Yazd (یزد)

The city of Yazd is the capital of central Iran's Yazd province. The area has been inhabited since at least the times of the Achaemenid Empire, which existed from 550 to 330 BC.

Yazd is an important centre of Persian architecture. To deal with the hot weather during the summer, many of the city's old buildings feature wind towers and large underground caverns. As a result, Yazd's nickname is the 'Shahr-e Badgirha' (City of Windcatchers, شهر بادگیرها). Also because of the arid climate, the city has an extensive network of qanats (underground water supply systems).

There are also numerous yakhchals in Yazd. They were used to store ice, brought from glaciers in the nearby mountains.

The city is also known for its Zoroastrian fire temples, known as ateshkadeh. One of these holds a fire that has been kept alight continuously since 470 AD. In the outskirts of Yazd is the so-called Tower of Silence.

The oldest building in Yazd is Davāzdah Imām. It is a mausoleum and shrine built of brick in the 11th century. The Jame Mosque was built in the 12th century. It features beautiful mosaics and its minarets are the tallest in Iran. Not far from the mosque is the tomb of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din.

Yazd is also known for its ab anbars (cisterns), Persian handicrafts, handwoven cloth (Persian termeh), silk weaving, Persian cotton candy and confectioneries. It has the highest number of bicycles per capita in Iran.

Most buildings in yazd are made of adobe and the historical city center was inscribed into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2017.