Traditions of Yazd
A desert city of mud-brick houses and wind towers, and the main home of Zoroastrian faith in Iran.
Yazd is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, built of mud-brick with wind towers, badgir, that cool the houses. It is the heart of the Iranian Zoroastrian community, who keep a fire temple with a flame said to have burned for more than 1,500 years. The city is known for its sweets and for its qanats, underground water channels.
Fire and festivals
Zoroastrians gather at the fire temple of Yazd for prayer and keep the festival of Sadeh in winter. Tir and Mehregan are other seasonal festivals. On Chaharshanbe Suri before Nowruz, people jump over small bonfires to rid themselves of illness and misfortune. The Zoroastrian New Year is also a major event.
At the table
Yazd is famed for its sweets: baklava, qottab, almond pastries fried and dipped in syrup, and pashmak, cotton candy of fine sugar threads. Saffron and cardamom are used in rice and teas. Shir berenj, sweet rice milk, is a winter treat.
Signature traditions of Yazd
Also part of it, and being written: Zoroastrianism in Iran (The faith in its home.), Qottab (The Yazdi almond pastry.).
A trail idea for Yazd
- Atash Behram See the sacred fire from outside the sanctuary.
- Amir Chakhmaq Complex A tall mosque square at sunset.
- Old town lanes Walk the covered passages.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Chaharshanbe Suri: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sadeh: Farzad j, Public domain, source