Nickname: City of Windcatchers
Capital
Yazd
Population
~1.14 million
An adobe city on the edge of the central desert, kept livable for centuries by wind-catchers, underground qanats and thick mudbrick walls, and still home to Iran's largest Zoroastrian community. The Towers of Silence stand on rocky outcrops just outside town, and the old city's narrow lanes remain largely intact.
Culture & people
A desert province with one of Iran's oldest Zoroastrian communities, distinctive adobe windcatcher architecture, and an ancient qanat irrigation network.
Notable cities
Yazd
The provincial capital, a desert city of mudbrick wind towers and one of the world's oldest Zoroastrian communities. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved historic urban centres in Iran.
Meybod
A desert town near Yazd known for a well-preserved Sasanian-era mudbrick citadel and a working ice house. It offers an intact look at pre-modern desert architecture and technology.
Kharanaq
A partly abandoned mudbrick village clinging to a cliff edge, with a still-standing minaret and mazelike alleys. It is one of the most atmospheric ghost towns on Iran's central plateau.
Highlights
- Old City wind-catchers and mudbrick alleys
- Towers of Silence outside town
- Amir Chakhmaq Complex at dusk
- Zoroastrian Fire Temple, flame since 470 AD
- Dowlat Abad Garden's tall badgir
Best time to visit
March to May or September to November avoid the desert's punishing summer heat, when daytime temperatures regularly exceed 40°C.
Getting there
Yazd sits roughly midway between Isfahan and Shiraz, about four hours' drive from either, and also has its own domestic airport.
The province's location, highlighted on the map of Iran.
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