there is this building. It is the Amir Chakmakh complex. It is a Takieh - a building used just for the rituals that commemorate the martyrdom of the Immam Hossein. It is one of the largest Hosseiniehs in Iran. In the bottom of it there are a few places selling really tasty offal kebabs. Liver, kidney, heart or brain on a sqewer served with a raw onion and some thin flatbread. Great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We couldn't really find much else.