Yazd. Walk through the ancient city of Iran

If you ask if I have been to Tehran, I will honestly answer: even twice. When he traveled to the south of Iran, and then returned to the north. But at the same time, I have to add: I was in Tehran, but I did not stay there. A huge multi-million city with wide streets, crowds of passers-by, chaotic car traffic and, as all reference books say, the most polluted air in the world floated past me in the window of a bright yellow taxi. The only sights I visited were Azadi (Freedom) Square with its huge white marble monument and the National Museum. I really liked the last one. However, I will continue in order.

Old clay city

Travel map

So, the bus from Qazvin arrived at Tehran North Station. Taxi drivers simply call it Azadi, since the central square in the north of the capital is nearby. The train station is quite large. Buses from here go not only to Gilan, Mashhad and Iranian Azerbaijan, but also to Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd. There are international flights to Ankara, Baghdad, Damascus, Baku and Herat. I was going to Yazd, but not by bus, but by train, so for six dollars I took a taxi and went to the railway station.
The railway in Iran is the only transport monopoly of the state. Bus companies, savari (minibuses), airplanes and even oil and gas pipelines - all this has long been given into private hands. Guidebooks warn that the monopoly is not always effective, trains are constantly late, and employees show enviable indifference or even rudeness towards passengers. Maybe the guidebook authors are right about something, but I got the opposite impression.

Azadi Square in Tehran

Residents of Tehran

The huge railway station was filled with crowds of people. Everyone was going somewhere. But I figured it out pretty quickly. Fortunately, signs in English were posted everywhere. There was a queue on the second floor in the information department. True, only to one window of the two. A pretty woman's face peeped out of the second. I went to this face:
“Good afternoon, I would like one ticket to Yazd.”
“Good afternoon,” the face smiled charmingly, lowering its eyes. - For tomorrow?"
"Preferably for today."
The face disappeared somewhere and did not appear for a long time. I already decided that it corrects my make-up somewhere, forgetting about my existence. But then the girl came back and said:
"Give me your passport, please."
In the passport, she was only interested in the correct spelling of my name. I later appreciated this move. At the bus ticket offices, my name was usually written by ear. It turned out funny: Dizim, Dizmini, Dzhimitrem, Jim Trem and so on. Probably because the ticket sellers there were exclusively men.
"Come back in two hours," she nodded.
Two hours? Not so much. I was going to walk around the southern historical part of the city, but I didn’t get anywhere beyond the station. I was immediately approached by those wishing to communicate with a foreigner. The first was a Russian language teacher from Ilam University. In his hands he was clutching a folder with the inscription "Russian language teacher." What I spoke in Russian seemed to him a divine omen. Outwardly, my interlocutor looked very serious, but the fact that he was able to construct such funny phrases as “America is a paper tiger” or “to ride on a railroad track” betrayed a great originality in him. The second one to come up was a guy from… Ghazvin. He was interested in one topic - the possibility of cheap travel outside of Iran. I told the guy about free youth camps and hospitality clubs. At the end of the conversation, he impressed me with his encyclopedic knowledge of Belarus and Lithuania and admitted that he would like to move to our place for permanent residence someday. However, someday - it's not soon. While he is liable for military service, and therefore not traveling.
Thanks to my interlocutors, the time flew by unnoticed. I again went up to the second floor and received a ticket in my hands, and at the same time the number of the platform, carriage and compartment written on a separate piece of paper. The girl was worried that I would not mix anything up. Traveling at a distance approximately equal to the road from Vilnius and Kiev cost about seven dollars.
I went down to the platform. There were few passengers. Station employees allowed access to trains only ten minutes before departure. In my case, they made a small exception. Both externally and internally, the trains looked quite modern. Brand new carriages with compartments for six people seemed to be much more comfortable than those that are operated by us. In every train, even going a relatively short distance from the capital, there was a dining car. The train to Yazd was no different in this respect. Of the free services for passengers: a bottle of ice water and a cup of warm herbal tea with honey. My companions were five young people. They showed no particular interest in me, so I calmly climbed onto the top shelf and fell into a peaceful sleep.
How long did I sleep? Just six and a half hours. That's how long the train went to Yazd. When I was awakened by poking a finger at the window, behind which was impenetrable night, I looked at the clock and shook my head.
“No, I’m up to Yazd, but before him I still have to cut and cut,” I said to the guide.
"Yazd! Yazd!” - the conductor again and again poked his finger at the window.
I had to quickly collect a backpack and fall out with it on the platform. It seemed that the conductor was only playing a prank on me. The train, which makes frequent stops, could not reach its destination so quickly. But then I raised my head and read the name of the station "Yazd". Indeed Yazd!

Courtyard of a hotel in Yazd

The ancient city was plunged into absolute darkness. Focusing rather on the touch, I went out into the street and got into the first taxi that came across. The taxi driver stepped on the gas before I could name the hotel where I was going to stay. The driver took me to Silk Road, an inexpensive hotel in the old part of the city. There were no places there, but the elderly owner was not at a loss and transferred me across the road to the neighboring Orient Hotel. As it turned out later, Orient belonged to his son. I was given a white clean room in the building of the former caravanserai and wished me good night. Nobody asked for a deposit or even a passport.
I didn't want to sleep anymore. I tried to watch TV, but at night there was only one channel broadcasting surahs from the Koran. Only in the morning the real broadcasts began: something about the garden and the garden, a small documentary about the life of desert rodents, and then aerobics. Only guys were engaged in aerobics, and in winter tracksuits. Their actions were commented on by two presenters - a man and a woman. But for some reason, the woman was shown less often, although she had to speak more often. In general, Iranian television seemed funny, although not very interesting.
By that time it was dawn outside. Without waiting for the hot day to begin, I left the hotel. An old man in traditional harem pants rode towards me on an ancient bicycle.
Salam! he shouted as he walked.
"Salam alaikum," I nodded.
Merchants fussed near the Jameh mosque, hanging cut-outs with chintz fabrics over the counters. They were so busy that my appearance might not have been noticed. But it was worth getting closer, as greetings were heard:
"Salam, Khariji! Hello, mister!
Salam! I replied.
I walked down the street, and people continued to say hello. They greeted, however, not only with me, but also with each other. It was evident from everything that this is a city of friendly people. It also caught my eye that, unlike Ghazvin, life here was slow and measured.

On the street in Yazd

Meanwhile, Yazd is one of the main tourist centers of Iran. Its name comes from the name of the ancient Persian deity Yazdan. Located on the spurs of the rocky mountains, it has long attracted foreign merchants who traveled with caravans from India to the Mediterranean. There was water in Yazd. Local residents learned how to build ganats - underground canals and water storages. Water watered people and camels. She was the main and only value, because there were no other riches in this desert land. In the XIII-XIV centuries, Yazd was twice destroyed by the Mongols and the warriors of Tamerlane, but the rest of the time, numerous conquerors bypassed it. Thanks to this, the traditional building has been well preserved in the city. The walls of the houses here were erected from unbaked bricks, and then coated with adobe. Towers-badgirs were installed on the roofs. They caught the wind and thus air-conditioned the premises. Gradually, Yazd turned into a major economic center, which became impoverished with the end of the caravan trade. A new revival began about forty years ago. A railway line was laid here, and then, with the help of Soviet specialists, a modern airport and a textile mill were built. Today, the production of calico fabrics and the service of foreign tourists are the main occupations of the Yazdans.
You feel the magic of the ancient city almost immediately. Ancient narrow streets, bulging roofs, as if covered with ripples of clay waves, and minarets of numerous mosques - all this, coupled with a peaceful atmosphere of peace and quiet, fascinates and makes you forget about everything in the world. There is almost no greenery in Yazd, there are no love couples and noisy companies. There is only Yazd in Yazd, and that is enough. The only noisy place is the city market. Long rows with a variety of goods, mostly of local or Chinese production, bright shop windows of jewelry stores and colorful fabrics suspended from ceiling beams - all this is diluted with an atmosphere of purely oriental color. Many residents of Yazd come to the market not so much to buy, but to communicate, exchange news or just relax, sitting near the shops and drinking tea with a bit of sugar. Sellers are happy to bargain, but, surprisingly, they do not cheat or cheat. Meanwhile, in Iran it would not be difficult. A huge number of banknotes with five-digit numbers and a double counting system - all this is terribly confusing. Officially, the calculation is in rials, but, as a rule, they count in virtual tomans. One toman is equal to ten rials. Sometimes merchants try to help by naming the price not in tomans, but in rials, and thus confuse the situation even more. The easiest way to pay is to trust the seller and slip him a pile of bills. Let him figure it out!
There is only one museum in Yazd dedicated to water. In it you can see a real ganat, huge clay amphorae, leather wineskins and cisterns. The director of the museum personally introduced me to the exhibition, and then said:
“Man and water is a very interesting topic. It is said that we became sentient when we mastered fire. However, only by starting to build wells, canals and dams, people were able to unite and create the first civilizations. In some countries, there is still not enough clean water, so we must save it.”
“Let them save money in these countries,” I objected. “But that’s unfair!” There is not enough water in Iran and Africa, and they put a water meter in my apartment.”
The director of the museum laughed out loud and agreed that I was right.
In the Middle Ages, Yazd attracted not only merchants, but also theologians. As a heritage from that era, several buildings of religious schools, the grandiose Amir Chahmak complex, erected in memory of the Shiite Imam Hussein, and several large mosques have been preserved here. One of them, Jameh, was only ten paces from my hotel. It was built in the fifteenth century at the expense of the local community. The inhabitants of Yazd spared no expense and invited the most famous Persian craftsmen to decorate the portal. In addition, the mosque was decorated with two forty-eight-meter minarets. Later, the techniques tested during the construction of Jamekh entered the canons of Muslim architecture and were used in the construction of buildings not only in Persia, but also in Transcaucasia, Central Asia and India. Today, Jameh is one of the few Shia mosques where non-Christians are allowed inside. However, photography during worship is strictly prohibited.

Jameh Mosque

In addition to Muslims, many Gabars live in Yazd - supporters of the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. Its founder was the prophet Zarathushtra. He was born in the middle of the first millennium BC somewhere on the territory of present-day Afghanistan and preached the doctrine according to which the universe is divided into two great forces: good Vohu-Mano and evil Ahem-Mano. The forces of good are led by the god Ahura Mazda, and the forces of evil are led by his brother Angro-Manyu. Some reference books state that Zoroastrianism is one of the first known monotheistic religions. However, it is not. Gabars believe that good and evil coexist together. They are in every object and even in the human soul. The struggle of two invisible forces goes on forever. But, since the worship of evil is abhorrent to the normal mind, Zarathushtra gave preference to Ahura Mazda. Unlike the pagan gods, Ahura Mazda is not visible. He appears only in the form of sacred fire. The Gabars revere fire so zealously that they are often called fire-worshippers.
It should be noted that initially Zoroastrianism was a closed religion. Only Iranians could profess it. Moreover, among the Zoroastrians there was a caste division, although not as strict as in India. Zarathushtra taught his followers to do only good deeds, but at the beginning of our era, another prophet, Mani, came to the conclusion that the real world is a product of evil, and therefore preached lies and deceit. In Iran itself, his teaching did not find supporters, but it became widespread in other countries and for some time competed in popularity with Christianity and Buddhism. Another preacher, Mazdak, won the favor of the Shah and began state reforms, the purpose of which was to build a paradise on earth. To begin with, Mazdak decided to socialize the property of merchants and feudal lords. On the way to universal prosperity, he destroyed thousands of his opponents. Socialized lands were badly managed. There were food riots. In the end, the army opposed the reformer, and the first communist revolution ended in defeat.
Initially, after the conquest of Iran, Muslim Arabs were tolerant of Zoroastrianism. But then they began to persecute the Gentiles, and the Gabars were forced to leave their homeland. They found refuge in Western India, where, thanks to usury and trade, they gained considerable weight in society. In India, the Gabars are called Parsis, and they still play an active role in economic and political life. For example, Indira Gandhi's husband was a Parsi. In the 19th century, many Gabar merchants returned to Iran. Some of them settled in Yazd. Not far from the city in the town of Chak-Chak, where, according to legend, Princess Nikbanukh was hiding from the Arabs, they restored their temple and the place of worship of fire. In Yazd itself, two Towers of Silence were built - a kind of Zoroastrian cemetery. Religion forbids gabars to defile the earth and fire with the flesh of the dead, so the bodies of the dead were taken to towers to be torn to pieces by birds. After the Islamic Revolution, this rite was banned. Now the dead are buried in the ground, carefully wrapped in a special cloth.
About seventy years ago, another Ateshkadeh temple was rebuilt in the center of Yazd. Its main attraction is the sacred fire, lit in the 5th century and has never been extinguished since then. But getting to this temple was not an easy task. It is surrounded by a fairly high wall, behind which only the tops of pines peek out. The front gate is tightly closed. Iranians passing by advised me to visit on another day and at another time. Then supposedly the temple will be opened. However, I was clearly unlucky. And tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, the gates were locked. I decided to find some other entrance and walked around the perimeter wall. On the opposite side, right behind the construction site that had unfolded in the yards, there really was a gate. But as soon as I went inside, a guard grew up next to me. He shook his head ruefully, took my hand and led me through a small park, beyond which opened a spacious courtyard and a pond. As it turned out later, I entered a part of the temple complex, accessible only to believing Gabars.

Ateshkadeh - temple of fire worshipers in Yazd

Sacred fire

Ateshkadeh itself looks quite modern. Inside there is a bright room, hung with paintings and posters on the topic of what Zarathustra said and why. There is an armchair in the corner. An ancient old man is dozing in it. Next to it is a counter with simple souvenirs, religious brochures and CDs. The old man opens his eyes, looks without any interest at the foreigner who has entered, nods when I point to my camera, and immediately closes them again. In one of the niches behind the glass, a bright flame is clearly visible. This is the sacred fire. I take some photos and go outside. A group of Chinese is already standing there, guiltily explaining something to the guard. They also entered through the back gate. The Forbidden fruit is sweet.
I spent about a week in Yazd before I found the strength to leave this city. Having received the payment, the owner of the hotel rolled out a minibus from the garage and took me to the airport for free. There were no problems with tickets to Bandar Abbas, the final southern point of my trip. The small Canadian plane quickly filled with people. I got a seat in the tail.
The steward was arguing with someone at the gangway for a long time. I looked out the window and burst out laughing. On the runway stood a man in traditional trousers. He kept a goat on a leash. The man gesticulated violently as he tried to get the animal on board. But the steward was relentless. Finally, several administrators came running from the airport building at once. They carefully studied the tickets provided by the man, argued a little among themselves and decided to take the goat away from the plane. The man shook his head ruefully, gave them the rope, and went up to the saloon. The administrators with the goat returned. When the plane took off, all the seats were occupied, except for one, the one next to me. I understand that it was on him that the goat was supposed to sit.

Mud walls of Yazd

Saman (kagel) - material for construction

The flight did not last long. Bandar Abbas met with a dark leaden sky and stifling heat. Right at the gangway, a crowd of taxi drivers was waiting for passengers. My personality aroused an unhealthy interest in them. Someone even grabbed his clothes, trying to explain something. Moreover, many taxi drivers spoke good English. But I managed to hire a non-English speaking driver. He just shoved the business card of the guest house in the city center into my hands, grabbed my backpack and showed the price on his fingers - six thousand tomans. It's a little over six dollars. It seems to be quite cheap, but not for a provincial Persian town. While driving to the guest house, the driver tried to have a dialogue with me a couple of times. First in Persian. Then in Arabic. Of all the phrases said to me, I understood only the words "Iran" and "Islam". When he once again turned to me with a question, I answered him in Belarusian:
“It's good for you in Iran. It's a perfectly normal country."
The taxi driver nodded and asked no more questions.
The main and only attraction of Bandar Abbas is the largest port in the country. It accepts heavy merchant ships, oil tankers, fishing seiners and fast tourist ferries. A little away from the main docks is a pier where you can see many traditional wooden boats. They are still used by fishermen, small traders and coastal islanders. The largest island of Qeshm is a free trade zone. From there, Iranian shuttles deliver imported goods to Bandar Abbas - clothes, children's toys, car parts, photo and video equipment. All this is presented in abundance in local stores.
There are many foreigners in Bandar Abbas. Pakistanis, Turks, Armenians come here on business or for recreation, but Arabs from the Persian Gulf countries are especially common. The indigenous people of Bandar Abbas are also of Arab origin. On the streets, Arabic is heard almost everywhere. The Persians are somewhat wary of their fellow Arabs. It is believed that they are born greedy. I was partially convinced of the correctness of this judgment when the owner of the guest house asked for a room without amenities three times more than usual.
There was a small hotel nearby. Rooms and prices there were more acceptable. But the owner, a gray-haired Afghan who spoke a little Russian, was forced to disappoint - all places are occupied or booked. I left my backpack with him and went to look for another hotel. Pretty soon, the midday heat forced me to turn into a cafe where the air conditioner was on. A middle-aged man sat down at my table and introduced himself as a businessman from Tehran. He came to Bandar Abbas for a new Japanese car, which was delivered to him from Dubai. We chatted for a while, drank non-alcoholic beer, and finally the businessman said:
“Today I am returning home. There is nothing interesting here, so I can bring it back to Yazd.”
I agreed. But before we pick up my backpack from the hotel and set off on a long journey, we went to a wild country beach. Pure white sand, a few lonely palm trees and the endless expanse of the sea. This is the Persian Gulf. A cheerful company, including women, sat under the palm trees. Looks like they were having a picnic. I asked a new acquaintance if it would be decent to dive into the water naked in full view of the ladies. He nodded in agreement, although he did not dare to swim. The company under the palm trees hooted in unison when I took a running jump into the salty water, but soon switched to their own business and lost all interest in me.
Already in the evening of the same day I was again in Yazd. The businessman gave me a lift to the hotel, handed me a farewell business card in Persian and wished me a successful continuation of the trip. The receptionist was not at all surprised to see a recently moved guest in front of him. After receiving the keys to my room, I went up to the rooftop restaurant of the hotel and ordered a camel roast for dinner. The pink sun slowly descended over the roofs of the old city. So it was today, so it will be tomorrow. Every day, like hundreds of years ago.

Dmitry Samokhvalov

Yazd from A to Z: map, hotels, attractions, restaurants, entertainment. Shopping, shops. Photos, videos and reviews about Yazd.

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The most charismatic city of Iran, ancient Yazd is located exactly in the center of the country, at almost equal distance from Isfahan, Kerman and Shiraz. There is everything here to feel like you have landed on another planet: entire forests of wind towers - “badgirs”, thanks to a complex system of turbulences delivering fresh air to homes languishing from the summer heat, the oldest Zoroastrian temple, the sacred fire of which has been kept unquenchable for 15 centuries, and a labyrinth of narrow streets of the old city, where the best silk fabrics in the world are born in weaving workshops, which once captured the imagination of Marco Polo himself. You can spend the night here in one of the unusual hotels: old residential buildings with all their century-old attributes have been converted into inns in Yazd, and have a cup of morning coffee in the pleasant company of a believing Zoroastrian who will tell you that heaven is hot, but hell is on the contrary, icy (with which we, the inhabitants of cold Moscow, agree one hundred percent). Among other things, Yazd is the second oldest city of mankind, inhabited to this day - the first mention of the settlement dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e.

How to get to Yazd

Like most cities in Iran, Yazd has its own airport that accepts international and domestic flights. The most convenient way to get to Yazd is via Tehran on Aeroflot or IranAir flights from Moscow Sheremetyevo. At least two planes depart from Tehran to Yazd daily; Travel time is just over an hour. To get from the airport to the center of Yazd, take a taxi (about 6-10 EUR). Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Search for flights to Tehran (nearest airport to Yazd)

By train

Yazd can also be reached by train, both from Tehran and from other cities in the country. The Tehran-Yazd train leaves every evening, the journey takes about 6 hours, the ticket price is from 9 EUR in a six-seater compartment to 12 EUR in a comfortable carriage (we recommend the second option).

By bus

In addition, you can arrive in Yazd by intercity express bus from any city in Iran. We remind you that it is better to take the "super" class with a "snack" included in the price and air conditioning. By the way, the Tehran-Yazd road is of excellent quality, and such a trip can be classified as very pleasant.

Transport in the city

The old city of Yazd can be easily explored on foot. For longer trips, you can use taxi services: 4000-6000 IRR for an individual trip to the specified address and 1000-2000 IRR for the opportunity to get into a collective car and get off where necessary, in the direction of the taxi. There are also motorcycle taxi drivers in Yazd who will whistle you through the streets of the city with a whistle in their ears. Such a trip will cost even less, and will give a lot of impressions!

Cuisine and restaurants of Yazd

Yazd offers travelers a rare opportunity to dine in ancient buildings converted into restaurants. One of the most popular establishments is the Hammam-e Khan restaurant, as you might guess, located in the premises of the old hammam. Here you can enjoy excellent Persian cuisine under the rhythmic ripple of water in the baths, under the shade of vaulted ceilings and surrounded by intricate wall ceramics. In addition, almost every restaurant in Yazd, as a free addition to the meal, offers a view of one or another attraction, for example, the Friday Mosque (Marco Polo restaurant), the old city (Malek-o Tozhzhar) or an old manor with a magnificent garden ( "Mozaffar").

Delicious sweets and cakes can be tasted in a specialized confectionery on Jomhuriye-Eslami Boulevard - sweet craftsmen work right in front of you and, best of all, they allow you to taste the result of their labors.

Stop by Amiran Paludeh and enjoy a bowl of Iranian sherbet - a palude made from rice flour, fruit pulp and rose water (1500 IRR per bowl).

Maps of Yazd

Shopping and stores

The main shopping location in Yazd is the bazaars of the old city. Here you can see and buy wonderful carpets (moreover, at lower prices than in Tehran and other cities of the country popular among tourists), chased and leather products, spices, sweets and souvenirs. Pay attention to the Yazd silks, called "tirma" here. You can buy cuts of fabric or ready-made products - from headscarves to bedspreads.

Entertainment and attractions of Yazd

The old city of Yazd is one big attraction. The appearance of most of the buildings here has not changed for more than one century: dark brown walls of buildings made of raw bricks baked in the sun and otherworldly structures of wind towers-bagdirs on each roof. Climbing up to the roof of one of the buildings open to the public, you can see the endless expanses of the desert surrounding Yazd from all sides.

The Zoroastrian temple of Atashkade is a place of pilgrimage for followers of this religion from all over the world. The sacred fire of the temple has been maintained since 470; it can be seen through a small window in the central hall.

The Water Museum presents an interesting exposition that tells about the ancient method of delivering water to the city through underground tunnels. The art of arranging such a water supply has more than two thousand years!

The Zoroastrian Towers of Silence, which were used, according to the beliefs of the Zoroastrians, in order for the body of the deceased to naturally rot in the air, ceased to serve their purpose only from the 60s of the 20th century.

The Zoroastrian Towers of Silence are located a short distance from the city and are easily accessible by taxi. According to the beliefs of the Zoroastrians, the body of the deceased should naturally rot in the air - therefore, the dead were taken to remote tower-type structures, where they were left on the upper platform to be eaten by birds of prey. By the way, the towers have not been used since the 60s of the 20th century.

For great Islamic architecture, head to the Friday Mosque, Khazire Mosque and Amir Shakmah Mosque.

Not far from the Amir Shakmah mosque is the complex of buildings of the same name, from the top of which you can see Yazd from an almost bird's eye view.

Do not ignore the most beautiful kazhar house with 150 years of history - Khan-e Lari. Here you can see some of the best preserved wind towers, graceful arched passages, alcoves and traditional doors.

Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Messages

• The cost of air tickets within Iran is relatively low, and there are airports in almost all Iranian cities. Iranian trains are comfortable, but there are relatively few railways in the country, and tickets must be booked as early as possible. But the whole country is entangled in a network of bus routes. The prices for intercity bus fares are ridiculous, and at the same time you will be provided with good service and the schedule is usually respected too.
  Finally, you can simply rent a car with a driver for a few hours or even days - here the cost of services will depend solely on your ability to bargain.

  Inside the cities, public transport is not developed (although a very modern and convenient metro awaits you in Tehran). It is best for a foreigner to stop a taxi on the street (every third car acts as a taxi, sometimes without any identification marks) and say the word “darbast” - in this case, the driver will not pick up other passengers along the way and will take you exactly to your destination . "Darbast" will cost more than a regular taxi (as much as 4 - 5 USD). If you want to save money, catch a car at the side of the road, shouting out the window of passing cars the final destination (or rather, the nearest square or street to it). A taxi, where 4 passengers climb at once, in this case plays the role of a minibus, following to a certain point and dropping people off as needed.

  Gregory

  Is it necessary to book tickets for intercity buses in advance? Or it can be simply and quickly resolved on the spot (not on Novruz, of course)

  I want to add. In the metro (in Tehran) there is a division into cars, separately for men and women. It is not difficult to see where the people gather. And by taxi. Sometimes Iranian taxi drivers do not know the area where you need to go. It is better to print the address (in English) at the hotel and ask the manager to translate it into Farsi. Then the driver can easily find the way and place. And there he will already ask the locals ... funny we once circled around Ekbatan (Ekbatan) ... 🙂

  Yes, you are absolutly right. When a whole family entered our “male” 🙂 car (a young husband and wife, two children and an elderly woman), no one paid much attention. It's a matter of life... 🙂 And by the way, the prices for travel in the subway are very small.

  There is a very convenient system of high-speed buses (BiArti) in Tehran. Moving along specially designated lanes, they rush past cars standing in traffic jams. Very convenient, sometimes much faster than a taxi. !) from the window. True, during peak hours on some BARTI routes are overcrowded.

  Gregory

  Explain the situation, whether there are direct buses Kashan-Khamedan and Isfahan-Khamedan. I would like to add a view of Hamedan and the caves of Ali Sadr to the standard thread of the route Tehran-Kashan-Isfahan-Yazd-Shiraz. Maybe something else to include at the same time. It is not clear how to do this optimally. Do not offer taxis.

  George

  Is it possible to buy a plane ticket from Tehran to Isfahan and vice versa on the day of departure or the day before?

  Nicholas

  Good afternoon, I have a question. I am planning a trip to Armenia in the summer, I would also like to visit the legendary Tabriz and spend a few days on it. Is it possible to cross the border on foot in Meghri and get to Tabriz by some transport? Spend a few days in Tabriz and buy a bus ticket at the bus station to leave for Yerevan. How is the bus service to Yerevan, how often do the buses run and how much can they cost? Thanks in advance

  Good day!
  Is it possible to see the schedule of buses in Iran? We plan to move along the route Tehran-Isfahan, Isfahan-Shiraz, Shiraz-Yazd, Yazd-Tehran.
  In addition, I am interested in information about the fare system in Tehran's public transport, as well as public transport that can be used to get from the airport to the city at night.
  Thanks in advance for your reply.

  Alexander

  Hello! Please tell me, is the current cost of tickets from Tabriz to Yerevan known?

  We are going to visit Iran, there are two options for flights, taking into account the fact that we want to fly there without luggage, and back, probably with luggage.

  1. Moscow - Tehran, Tehran - Moscow. Cons: extra money is taken for luggage, and very significant; flights with long transfers, if you do not take into account Aeroflot flights, the cost of which is very high. Pros: everything is simple and clear.
  2. Moscow - Tehran, Yerevan - Moscow. Pros: Aeroflot flies from Yerevan, and flights are cheap, luggage is allowed. In general, tickets are much cheaper than in option 1. You can visit Tabriz along the way. Cons: additional time to travel to Tabriz and Yerevan (and it is not as much as we would like), it is not clear how much the bus to Yerevan costs. If the same 25,000 drams per person, then the economic sense of departure from Yerevan is lost (although it remains aesthetic, although I'm not sure that after Iran there will still be strength =)).

  Ekaterina

  Good day.
  Please tell me if there are buses (and how often) from Tehran to Rasht
  And from Rasht to Tabriz?
  And by planes. Is there a direct flight from Tabriz to Shiraz and if so, on what days?
  Thanks in advance

  Maksim

  Hello!
  Please tell me about the Kashan-Tehran buses,
  kashan-yazd, Shiraz-isfahan. Schedule and travel time.

  Tatyana

  Can you recommend private transport companies in Tehran that provide a bus with a driver to transport a group of 15 people for a few days?

  Good day! Arriving in Tehran without a return ticket. I plan to leave Iran by Tabriz-Yerevan bus. How do I provide proof at the airport that I am leaving Iran through a third country. Is it possible to buy a ticket online?

  Good evening. We plan to travel around Iran by buses: Tehran-Isfahan-Yazd-Shiraz. But I would like to return to Tehran by plane to save time. Tell me where to get information from which stations to leave, where to see the flight schedule, and book if possible. Thank you

  Thank you. I am interested in a specific date: I will need 2 tickets from Shiraz to Tehran on November 1, 2018, preferably in the afternoon or evening. Since the return ticket is for November 2 at 6 am, I think it's better to return to Tehran on the eve. Specify how you can book tickets so that you can fly on November 1 with a 100% guarantee? For buses, I think it’s not worth booking in advance, it will already be possible to buy on the spot. Thank you, I'm waiting for your information.

Once the city was an esoteric center, a place where mystics and gnostics gathered, and still 5-10% of the population are Zoroastrians - this is an ancient religion of fire worshipers that originated in Iran. When Islam became the state religion of the Persian state, the Zoroastrians of Yazd managed to resist forced conversion to a new faith by regularly paying taxes. In Atashkad (“Tower of Fire”), the flame has not been extinguished since 470 - for more than 1530 years! Here, on the outskirts of the city, is Dakhme, or Kale-e Hamusha (“Tower of Silence”), where the dead are buried according to the Zoroastrian rite.

Yazd is known for the world's largest network of "ropes" - this is an ancient system of shafts-wells invented in Iran, it gradually spread to desert cities in other areas and is still used today. Many houses are equipped with bad-gira wind towers (for passive ventilation), and yakhchals serve as a kind of primitive refrigerators. Almost all houses are built of adobe - unbaked bricks made of sand, clay, straw and manure.

The city has preserved stunning examples of Islamic buildings and medieval city walls.

The region has a desert climate - very hot during the day and extremely cold at night. The trees bloom in early spring.

Do not miss

• Jame Mosque XIV c.
• Mosque Amir Chakhmak XIV c. Museum of Yazd.
• Funeral mosque of Mahbare-e Davazda Imam ("The Shrine of the Twelve Imams") - XII century.
• Mausoleum of Sayed Ron ad-Din.
• Bag-e Dovlat is a wonderful house with stained-glass windows and a garden.
• Alexander's dungeon.
• Chak Chak is an important Zoroastrian temple 52 km from Yazd.

Should know

Yazd is famous for silk weaving, ceramics and sweets. The bazaars of Yazd are perhaps the best place in Iran to buy silk, cashmere and brocade.

Yazd is one of the oldest cities not only in Iran, but also in the world. It was founded in the III millennium BC - in an oasis in the middle of the desert, 700 kilometers from Tehran, on one of the important caravan routes from India to Central Asia. Historically, the city was located in the interior of the country, far from the borders - and this allowed it to stay away from wars and devastation for centuries. Thus, the whole uniqueness of Yazd is not only in its antiquity, but in the fact that to this day the central part of the city has been preserved almost unchanged! Yazd is one of the oldest permanently inhabited places on the planet.

1. We will start the walk from the outskirts of the historical center. At the intersection of city streets, surrounded by pine trees, there is a clock tower - one of two in the old city.

2. There are many interesting sights, monuments of architecture and antiquity in Iran. But at the same time, one of the main impressions from the ancient cities of Iran is simply their atmosphere - old streets, lanes, houses made of clay or brick, silence, calmness, oriental solidity in everything. For example, here is a small detail - in the future you will surely pay attention to the large number of semicircular roofs in the old city. It is one of the classical elements of Persian architecture. The semi-circular roof allows the rooms to heat up less in the heat.

3. Tops of mosques rise here and there above the quiet streets. The very beautiful Imamzade Mosque is one of those.

5. Yazd - an ancient city on the ancient caravan route. And its central part has not changed much over the past centuries. It seems that these merchants from the past also just paused for a minute - and are about to come to life.

8. The 15th century Amir Chakmak complex is one of the main symbols of Yazd. The complex is not a simple mosque: its main part is a three-storey Hosseiniya, a ritual building designed for prayers and mourning for Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

9. The luxurious facade is especially beautiful in the evening lighting, and at night Amir-Chakmak and the surrounding area look simply incredible. But about this separately ...

10. The Amir-Chakmak complex is not far from the heart of the Old City. You just need to walk a couple of streets.

11. In the East, everything is nearby, everything is harmonious - the ancient walls of the 15th century are adjacent to busy streets along which people are busily going about their business ...

12. Here is another mosque.

13. And everywhere around - markets and bazaars. Well, where in the East without a market? :)

14. And the trade in the bazaar is conducted under the strict views of Ruhollah Khomeini and the current supreme ruler, Ali Khamenei. Under such supervision, can you weigh at least half a gram? :)

15. At the busy intersection of the Old City, there is the second ancient clock tower of Yazd, decorated with oriental ornaments and blue-blue ceramic tiles traditional for the East.

16. From the clock tower begins the boulevard leading to the holy of holies of the ancient city - the Friday Cathedral Mosque of the XII century.

17. The boulevard, like a geometric axis, connects two city dominants: at one end - a mosque, and when looking in the opposite direction - the old Clock Tower.

18. Luxurious, decorated with tiles, patterns and tiles, the Friday Mosque (Kabir, Jame) is the main mosque of the city. It was built in the 12th century and later rebuilt in the 14th century. This mosque is visible from almost everywhere in Yazd - its 52-meter minarets are among the highest in Iran.

20. On the square in front of the Friday Mosque there are many souvenir shops and shops where you can buy everything from consumer goods and dishes to magnificent camel bone boxes and luxurious Persian carpets.

22. Incredible labyrinths of streets, old adobe houses. And all this is not ostentatious - it all stands almost in its original form for centuries! And, the most interesting thing is that life is still going on in these streets in a measured and regular way.

23. A motorcycle with a passenger wrapped in a black veil in the back seat busily buzzes.

24. A peasant will go out into the street ...

25. And again the streets, adobe houses, walls, spread out with logs for reliability ...

26. Everywhere in Yazd you can see such towers - badgirs. Badgir is a traditional element in Iranian architecture that serves to ventilate buildings and maintain a normal temperature in them. In fact, badgir is a natural conditioner. With a small wind, the air, passing by the windcatcher, enters its shaft and descends into the room, under which the pool is most often installed. Cooling, the flow is divided - cold air remains in the house, while hot air goes up the shaft at the opposite end of the room. We will look into the Badgir ventilation shaft when we study one of the ancient Iranian houses in a little more detail.

27. Ancient streets dive under the vaults of stone arches...

28. Domes, arches... Carved doors.... Badgir turrets... Poppy tops of minarets... Streets.... Labyrinths... Fanciful arches... Domes... Old man! It would seem that there are no particularly bright dominants, but it is so catchy! An hour or two or three you roam. The ancient city of Yazd has an incredibly strong energy. However, perhaps, like all the places where we visited in Iran. An extremely interesting country!

35. "Air conditioners" - badgirs on the roof of one of the rich mansions, where a four-star hotel is now located.

36. Yazd is located in the desert and surrounded by mountains. Perhaps this has preserved its historical appearance for centuries.

38. One of the surviving towers of the fortress walls and the blue-green dome of the mosque in the background.

40. An interesting door. Gateway to the old city? :)

41. A little away from the Friday Mosque and the adjoining quarters of clay houses - there is a luxurious Doulat-Abad garden, the former residence of Karim Khan Zand. The garden was arranged in 1750 and is a palace surrounded by pine alleys and orchards. And here is the highest badgir in Iran (33 meters).

46. ​​Persimmons and pomegranates grow in the garden, the remains of the harvest of which hang on the branches until winter.

48. Religious banners...