The Zoroastrian Fire Temple of Yazd

In the heart of Iran, city of Yazd, is a Zoroastrian temple with a burning sacred fire since 1,500 years ago.

City of Yazd, which is located in the province of the same name, is famous for its unique architecture due to centuries of adaptation to the harsh desert weather. It is also considered one of the main Zoroastrian centers of the world.

Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions and the official religion of the pre-Islamic Iranian empires. Zoroastrianism is based on three main principles: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.

The main building of this temple is 21 meters tall and is decorated with a Faravahar relief on the main façade. Faravahar is the well-known sign of Zoroastrianism and is said to be the depiction of Fravashi, which is a Zoroastrian concept referring to the spirit of any individual throughout the history and in the eternity. The current building was built in the year 1934 by a small Zoroastrian community in the city.

Entering this sacred temple calls for a set of ceremonial customs and rites; cleanness and neatness, wearing a white hat for men or a white scarf for women, preferably wearing white colored clothings, taking off shoes and etc.

Upon entering, the holy fire can be seen behind a glass wall and is burning in a large firebox made of bronze. The person responsible for keeping the fire burning, a very important and sacred task in Zoroastrian religion, is called Herbad.

As already mentioned, the sacred fire in this temple has been burning for almost 1,500 years. This fire has been originally brought to another temple in the province of Yazd from a temple in Larestan (southern Iran). In the year 1473, the fire was brought to the city of Yazd and until the construction of the temple (for almost 500 years), it was kept in the house of a great Zoroastrian priest.

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