The Cypress of Abarkuh ( ''Sarv-e Abarkuh''), also called the Zoroastrian Sarv, is a Persian cypress (''
Cupressus sempervirens
''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Iran. While some studies show it ha ...
'') tree in
Abarkuh
Abarkuh () is a city in the Central District of Abarkuh County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Etymology
A folk etymology of the name Abarquh, related by Hamdallah Mustawfi in 1340, is from '' ...
in
Yazd Province of Iran. It is protected by the
Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran
The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran () is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran.
It was f ...
as a national natural monument and is a major tourist attraction with a height of and with a perimeter of at its trunk and higher up around its branches. It is estimated to be over four millennia old and is likely the oldest living lifeform in Asia.
According to legend, the tree was planted by
Zoroaster
Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster or Zarathustra, was an Iranian peoples, Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism ...
, the founder of the
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
religion. It is said that Zoroaster left to spread his teachings to an Iranian city towards Balkh and met Shah
Vishtaspa
Vishtaspa ( ; ; ; ) is the Avestan-language name of a figure appearing in Zoroastrian scripture and tradition, portrayed as an early follower of Zoroaster, and his patron, and instrumental in the diffusion of the prophet's message. Although V ...
. He stopped at Abarkuh and supposedly planted this tree.
Gallery
Cypress of Abarqu - Bough - 1.JPG,
Cypress of Abarqu - Bough - 3.JPG,
Cypress of Abarqu - cones.jpg,
Cypress of Abarqu - Full view with two school girls in front of it.JPG,
Cypress of Abarqu - sign.JPG,
See also
*
List of oldest trees
This is a list of the oldest-known trees, as reported in reliable sources. Definitions of what constitutes an individual tree vary. In addition, tree ages are derived from a variety of sources, including documented "tree-ring" ( dendrochronologic ...
*
List of individual trees
The following is a list of individual trees. Trees listed here are regarded as important or specific by their historical, national, locational, natural or mythological context. The list includes actual trees located throughout the world, as we ...
*
Cypress of Kashmar
The Cypress of Kashmar was a cypress tree regarded as sacred to followers of Zoroastrianism. According to the Iranian epic ''Shahnameh'', the tree had grown from a branch Zoroaster had carried away from Paradise and which he planted in honor of K ...
*
Yaldā Night
Yaldā Night () or Chelle Night (also Chellah Night, , lit. "fortieth night") is an ancient festival in Iran, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan that is celebrated on the winter solstice. This corresponds t ...
References
Individual conifers
Yazd province
Tourist attractions in Yazd province
Individual trees in Iran
Zoroastrianism
{{Iran-stub