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| Monday, 17-Jul-2006 12:08 |
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Chak Chak
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The village of Chak Chak, also known as Pir-e Sabz, consists of a shrine perched beneath a towering cliff face in the desert of central Iran. It is the most sacred of the Zoroastrian mountain shrines. Located near the city of Ardakan in Yazd province, Chak Chak serves as a pilgrimage point for pious Zoroastrians. Each year from June 14-18 many thousands of Zoroastrians from Iran, India and other countries flock to the fire temple of Pir-e Sabz. Tradition has it that pilgrims are to stop the moment they see the sight of the temple and continue their journey on foot the rest of the way.
Meaning “drop-drop” in Persian, Chak Chak is where Nikbanou, second daughter of the last pre-Islamic Persian ruler, the Sassanian Emperor Yazdegerd III of Persia, was cornered by the invading Arab army in 640 CE. Fearing capture Nikbanou prayed to Ahura Mazda to protect her from her enemies. In response to Nikbanou's pleadings, the mountain miraculously opened up and sheltered her from the invaders.
Notable features of Chak Chak include the ever dripping spring located at the mountain. Legend has it that these drops are tears of grief that the mountain sheds in remembrance of Nikbanou. Growing beside the holy spring is an immense and ancient tree said to be Nikbanou's cane. Legend also has it that a petrified colorful cloth from Nikbanou was also visible in the rocks although pilgrims have since taken this.
The actual temple of Chak Chak is a man-made grotto sheltered by two large bronze doors. The shrine enclosure is floored with marble and its walls are darkened by fires kept eternally burning in the sanctuary. In the cliffs below the shrine are several roofed pavilions constructed to accommodate pilgrims.
More Photos are here:
http://www.nazcapictures.com/feature.php?id_reportage=83
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| Saturday, 15-Jul-2006 16:58 |
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Towers of silence in Yazd
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Dakhmeh or Qol-ye Khamushan (towers of Silence):
These are three impressive buildings remaining from several other structures on hilltops outside and in the immediate vicinity of Yazd (about 15 km to the south-west) where the bodies of the dead Zoroastrians would be brought to the foot of the tower so that a ritual ceremony could be held in presence of the relatives and friends of the deceased.
The body was then carried by the priests into the tower where it was laid on the flat stones on the ground ?thus avoiding that earth, water, and fire, the divine elements be contaminated, the soul of the defunct person having already been by Ahura Mazda.
In a short time the body would be torn apart by the passing vultures and crows. The bones were then thrown into a circular pit in the center of the tower. At the foot of the towers stand the remains of the buildings, which once served for the funerary ceremonies.
When the towers were still used for Zoroastrian burials, only the priests were allowed into them. Nowadays, however, some of them have been opened to the public.
Beneath the hill there are several other disused Zoroastrian buildings including a defunct well, two small bad-girs, a kitchen and a lavatory.
The custom of exposing corpses in a tower of silence largely disappeared throughout the Zoroastrian world around 50 years ago, at about the same time that the eternal flame was transferred to the newly constructed Atashkadeh in the center of Yazd.
As a matter of fact, the towers were used until 1987, after which all Zoroastrian dead were buried in the cemetery at the foot of the towers. The site can be reached only by taxi or private car
http://www.avesta.org/ritual/funeral.htm
http://www.livius.org/a/iran/yazd/yazd.html
http://www.salamiran.org/CT/provinces/yazd.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towers_of_Silence
http://tenets.zoroastrianism.com/dakhma33.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/features/parsis/
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| Tuesday, 11-Jul-2006 21:00 |
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Zoroastrians Of Yazd
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| Tuesday, 11-Jul-2006 17:49 |
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Yazd Fire Temple
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Fire Temple (also Dar-e Mihr in Persian در مهر, or Atash Kadeh آتشکده in Iran, Agiary in India, Atəşgah in Azerbaijani, and various names in North America) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. It is typically a building with a hall and various rooms or chambers, the most holy of which houses a sacred fire, which laymen make offerings to and priests perform rituals before. In Zoroastrianism, fire is revered as the son of Ahura Mazda, and represented by the Amesha Spenta Asha Vahishta, or "Best Righteousness." There are three grades of fires: the Atash Dadgah, Atash Adaran, and Atash Behram, sometimes called a "Fire Cathedral
Origins
The Iranians come from the prehistoric Indo-Iranian group, which included what was to become the Vedic culture in India. Being a nomadic people in the Central Asian steppes, fire was a source of not only warmth, but protection at night. Therefore, it became revered, as can be seen in the Rig Veda, where Agni is the first word and remains prominent throughout the Rig Veda. In Hinduism, ceremonies can still be seen in the yajña ceremony. The pre-Zoroastrian equivalent of Agni was the god Ātar, whom was propitiated at the home's hearth and on hill-tops during seasonal festivals, similar to the ancient Greek's worship of Hestia. During this time, usage of familiar ritual implements, such as the barsom, and the sacrament of haoma can be recognized.
Development
Originally there were no fire temples. There is no mention of fire temples in Zarathushtra's Gathas, nor is there even an Avestan word for 'fire temple'. The only mention in the Avesta of a place for a stationary fire is in the Vendidad. By the time of the Parthian, and possibly as early as the Achaemenid dynasty, the first fire temples were being built atop artificial earthen mounds, but their architecture was open and had no roofs, as Herodotus, Strabo and Pausanias reported. It was the belief of Zoroastrians at the time that the essence of God could not be shut into walls. An example of this style can be found at Tappeh Meel near Tehran, Takht-e Suleiman, and Nishapur. Though four miles west of Isfahan is the Atashgah ('place of fire'), harkening back to the earlier tradition of ascending hills to be closer to the heavens. The oldest archaeological site found of what would be recognized as a fire temple today is the Kuh-e Khwaja, near Lake Hamun in Sistan. The remains suggest an inner sanctum where the fire was housed and corresponds with what the Muslim writer Qazvini observed at the site in the 13th century. Features that all these writers observed which correspond with the Zoroastrian scriptural edicts are the ever-burning fire in a stone ceremonial vessel, the cloth mask worn over the nostrils and mouth to prevent pollution from the breath, a bundle of twigs (barsom) held by the priest, and special silver tongs for tending the fire. These basic features are still prevalent today, though slightly changed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agiary
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| Tuesday, 11-Jul-2006 17:49 |
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Mausoleum of Seyed Rokn od-din
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This Bagh (mausoleum belongs to the 14th century AD and consists of a portal, a fine cupola covered with enameled tiles, and an inscription in Kuffic calligraphy. Inside the cupola, three are brick decorations, and construction of the mausoleum has been attributed to Amir Rokn od-Din Mohammad Qazi.
Before becoming a mausoleum, it was known as the Masjed-e Mosalla-ye Atiq.
Textiles:
(General textiles, including clothing fabrics, industrial fabrics, thermal fabrics, silk, Termeh a traditional luxury fabric, Carpets, and Ziloo a form of carpet weaved with cotton)
Yazd probably developed its traditional textiles industry due to its proximity to trade routes including the Silk Road leading to and from south east Asia across to Africa, Near East and Europe. Termeh a traditional fabric used in formal dresses and clothing is of intricate designs integrating paisley, floral and natural forms in to multiple layers of silk, cotton and often precious metal threads of gold and silver. Termeh was often used as the material of choice for designing the clothing and uniforms worn by statesmen and nobility, and is now used for formal and traditional functions. A form of Termeh is used as a fabric on furniture. In addition to traditional textiles such as Termeh and Carpets, currently Yazd is the home of Iran's biggest textile factories. There are a number of massive factories producing an array of fabrics for export and use in many other industries. The fabrics from some production lines are destined for export to Italy and Germany
[b]
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| Monday, 10-Jul-2006 15:10 |
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Yazd water museum
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I have to tell you something very frankly: The Fotopages.com encourages me for searching around Iran.i learned many things during my trips and i shared all of those information with you...Do you believe I love my country more than before???
>>>
Just off of Meidûn-é Amîr Chakmâgh is an old building illuminated by an enormous flashing neon sign that in any other country would be advertising a tacky night-club or run-down casino but here in Yazd it is calling your attention to the equally thrilling sounding Yazd Water Museum.
Building a city in the desert was never going to be easy but the 5th century workmen who set-about laying the foundations succeeded through hard-work and ingenuity the story of which is retold in this former merchant’s house. A series of exhibits of ancient tools and machinery, all well labelled in English, relate the design and construction of the engineering marvel that allowed the dessert to bloom. The idea is simple you find an underground source of water that is higher then where you are, pretty easy on a plain surrounded by two of the country’s tallest mountains, and then you dig a long underground tunnel to channel it to you. Simple the idea may be but the implementation of it here in ancient Persia was revolutionary and would influence city design across the Arab world from Morocco to China for centuries to come.
The channels, called qanats, are dug so that they are just large enough for a worker to crawl through and they stretch at a slight angle for up to 45km to reach their water source. These qanats are dotted with shafts to the surface that are dug every 20 to 30 meters for ventilation and maintenance access. Upon reaching Yazd the qanats split into smaller channels called kariz that distribute the water to various locations throughout the old city. These are buried deep below the city to prevent the water from becoming contaminated. An outlet from one of these kariz can be seen in the basement of the museum another can be seen below Masjed-é Jame' that is used for ritual ablutions.
As the city continued to grow the channels were found to be inadequate to supply the growing water needs of the community and so rich merchants and officials began to dig large subterranean reservoirs called ab anbar in their gardens. These could hold up to 50 cubic meters of water, they would be filled from the kariz every couple of weeks, and cleaned once a year. The idea caught on and soon public ab anbar were built at key locations within the old city. Some of these can still be seen, from the outside they are large mud brick domes with multiple badgir (wind-catchers) rising up from them to funnel down the slightest of breezes to help cool the water. The system works surprisingly well and if you descend the long staircase to the entrance of one you will see just how cool it is inside.
The simple museum may not sound thrilling but for just 10,000 rials it allows you to fully appreciate everything you see in Yazd from the old city to the pomegranate and apricot plantations that dot its outskirt.
From journal: Ancient Yazd: Pearl of the Desert
I want to give you completeand correct information so you see i search and find some texts for you 
http://www.watermuseum.ir/en/index.php
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| Saturday, 8-Jul-2006 18:41 |
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Around The town
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Dowlatabad Garden
The heat is blistering in the south, on the edge of the Great Desert. High chimneys acting as air-vents bring some comfort to these dwellings.
This is a complex built according to the original Iranian architectural style and consists of a large garden and some buildings.
Being watered by a qanat, until the very recent past it was used for the residence of the provincial governor, The most impressive part of the Complex are a 33-meter high bad-gir (wind tower) on the roof and a water stream in the interior.
The air was conducted into the interior and cooled through the action of the flowing water. Lattice doors and windows with stained glass patterns impart a pleasing sight to the Complex
Mir Chaqmaq Mosque
This mosque is famous on account of its splendid portal and facade. It also possesses a huge dome and superb (Suffeh) (platform or ivan). Originally, the mosque was called Masjid-i-Jami or Masjid-i-Nau (New Mosque).
The portal inscription of the mosque is very valuable and according to its text, the construction of the Masjid has been completed through the zealous efforts of Bibi Fatima Khatun, wife of Amir Chaqmaq, governor of Yazd.
The Mihrab of the mosque, is of marble, bordered with mosaic tile decorations and verses from the Holy Koran, carved on marble.
Besides this mosque, Amir Jalal Al-din Chaqmaq has other constructions to his credit, such as the Khanegah (A.H. 830 = A.D. 1426), a caravanserai, public baths, a Maydan, and a Takyeh, all of which are known under his name.
On no account should you miss the fourteenth-century AD Masjed-e Amir Chakhmaq 0r Masjed-e jomeh (an exact contemporary of the Masjed-e Jams) next to the bazaar portal, famous for its superb portal ornamented with stucco, and the traditional four-ivan structure on a courtyard a little too small for the ivans. Originally, it was called Masjed-e Now (New Mosque).
The frieze on the portal has artistically very valuable calligraphy etched on it, according to which the mosque was built by the zealous efforts of Bibi Fatemeh Khatun, wife of Yazd governor Amir Jalal od-Din Chakhmaq. A marble mihrab has been installed, around which decorative tiles and verses of the Holy Koran have been etched over stone.
The mosque is very near to the Takieh-ye Mir Chakhmaq, a 19th century tiled edifice built to serve as a grandstand for the traditional passion play, or Tazieh, recording the martyrdom of the third Imam, Hossein that is acted during the mourning month of Muharram (lunar) is the Takieh, or special theater used for these performances, of which it formed part.
At present, the free space in front of the monument has been turned into the central square of the town, and has acquired a new appearance as a result of trees and flowers having been planted.
Actually, this represents one of the buildings of a historic complex incorporating a mosque, a public bath, a caravansary, a mausoleum, a Takieh, three water reservoirs, and a imposing entrance to one Yazd`s bazaars.
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| Friday, 7-Jul-2006 02:19 |
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Yazd Alleys
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In ancient Iran there were many types of public structures, from among which one may mention the achievement represented by city walls.
The twelfth to fourteenth century walls of Yazd, which are still standing, are perhaps the most interesting, imposing and skillfully planned.
In Yazd, sections of the old walls and moat remain, providing an interesting example of a medieval wall, fortified by moat, towers and barbicans, now buried deep within a town which has long since expanded beyond its old limits.
These walls were begun, it is said, in 1119 and rebuilt and extended during the 14th century. In places, they were 15 meters high, being nicely decorated with ornamental devices such as those employed on unglazed pottery.
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| Thursday, 6-Jul-2006 16:26 |
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Jame mosque of Yazd(Congregation mosque)
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Masjed-e Jam`s, also known as the Friday Mosque( you know these kinds of mosque as Friday mosque it is not correct because you translate Jome in Persian to Friday but the meaning of this word is Congregation), like so many important mosques, was the focus of a complex of buildings of various periods and styles in various states of conservation.
The site of a Sassanian fire temple, its major features, however, were begun in 1324 and continuously developed for forty years.( look at The sign of Chalipa Above the windows this sign has been painted 700 years ago but that Murderer( Hitler) that he slaughtered milions of people.used our peacful sign for his Crimes.we believe The Cross belonged to Ancient Persia
There is no more impressive gateway in Iran that this great soaring 14-century edifice.
Crowned by a pair of minarets, the highest in Iran.
The portal`s façade is decorated from top to bottom in dazzling tile work, predominantly blue in color.
Inside there is a long arcaded court where, behind a deep-set southeast ivan, is a sanctuary chamber which, under a squat tiled dome, is exquisitely decorated with faience mosaic; its tall faience mihrab, dated 1365, is one of the finest of its kind in existence.
The tile work has recently been skillfully restored and a modern library built to house the mosque`s valuable collection of books and manuscripts.
By the side of the Masjed-e Jam`s, along a side street to the right, was the Vaqt Va Sa`at (Time and hour) complex, now reduced to the Shrine of Rokn od-Din, who was responsible for building the complex.
The observatory (which gave its name), a library, and a Madraseh, have all vanished.
http://www.yazd.com/
http://www.yazdtourism.com/
http://www.learn.columbia.edu/dbcourses/vr/yazd_jami_2.mov
I am so busy these days because i have some responsibility,also i should visit my patients.and finally..i have to sit in Tourism class too because i want to share correct informations with you...
By the way :choosing photos is more harder than even uploading and taking Photos
**************
One of my friends introduced me this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
I think he is right this symbol( Chalipa) is widespeard ,
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| Monday, 3-Jul-2006 17:51 |
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Take a trip to Istatis(Yazd Province)
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Yazd province, in the center of Iran , is located between the latitudes 31 53' and 32 56' N. and longitudes 52 55' and 57 30' E.
It is bounded on the north and the west by Esfahan province, on the northeast by Khorasan province, on the southwest by Fars province and on the southeast by Kerman province.
Yazd has an area of 69,605 square kilometers and based on the 1995 divisions it has 7 counties named Yazd, Ardakan, Bafq, Taft, Abarkuh, Mehriz and Meybod, 16 towns, 14 rural districts and 38 villages.
The center of this province is Yazd.
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mahshare
