Travel to Iran: Zoroastrian Sites

This is a travel blog for my 2005 journey to a number of Zoroastrian sacred sites in Iran, in addition to other small excursions. Most of these sites are open to tourists, though some require advanced planning and are often hard to reach.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005


Kerman. The new Zoroastrian temple, outside view


Kerman - new Zoroastrian temple


Kerman - new Zoroastrian temple, inside


Kerman - new Zoroastrian temple, inside


Kerman - Shah.Verahram.Izad, old kitchen


Kerman - Inside Shah.Verahram.Izad


Kerman - Old Zoroastrian temple, inside


Kerman - Zoroastrian-temple entrance


Kerman - Old Zoroastrian temple


Kerman - "Atashgah" street

Monday, June 20, 2005

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Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. View at night


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Story of the Peer: In the name of God. As it appears in historical and religious documents, as well as the legends passed amongst generations, during the reign of Yazdgerd the Third - the last Sassanid king - due to the continual destabilization of Iran, Yazdgerd thought to migrate his dynasty from Madaen to Yazd which was considered a relatively safe location. According to his orders, a city complete with all the protective measures of the day (including a moat, towers, and a perimeter fence) was created and his dynasty was migrated to that location; it is possible that the name Yazd is reminiscent of Yazdgerd and the remains of this ancient fort and moat could be in the old neighborhood of Yazaran. [translation incomplete]


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A small group chatting on the opposing hill


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. On the way out...


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowds inside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowds inside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowds inside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. And crowds inside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Even more crowds outside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. The small alley ways were now packed


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Children's group prayer


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Still more people kept on coming


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Crowd starting to build up during the main pilgrimage evening

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Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Mobile tower inauguration ceremony


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Religious ceremony inside the shrine


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Zoroastrian priest during the inauguration ceremony


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Actual inauguration ceremony


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Another peek at the mobile-site equipment. I figured I would never get a chance to see the cell-site equipment from this close. To my surprise, there wasn't much to it...


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A peek at the mobile-site equipment after the inauguration ceremony


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Kourosh, showing off his cell-phone in front of the cell-phone tower, before the inauguration ceremony


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. A closer view of the mobile-phone tower.


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Another view from our sleeping quarters. Note the recently-installed mobile phone tower on the bottom left-hand corner.


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Panoramic view from our sleeping quarters


Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage. Thank goodness for the makeshift equipment-rental room

Peer-e-Sabz Pilgrimage

It is difficult for me to correctly describe in words the feeling of being in the presence of a force – the force of belief and tradition - which in one or two night draws some four or five thousand people to a location which throughout the rest of the year hosts at most 10 people a day. The mixture of spirituality along with the sense of freedom from the normal governing rules create an air of jubilation which I dare say is impossible to recreate in the Western world.

Strangely, it was in a place like this where I missed my friends the most, as I was more of an observer than a participant. This feeling of unanimous joy and unity was one which I had not felt for many years – one which I sincerely hope to share with my friends from the U.S. in the coming years, or at least partially through these pictures.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

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Yazd. An ancient tower-of-silence


Yazd. Ancient tower-of-silence - view from far


Yazd. Sarve-cham


Yazd. Sarve-cham Zoroastrian sanctuary

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

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Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition - courtyard


Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition (courtyard on the right)
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Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition Posted by Hello


Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition Posted by Hello


Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition Posted by Hello


Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition Posted by Hello


Yazd. House of the Magi. Zoroastrian oil painting exhibition Posted by Hello