Geography and History

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The population of the province of Yazd in 1996 was 750769 from which 75.15% were registered to be urban dweler and the remaining 24.85% were villegers. The city of Yazd is the administrative center (provincial capital), the largest town, regarding area and the most inhabited town in the province.
Giographically, the province total area is a part of the central mountainous area of the country which is significant for its including diffirent mountains, hills, plains and significantly the central desert of Iran. There are two mountain chains in the province, the first crosses the province from north-west towards south-east, which crosses the center of Iran, and it is knows as the central mountain chain. The second chain is that crosses the center as well as the northern and the north - eastern parts of the province. The Sheerkooh chain which forms a high wall and which separates the central area from the western part of the province, is usually cold with peaks full of sonw. The sonw of this chain supplies water-need of Yazd city and the towns Taft and Mihreezd.
The province of Yazd is significantly dray for two main reasons, the first is its location on the arid belt of the world, and second, it is very far from the Oman Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Iranian lakes and wet winds. Although the province is significantly dry with hot deserts, it is suitable for living mainly because it is surroundedby high mountains, so areas within the province with more than 2500 meter altitude enjoy moderate weather. However, the temprature average in the province is 18.9 C degree, while the absolute high is recorded in July at 43C degree and the absolut low in January at -7.2 C, Except Sheerkooh mountainous area, other areas of the province are generally hot and dry, and the temperature becaomes drier and hotter towards the east and the north east and the north east of the province.

The province of yazd was a valuable part of the Iranian great civilisation and it hosts ramarkable elements of the world cultural and historical heritage. Human settlemnts of the province have history goes beyond the 30th century BC. During the Peeshdadian period, tribes who traved from Balkh to Pars, named the teretoryof Yazd "Sarzameen Yazdan" which means (the God teretory), and since then it has been the main pray place for the Zoratosts and it has been called by the name of "Yazd". The main important and initial settlements of the province were " Mihrpadeen" which is known now as Mihreez, "Fahrashan" or "Pahreh", which is called Fahraj, "Khormeeh", "Ader" now Ardakan, " Shevaz", "Qelaa Mobadan" now Maibod, "Taranj", "Aqda" and "Ashkezar".
the city of Yazd was known for the Zoratosts a fethful and holly place and the most important in the teretory.
Contrasted with other provinces of Iran. the province of Yaza lacks green places because of its location in the arid zone, but it should not be seen as a place without any natural tourism attraction. Beautiful green vallies, wonderful country sides, marvious springs, pleasand peaks and hill sides, caves, protected wild life fields and more importantly the wonderful desert views of the province are very attractive and torists as well as the native people enjoy these places. Cultural attractions of the province are remarkable. The rich legacy of the people’s culture shows nice and old traditions of the Zerostians as well as the now Muslims which cosist together a marvilous tourism attraction. The native zerostians of the province hold their traditional ceremonies in different occasions every year, and observing them doing so, is attractive for tourists from different cultures. The native Zerostians of the province still speaks their old language and practive all their traditional ceremonies in that lanuage. Many of their traditional ceremonies in that languane. Many of their ceremonies are held every month, but the traditional persian New Year, the "Sadeh" and th Birthday of Zorotoust ceromonies are held annually. The most tourism characteristics of cities, towns and villages of the province are as following:

The city of Yazd

The city of Yazd

The city of Yazd is located 689 kilometers from Tehran, the national capital. Yazd is privincial capital, and it is the largest and the most inhabited town in the province. It is located in and extensive vally facing the central desert of Iran.
Its weather consiquently, is hot and arid in summer and cold in winter.In the fifth century AH, the sons of Abu-Jafar Kakoo settled in yazd and city started its development more developed Yazd by building many schools and mosques, and during Al-Mozaffer’s era, many water under ground canals were diggied to supply the water-need of the growing population. Durring the Mogouls invasion (the 7th and the 8th century), many scholars and artists settled in this city for more protection, and many other schools and mosques were built then.

Many monastries (pray places of the sufis) are still in this city which indicate its being a shelter for them during difficult times. From the remaining of them, Beqaa Sheykh Ali Solayman in bidakhwaid, the monastry and the mosque of Sheykh Dada in Bonder Abad and the monastry of Sheykh Ahmad Fahhadan in Yazd are still exist today.The district of Yazd includes many tourism attractions and places to visit such as the following:
hGhar (cave)Nabati and Chahar Taqi (Four Arch) in Nadoshan and Zazd.
hKhanehaye Qadimi (Old Houses)Lariha, Arabha, Rasoleyan, Kolah Doozha, Melekol Todjar and Assadi.
Ab Anbarhaye Qadimi(the Old Water Stores)Shish Badguir(6Wind-Catchers), Masoudin, Haj Ali Akbar, khouajeh, Gulshan and Rustam Guiv.
Madaris Qadimi (Old Schools) Khan, Zeyaieh, Abul -Maali, Huseyneyeh, Domenar, Medan Qeyam and Abdul -Raheem Khan.
Qala(Castle)Ibraheem Abad which is located in Rastaq village, and Qalahayeh (castles)Zarich and Ez Abad.
Baghayeh 9Gardens)Dawlat Abad and Khan which are located on the old road to Taft.
Baghayeh (Gardens)Kolah Farangiand Musheer which are located in Rahmat Abad.
Masajid (Mosques) Jami, Meer chakhmaq, Mulla ismaeil, Zaviyeh, Sabat and Chahar Menar.
Masajd Qadimi Reeg, Ez Abad Rastaq, Ameneh Gul and Nadoshan.
Masji Jami (friday Mosque) Fahraj.
Buqahayeh (Shrines)Abu-Jafar, Saied Khalil, Darvazeh Imam, Shah Sayed Reza, Sayed gul Surkh, Ruknel - Deen and Shamsol - Deen.
Amakin Mazhabi Zarushtian (Holy Places of Zerostians).

Ardakan

Ardakan

 

The district of Ardakan is located on the main road between Tehran and the port

 

Bandar Abbas and it is the largest district of the province.The name of Ardakan

 

is formed from two parts"Ard" which means holy and "Kan" which means mine o

 

r place.

During its golden age, the town of Ardakan was located in a place which was

 

named "Zardak" and its walls still exist in the region . The most important places

 

to visit in this district are as following:

hGharhayeh (caves)Mahaneh, Eshkotj and Abul-Qassim Rashti which are

 

located in Kharanaq and Aqda.

Rebathayeh (old style chech points) Saghaneh and Khargooshi.

Hoze Jafar Waleh Abad Caravansaries which is located in Rabat Region.

Rabathayeh (old style ceck points) Arganan, Naristan and Shahzadeh.

Khanehayeh Qadimi (old huses) of the town Ardecan.

Masajd Qadimi (Old Mosques) Zeer Deh, Haj Radijab, Zardakand Mohammad

 

Hosseini which are locted in the town of Ardakan.

Masjid Qadimi (Old Mosque) Kharanaq.

Makanhayeh Muqaddas (Holly Places) Peer Sabz Chec Checo and Peer Hasht

 

Zartoshteyan.

Masjid Jami(Ardakan Friday Mosque) which is a heritage of the 10th ventu

r.

Taft

Taft

The district of Taft is located in the south- west of the province. It includes the

highest peak of the province, Sheerkooh. The weather of Taft is moderate and

many kinds of frouit grow there

.
The name of Taft was mentioned in many historical books since the 9th century

AH. Its name was also mentioned in Erfan??? books because of The great Aref

, Shah Nemat Allh Wali who lived there. The most important place to visit in this

district are:
Cheshmeh (spring)Tamehr which is located 6 kilometers south to Taft.

Gharhayeh 9caves)Farashah and Bad Masoom in Islameyeh.

Caravansaray Ali Abad which is located on the road Yazd-Kerman.

b Anbarhay Qadimi (old water stores) in the town of Taft.

Qalahayeh Qadimi (old castles)Islameyeh and Shewaz.

Bagh Qadimi (old garden )Gulshan.

Masajd Qadimi(old mosque) Showdah, Islameyeh, Bidakhweed, Tarzjan and

Shah Wally.

Kahnqah (???) Taft

 

Mihreez

 

Mihreez

 

Mihreez is located 35 kilometers south to the city of Yazd, and it is the name of a

 

cluster of villages which were called in the past by the name

 

"Mihrijerd" .According to historians, the name belongs to "Mihrnegar" the

 

beloved daughter of Anosheervan, the Sasanid King.

Mihreez was known, during the late Sasanid era (4th century AD), as a natural

 

pleasant area. During that period, Mihnegar, the daughter of Anosheervan

 

ordered that some canals to be digged to provice water for its development.

After gardens were developed, it was called "Mihrguerd" . This name was turned

 

by the Arabs to "Mihjird" , and now it is known as Mihreez. The most important

 

places to visit in Mihreez are as following:

Cheshmeh (spring) Gherbal Beez, which is located near Mihreez.

 

Qala (castle)Khormeerz and Saryazd

.
Baghaye (gardens)Gulkar, Akrami and Sar Asyab

.
Masajid Qadimi (old mosques) jami Mihreez, Mihrpadeen and Boqaa Sheykh

 

Abdullah.

Maybod

Maybod

The district of Maybod is located on the north- west side of the city of Yazd .near

the main road between Tehran and Bandar Abbas (a port on the Persian Gulf

cost) and it is located near the railway between Tehran and Kerman . The name "

Maybod" comes from the Mid-Persian era which was put on this town during the

Sasanid era. This name was regularly mentioned in historical books during the

early Islamic centuries. The town of Maybod is one of the rare and historical and

significant Iranian towns, because it remained although its old town was

demolished partly many times during its long history. Today, tourists can visit

many of its historical elements such as ancient roads, old castle as well as the

remainings of its old urban texture. The oldest ever urban ancient remainings in

Iran belongs to the old buildings which are called "Nareen Qala" (castle) of

Maybod. This old castle still exist as an ild, calm and tire man which can tell the

story of the people of this town for many centuries. From the many elements of

this town, the following are the best:

Khaneh (house) Ayatollah Haieri Yazdi

Ab Anbar (water store) Hassan Abad.

Qalahaye (castles) parcheen and Rukn Abad.

Yakhchal Qadimi (old ice store).

Zeyaratgah (shrine) Khadeejeh Khatoon.

Qala Tarikhi (historical castle) Nareen Qala.

Wild Life

 

Wild Life

 

The province of Yazd is very interesting regarding wild life because of the varities

 

 of its plants and animals. The protected wild areas "Kalmand" and "Bahadoran"

 

with and area of 250 hictars and the protected area of "Kooh Bafq& areez" with

 

an area of 100 hictars are very interesting for their location on the edge of the

 

central desert of Iran which caused a varaities of desert plants and animals. The

 

special climatic and geographical characteristics of Kalmand and Bahadoran

 

areas caused a special plantaion and facilities for living of varaities of animals

 

such as the Iranian gazeele, and Bustard. There are many wild goat, wild ewe,

 

 tiger, hyena , fox, wolf, and rabbit. The are many wild birds also in this region such as:

Partridge, grouse, plarmigan, Blond alum, and egle. Gazelles are mainly

 

agglomerated in the protected areas Bahadoran. Chah Moortini, Khaleqi and Dashte Madan.

The main area that ram and ewe live there is the hill area of "Sorkh Rang", which

 

is located near the river "Laghereh". Many Kinds of worm live in the desert areasژ

of the province such as turtle. lizard, many kinds of snakes, viper and adde

r.

Travel to and Stay in the Province of Yazd

Travel to and Stay in the Province of Yazd

All towns and districts of the province are facilitated with all facilities which help

them to stay there and enjoy a plesant holliday. All districts and towns are

connected to each other with road networks and necessary facilities.There are

 also provided with telecommunication networks and health facilities, so travelling

 to and staying in all towns of the province will be easy and enjoyable. The people

of the province are well educated and very warm and nice nad now about tourism

and culture, so tourists will be wormly welcomes there.

Yazd Air Port provides regular daily flights to and from Tehran .

The Railway line between Tehran and Kerman crosses Yazd and 

provides plaeasant journies on the edge of the wonderful Desert.