Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of

Yazd County Yazd County () is in Yazd province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Yazd. History In 2023, Akramabad District was formed in the county and divided into Akramabad and Dehnow Rural Districts. Zarach District was separated from the coun ...

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd is known for its

Persian architecture Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (, ''Me'māri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distr ...

. It is nicknamed the "City of

Windcatcher A windcatcher, wind tower, or wind scoop () is a traditional architectural element used to create cross ventilation and passive cooling in buildings. Windcatchers come in various designs, depending on whether local prevailing winds are unidi ...

s" ( ''Shahr-e Badgirha'') from its many examples. It is also very well known for its

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 ...

fire temple A fire temple (; ) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. In Zoroastrian doctrine, ''atar'' and '' aban'' (fire and water) are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies sregarded as the basis of ritual lif ...

ab anbar An ''ab anbar'' (, literally "cistern") is a traditional reservoir or cistern of drinking water in Greater Iran. Structure To withstand the pressure the water exerts on the containers of the storage tank, the storage itself was built below g ...

s (cisterns),

qanat A qanāt () or kārīz () is a water supply system that was developed in ancient Iran for the purpose of transporting usable water to the surface from an aquifer or a well through an underground aqueduct. Originating approximately 3,000 years ...

s (underground channels), yakhchals (coolers),

Persian handicrafts Iranian handicrafts are handicraft or handmade crafted works originating from Iran. Basketry and wickerwork * , a bamboo wickerwork or textile, used to make floor mats, stools, and fans. * , a palm leaf basketry. * , an indigenous boat made of ...

, handwoven cloth (''Persian termeh''),

silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

weaving, Persian cotton candy, and its time-honored confectioneries. Yazd is also known as City of Bicycles, because of its early adoption of

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

, and its boasting the highest number of bicycles per capita in Iran. It is reported that

bicycle culture Bicycle culture are unwritten rules, social norms, values and infrastructure that support cyclists and shape how cycling takes place. It can refer to a mainstream culture that supports the use of bicycles or to a subculture. Although "bike ...

in Iran originated in Yazd as a result of contact with European visitors and tourists in the nineteenth century.

Etymology

''Yazd'' means "pure" and "holy"; Yazd City means "City of the Holy ne, ''i. e.'', God. Former names of this city: Kath, Isatis.

History

Archeological evidence 12 kilometers north of Yazd suggests that the area has been populated since the period of the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...

(550 BC–330 BC). In his ''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

'',

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

(died 79 AD) mentions a town in the

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

(247 BC–224 AD) named "Issatis", which is seemingly connected to the name of the Asagarta/Istachae/Sagartians. As a result, some scholars have suggested that the name of Yazd was derived from Issatis (also transliterated as Isatichae, Ysatis, Yasatis), and that the latter name started to be used in the

Median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...

or Achaemenid eras. The area encompassing Yazd first started to gain prominence in the

Late antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

, namely under the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

(224–651). Under

Yazdegerd I Yazdegerd I (also spelled Yazdgerd and Yazdgird; ) was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 399 to 420. A son of Shapur III (), he succeeded his brother Bahram IV () after the latter's assassination. Yazdegerd I's largely-uneventful reig ...

(), a mint was established in Yazd (under the mint abbreviation of "YZ"), which demonstrates its increasing importance. According to the

New Persian New Persian (), also known as Modern Persian () is the current stage of the Persian language spoken since the 8th to 9th centuries until now in Greater Iran and surroundings. It is conventionally divided into three stages: Early New Persian (8th ...

chronicle ''Tarikh-i Yazd'' ("History of Yazd") of 1441, Yazd was re-founded by "Yazdegerd, son of Bahram", i.e.

Yazdegerd II Yazdegerd II (also spelled Yazdgerd and Yazdgird; ), was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 438 to 457. He was the successor and son of Bahram V (). His reign was marked by wars against the Eastern Roman Empire in the west and the Kidari ...

(). The word ''yazd'' means God. After the

Muslim conquest The Muslim conquests, Muslim invasions, Islamic conquests, including Arab conquests, Arab Islamic conquests, also Iranian Muslim conquests, Turkic Muslim conquests etc. *Early Muslim conquests **Ridda Wars **Muslim conquest of Persia ***Muslim conq ...

, many Zoroastrians migrated to Yazd from neighboring provinces. By paying a levy, Yazd was allowed to remain Zoroastrian even after its conquest, and

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

only gradually became the dominant religion in the city. Due to its secluded desert setting and challenging access, Yazd was mostly spared from major conflicts and the devastation and havoc of warfare. For instance, it was a haven for those fleeing from destruction in other parts of the

Khwarazmian Empire The Khwarazmian Empire (), or simply Khwarazm, was a culturally Persianate society, Persianate, Sunni Muslim empire of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. Khwarazmians ruled large parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Iran ...

during the

Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire, the Mongol Empire (1206–1368), which by 1260 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

. In 1272 it was visited by

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

, who remarked on the city's fine silk-weaving industry. In the book ''

The Travels of Marco Polo ''Book of the Marvels of the World'' ( Italian: , lit. 'The Million', possibly derived from Polo's nickname "Emilione"), in English commonly called ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pis ...

'', he described Yazd in the following way: Yazd briefly served as the capital of the Muzaffarid Dynasty in the fourteenth century, and was unsuccessfully besieged in 1350–1351 by the

Injuids The Injuids (also Injus or House of Inju) were an Iranian dynasty of Persian origin that came to rule over the cities of Shiraz and Isfahan during the 14th century. Its members became de facto independent rulers following the breakup of the Ilkh ...

under Shaikh Abu Ishaq. The Friday (or Congregation) mosque, arguably the city's greatest architectural landmark, as well as other important buildings, date to this period. During the

Qajar Empire The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic origin,Cyrus Ghani. ''Iran an ...

(18th century AD) it was ruled by the Bakhtiari Khans. Under the rule of the

Safavid Empire The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

(16th century), some people migrated from Yazd and settled in an area that is today on the Iran-Afghanistan border. The settlement, which was named Yazdi, was located in what is now Farah City in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of the same name in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. Even today, people from this area speak with an accent very similar to that of the people of Yazd. One of the notable things about Yazd is its family-centered culture. According to official statistics from Iran's National Organization for Civil Registration, Yazd is among the three cities with the lowest divorce rates in Iran.

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

The majority of the people of Yazd are

Persians Persians ( ), or the Persian people (), are an Iranian ethnic group from West Asia that came from an earlier group called the Proto-Iranians, which likely split from the Indo-Iranians in 1800 BCE from either Afghanistan or Central Asia. They ...

. They speak

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

with a Yazdi accent, which is different from the Persian accent of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. During the Pahlavi era, a large group of Kurds from the Gulbaghi tribe were moved from the north of Kurdistan province to the city of Yazd and the cities of Isfahan, Kashan, and Nayin. Today, the Gulbaghi tribe are mostly assimilated elements in the population of these cities.

Religion

The majority of people in Yazd are

Shia Muslims Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

. Yazd is a strongly religious, traditionalist and conservative city. Several city traditions are the Muslim parades and gatherings, which are mainly processions called ''azadari'' held to commemorate the events experienced by the main Islamic martyrs and other important figures. These huge public gatherings created a series of spaces which, since most are near important urban monuments, are used at other times as hubs from which visitors can tour the main spots in the city. There is also a sizable population of Zoroastrians in the city. In 2013, Sepanta Niknam was elected to the city council of Yazd and became the first Zoroastrian councillor in Iran. The Pir-e-Naraki sanctuary is one of the important pilgrimage destinations for Zoroastrians, where an annual congregation is held and frequent visits are made during the year; it is now also a famous tourist spot. The story of the last Persian prince to come to Yazd before the arrival of

adds to its importance. Such a transformation has occurred several times. There was once a relatively large Jewish-Yazdi community, however, after the creation of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, many have moved there for varying reasons. Former president of Israel

Moshe Katsav Moshe Katsav (; born Musa Qassab; 5 December 1945) is an Israeli former politician and was the president of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was also a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset and a minister in its Cabinet of Israel, cabinet. He ...

is an example.

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 423,006 in 114,716 households. The following census in 2011 counted 486,152 people in 141,572 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 529,673 people in 158,368 households.

Geography

Climate

Yazd has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BWh''). It is the driest major city in Iran, with a yearly precipitation amount that is less than , and has only 11.5 days of precipitation. Summer temperatures are frequently above in blazing sunshine with low humidity, on 35.3 days per year the maximum daily temperature reaches or exceeds . Even at night the temperatures in summer are rather uncomfortable. In the winter, the days remain mild and sunny, but in the morning the thin air and low cloudiness cause cold temperatures, with 24.3 days per year in which the minimum temperature falls below .

Dust Dust is made of particle size, fine particles of solid matter. On Earth, it generally consists of particles in the atmosphere that come from various sources such as soil lifted by wind (an aeolian processes, aeolian process), Types of volcan ...

events are not uncommon in Yazd, as they happen 52 days per year. Thick haze is much more common (135.8 days annually) and is more frequent in winter.

Historical sites

Yazd is an important centre of

Iranian architecture Iranian architecture or Persian architecture (, ''Me'māri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distr ...

. Because of its climate, it has one of the largest networks of ''

s'' (underground water supply systems) in the world, and Yazdi ''qanat'' makers are considered the most skilled in Iran. To deal with the extremely hot summers, many old buildings in Yazd have magnificent wind towers and large underground areas. The city is also home to prime examples of '' yakhchals'', which were used to store ice retrieved from glaciers in the nearby mountains. Yazd is also one of the largest cities built almost entirely out of

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

. Yazd's heritage as a center of Zoroastrianism is also important. There is a

Tower of Silence A ''dakhma'' (), also known as a Tower of Silence (), is a circular, raised structure built by Zoroastrians for excarnation (that is, the exposure of human corpses to the elements for decomposition), in order to avoid contamination of the ...

on the outskirts, and the city has an '' ateshkadeh'' which holds a fire that has been kept alight continuously since 470 AD. Zoroastrians make up a small minority of the population of Yazd, around 1,000 out of 600,000. The 11th-century brick mausoleum and shrine

Davāzdah Imām Davāzdah Imām, also known as The Shrine of the Twelve Imams, is an 11th-century mausoleum and ziyarat (shrine) in the Fahadan quarter of Yazd, Iran. It is the earliest-dated building in Yazd. It is adjacent to Zendan-e Eskandar (Alexander's Pri ...

is the oldest dated building in the city. Built in 12th century and still in use, Jame Mosque of Yazd is an example of the finest Persian

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

s and excellent architecture. Its minarets are the highest in the country.

Tomb of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din The Tomb of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din (Persian: آرامگاه سید رکن الدین) or the Sayyed Rukn ad-Din Madrasa (Persian: مدرسه سید رکن الدین) is a 14th century mausoleum in Yazd, Iran. It is the burial place of Sayyed Rukn ad ...

is nearby the mosque.

Economy

Always known for the quality of its silk and carpets, Yazd today is one of Iran's industrial centers for textiles. There is also a considerable ceramics and construction materials industry and unique confectionery and jewellery industries. A significant portion of the population is also employed in other industries including agriculture, dairy, metal works, and machine manufacturing. There are a number of companies involved in the growing information technology industry, mainly manufacturing primary materials such as cables and connectors. Currently Yazd is the home of the largest manufacturer of fibre optics in Iran. Yazd's confectioneries have a tremendous following throughout Iran and have been a source of tourism for the city. Confectioners workshops (''khalifehs'', or experts) keep their recipes a guarded secret, and there are many that have remained a private family business for many generations.

Baklava Baklava (, or ; ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. There are several theories for the origin of th ...

, ghotab and

pashmak Pashmak () is a form of Iranian candy floss or cotton candy, made from sugar. Pashmak is served on its own or as an accompaniment to fruits, cakes, ice creams, puddings and desserts. It is widely known as Persian Cotton Candy.

are the most popular sweets made in the city. In 2000 the Yazd Water Museum opened; it features exhibits of water storage vessels and historical technologies related to water. Yazd has expanded its industrial fields since the 1980s. With at least three main industrial areas each containing over 70 different factories, Yazd has become one of the most technologically advanced cities of Iran.

Transportation

In addition to its connection with major Iranian cities via

Iranian Railways The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (abbreviated as IRIR, or sometimes as RAI, or as IRI Railway) () is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. The Raja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the IR, and manages its passenger t ...

, Yazd is served by the

Shahid Sadooghi Airport Yazd Airport () is an airport in Yazd, Iran. The airport lies 10 kilometers away from the city center of Yazd and serves the city as well as all of the surrounding counties. The Shahid Sadooghi Airport also serves as a part of the important north� ...

Politics

* Eskandar Aslani (circa 1979) * Muhammad-Ali Vahdati * Ali-Akbar Farshi * Muhammad-Hassan Khorshidnam * Hosseyn A'laii * Muhammad-Mahdi Sherafat * Ali-Akbar Aramun * Morteza Shayeq * Ali-Akbar Mirvakili * Mohammad Azim Zadeh (circa 2017)

Famous residents

Mohammad Khatami Mohammad Khatami (born 14 October 1943) is an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the fifth president of Iran from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005. He also served as Iran's Minister of Culture from 1982 to 1992. Later, he was critic ...

, former president of Iran; born in

Ardakan Ardakan () is a city in the Central District of Ardakan County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Demographics Population At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 51,34 ...

Mohammad Ali Jafari Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari (, born 1 September 1957, also known as Aziz Jafari and Ali Jafari) is a retired Iranian military officer and former commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2007 to 2019. He was ...

, the commander of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution of Iran * Mohammad Reza Aref, Vice President of Iran from 2001 to 2005 *

Mirza Mohammad Farrokhi Yazdi Mirza Mohammad Farrokhi Yazdi (; 1889 – October 18, 1939), also known as Taj osh-Sho'arā (تاج الشعرا; lit. Crown of poets), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian poet, journalist and senior politician of the Persian Constitutional Revoluti ...

, poet and politician *

Vahshi Bafghi Vahshi Bafqi () was a Persians, Persian poet of the Safavid Iran, Safavid era, considered to be one of the greatest of his generation. Biography Vahshi was born in 1532 in Bafq, an Agrarian society, agrarian town near the provincial capital of Ya ...

, poet * Habibollah Bitaraf, former Minister of Energy *

, former President of Israel *

Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodooshan Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodushan (; 25 August 1924 – 25 April 2022) was an Iranian literary critic, translator and poet, and one of the most celebrated contemporary writers on culture and literature in Iran. Life After graduating from high schoo ...

, Iranian author *

Mehdi Azar Yazdi Mehdi Azar-Yazdi () (18 March 1922 – 9 July 2009) was an Iranian children's writer. He started his career in 1956. His books are adaptations of works of the Classical Persian literature re-written for children in an easy-to-understand style.

, author of children's stories *

Reza Amrollahi Reza Amrollahi () is a physicist and professor. Biography He was the professor of some of the Iranian universities such as Khaje Nasir University and Amir Kabir university. Reza Amrollahi was the president of the Atomic Energy Organization of ...

, Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran 1981–1997 *

Iraj Afshar Iraj Afshar (; 8 October 1925 – 9 March 2011) was a bibliographer, historian, scholar, professor, and a figure in the field of Persian studies. Afshar was a professor emeritus of the University of Tehran. He was a consulting editor of ''Ency ...

, bibliographer, historian, and an iconic figure in the field of Persian studies *

Ahmad Fardid Seyyed Ahmad Fardid () (Born in 1910, Yazd – 16 August 1994, Tehran), born Ahmad Mahini Yazdi, was a prominent Iranian philosopher and a professor of Tehran University. He is considered to be among the philosophical ideologues of the Islamic ...

, prominent Iranian philosopher and an inspiring and dedicated professor *

Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi or Sharif al-Din Ali’ Yazdi (; died 1454, Yazd), also known by his pen name Sharaf, was a 15th-century Persian scholar who authored several works in the arts and sciences, including mathematics, astronomy, enigma, liter ...

, 15th-century Persian historian. *

Zia'eddin Tabatabaee Seyyed Zia al-Din Tabataba'i Yazdi (; June 1889 – 29 August 1969) was an Iranian journalist and Persian Constitutional Revolution, pro-Constitution politician who, with the help of Reza Shah, spearheaded the 1921 Persian coup d'état and aim ...

, Iranian politician and the Prime Minister of Iran *

Reza Ardakanian Reza Ardakanian () is an Iranian professor, politician and former Minister of Energy of Iran, a position he had held from 29 October 2017 to 25 August 2021. He was previously deputy energy minister in the 1980s and 1990s and has been involved wi ...

, Iranian professor, politician and the former Minister of Energy of Iran *

Sems Kesmai Sems Kesmai (March 4, 1884 – November 3, 1961; ) was an Iranian poet known for her innovations in Persian modernist poetry. Biography Sems Kesmai was born 1884 in Yazd, Iran. Her father was an immigrant from Georgia, and her family was broad ...

, poet

Education

The University of Yazd was established in 1988. It has a college of architecture specializing in traditional Persian art and architecture. Yazd and its nearby towns contain the following institutes of higher education:

Twin towns – sister cities

Yazd is twinned with: *

Holguín Holguín (, ) is a municipality-city in Cuba. After Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey, it is the List of cities in Cuba, fourth largest city in Cuba. History Before Christopher Columbus, Columbus, the Taino people settled in huts made fro ...

, Cuba *

Homs Homs ( ; ), known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa ( ; ), is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is Metres above sea level, above sea level and is located north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is ...

, Syria *

Jászberény Jászberény is a city and market centre in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in Hungary. Location Jászberény is located in central Hungary, on the Zagyva River, a tributary of the Tisza River. It is about from Budapest. History The oldes ...

, Hungary *

Poti Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian language, Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz language, Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia (country), Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the mkhare, region of ...

, Georgia

Gallery

File:Yazd entrance.JPG, Yazd Entrance File:Amir Chakhmaq Complex, Yazd.jpg,

Amir Chakhmaq Complex The Amir Chakhmaq Complex () is a prominent structure in Yazd, Iran, noted for its symmetrical sunken alcoves. It is a mosque located on a square of the same name. It also contains a caravanserai, a tekyeh, a bathhouse, a cold water well, and ...

File:Mezquita del Viernes, Yazd, Irán, 2016-09-21, DD 11.jpg, Jameh Mosque File:Zoroastrian Fire Temple, Yazd 01.jpg, Fire Temple File:Dolat Abad Garden - Pavilion 01.jpg,

Dowlatabad Garden Dowlatabad Garden (Persian: باغ دولت آباد) is a historical garden in Yazd, Iran. Its 33.8 meters tall windcatcher is the tallest adobe-made windcatcher in the world. It was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2011, as part of the ...

pavilion with wind tower File:Zurkhaneh, Yazd 01.jpg, A Zurkhaneh in Yazd File:Casa Lari, Yazd, Irán, 2016-09-21, DD 19.jpg, Lari House in Yazd File:971117-DadHotel-Yazd-Pan02.jpg, alt=Dad Hotel, Dad Hotel, Yazd, Iran File:باغ خوشنویس.jpg, Khoshnevis Garden

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* . * *

External links

Rare Photos of Arak, Yazd, Kashan
Iranian.com
Phototour of the desert city (Yazd)
{{Zoroastrianism Populated places in Yazd County Cities in Yazd province Iranian provincial capitals World Heritage Sites in Iran