Iran Travel Notes (3) Yazd, a lane through time

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Yazd is a magical city.

Like Marco Polo in the 13th century, when we crossed the red desert and saw this khaki city, we felt as if we were back on the Silk Road.

There are no big city buildings here, no magnificent architectural complexes, and no glorious history of emperors and generals. However, its well-preserved ancient city and unique atmosphere have attracted countless tourists.

Some people say that Yazd is the oldest city on earth, but it is still alive today. People live in ancient mud houses and continue to operate silk and carpet businesses. The mysterious Zoroastrian fire has never been extinguished.

If Isfahan is a kind of beauty of life, the charm of Yazd lies in the beauty of her time. Really like this city. Her blue sky, her colorful courtyards, and her khaki alleys all exude the romance that has been precipitated by time. Thousands of years have passed. Not only has the city not been abandoned, but it has also been well preserved. Wind towers, houses, alleys, and mosques all let time flow through the light and shadow.

After staying in Yazd for three days, we actually didn't do anything meaningful. We didn't check in at all the ancient ruins around it. We only went to the newly built Fire Worship Temple in the city to see the holy fire that has not been extinguished for 400 years. . We only do three things every day, hang out, drink tea, and bask in the sun. Just wasting time like this, my friend said, and wanted to settle down.

Choose a city to live your whole life, and meet someone with a white head. Yazd is such a fascinating city.

 

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During the four-and-a-half-hour journey from Isfahan to Yazd, the scenery in front of me has remained the same: the blue sky and the endless Gobi desert.

Suddenly I understood why Yazd has thousands of years of history, because in this desert, time is an endless cycle.

After more than four hours of long-distance driving, the passengers had sore backs and waists. Fortunately, the desert scenery along the way comforted us.

Especially at sunset, the sun shines on the ocher-red land, adding a touch of romance to our Silk Road journey following Marco Polo's footsteps. There are also those small khaki towns along the way, which are more like stars scattered on the Silk Road.

And Yazd, the pearl of the ancient Silk Road city, welcomed us with open arms at the entrance of the desert just like it welcomed Marco Polo.

After entering the city, I found that Yazd was not deserted at night. The streets were full of lights and busy with traffic.

It seems that although time has been ruthless, this legendary Silk Road trade transit station is still "alive" after thousands of years.

We found a traditional hotel in the old city and settled down. We were hungry and hurried out to look for food. Well, another meal of rice and roasted papa. Fortunately, Lao Ganma hadn't finished eating yet and continued to save our taste buds.

Eat and drink enough and go for a walk. After walking a few steps, the first thing I saw was the Chohemak Mosque. Looking through Lonely Planet, the hotel we accidentally found turned out to be right in the center of the old city.

The Chohmak Mosque has three floors. It is actually an architectural form in Iran called Hosseinieh. It is a ceremonial building used to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein. The one in Yazd is said to be the largest of its kind in Iran.

In front of you, the mosque under the light is majestic and dazzling. The pointed minaret towers high in the clouds, giving it a solemn beauty.

The fountain in front of the mosque changes with various colors and is so beautiful that it attracts many tourists and citizens to take photos.

Shops on both sides of the square are spread out one after another, brightly lit, and people browse the shops and take a walk leisurely.

Wandering along the street, I accidentally saw the faint blue minaret. In Iran, no matter which city it is in, it is always accompanied by a mosque. When lit up at night, it is like the Tokyo Tower in Tokyo, which is the heart of a city.

Walking in the direction of the minaret, we came to Yazd’s famous Judah Mosque.

Beautiful Iranian girls taking pictures with the mosque as the background, and I’m taking pictures of you.

Those intricate and exquisite tiles always amaze people. Coupled with the reflection of the lights, it feels like telling the story of One Thousand and One Nights.

In the mosque, there are still believers, amidst the light and shadow, as if they are meditating. During the trip, I was easily moved.

There is also a bazaar in front of the mosque, full of handicraft, carpet, clothing, and jewelry shops. My companion said excitedly that it is another good place for shopping! So I dived into the Bazar again.

Fancy purse store.

Beautiful china shop.

A small and fresh handicraft shop.

The various small shops are dazzling. Before I knew it, it was late at night again.

Thinking about it these days, because there are no entertainment items, we have become part of the Iranians who love shopping. I spent a lot of time in various bazaars and shops every day, and finally figured out how to calculate rial and renminbi, and my bargaining skills soared.

But what about the cultural trip we promised?

Some well-meaning people seemed to remind me in their travel notes that it is not safe to wander in the alleys at night. However, we didn't listen to anyone's advice and still wandered in the alleys at night.

The mysterious alleyway was unsettling, with only the dim lights guiding us. But nothing happened, only some local people we met looked at us curiously, and then quickly walked away.

In fact, after coming to Iran for a few days, we wandered the streets every night, and every local who came close made us wary, but in fact, nothing happened. The local people I met were basically polite and kind. Say hello and smile at each other. Then, pass by.

The world is vast, but not as difficult as we imagine; there are many kinds of people, but not as different as we imagine.

 

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For thousands of years, the desert climate has given local people unique living habits. At the same time, a very distinctive Yazd architectural style was formed.

The adobe houses, karez, and wind towers are all signs of Yazd's efforts to adapt to the desert climate for thousands of years. The ancient buildings here seem to have been frozen in time and perfectly preserved.

While many traditional earthen buildings have been destroyed by urban modernization, Yazd is more inclusive. With the passage of time, many hotels in Yazd still retain their ancient style, but the houses have been strengthened and renovated.

During the day, you can wander around the alleys of the old city, and at night, like Iranians for hundreds of years, you can sit on takhts (bed-shaped couches), drink tea, smoke shisha, and eat local food. When you come to Yazd, you can only stay here. Only hotels with an ancient and mysterious feel can truly feel the city's profound cultural heritage.

On our first night in Yazd, we didn’t make a reservation, so we relied on the Lonely Planet guide and went to a traditional hotel called Yazd traditional hotel.

The stained glass windows and low doorways retain its antique charm.

When I walked in, I saw a huge courtyard on the lower floor, where girls were sitting on the bed and smoking hookah leisurely.

The smoke is lingering, and it turns out to be blueberry flavored!

Although the room is a little simple, the architecture is very distinctive. Its essence, the courtyard-pool-qanat, is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Yazd people who have lived in the arid desert for thousands of years.

Only by staying in a hotel converted from an old building like this can you understand and feel the architectural essence of Yazd.

The next day, through a local travel agency, we finally booked a more gorgeous hotel - Moshir al-Mamalek Garden Hotel, the number one hotel on TripAdvisor.

Pushing open the stained glass French door, there is a pretty Persian girl at the front desk.

Beautiful cloister.

The architectural decoration is antique.

The room was also very clean and comfortable.

The gurgling water, flowers, trees, Persian handicrafts, and two colorful parrots form a very atmospheric Persian Garden Hotel.

When you come to Iran, you will find that hotels of all sizes, Teahouses all overlook the Persian courtyard.

The sky, earth, water, and plants constitute the four major elements of the Persian courtyard, thus forming a comfortable living environment and a beautiful living landscape that combines movement and stillness, color matching, and complement each other.

There are more than 20 traditional B&Bs in Yazd, and almost all of them have charming courtyards.

During the day, guests can visit the scenic spots and historic sites near Yazd and stroll through the winding alleys, antique mud-brick houses, and wind towers. Even if you get lost, you can have the most pleasant and lazy stroll.

When you are tired from walking, just find a teahouse to rest and admire the riddle-like calligraphy symbols on the teahouse tiles.

In the afternoon, travelers from all over the world gather in the central courtyard of the inn, drinking tea, chatting and writing diaries on the large couches in the carefully decorated Persian garden. The lunch break can pass very slowly, as if even the years have been forgotten here.

 

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I have always loved small towns, especially old and old places with a sense of time. So, I went to Kashgar. And Yazd, an ancient city that is said to have existed for more than 7,000 years, is an enlarged version of the old city of Kashgar, exactly what I love.

Getting lost in the densely packed old adobe houses and alleys; what you see is the black robes, the mysterious Zoroastrianism, the decadent villages, the tower of silence in the wind... This is a silent city frozen in time.

Like the old city of Kashgar, the narrow streets in the central area of ​​the ancient city of Yazd are crisscrossed with no street signs and the streets are winding and unorganized. No wonder "Lonely Planet" said that getting lost is also one of the charms of the old town of Yazd.

Walking among them, you will see houses made of mud on both sides, as if you are walking into an endless maze.

There are not as many spectacular and exquisite mosques as in Isfahan, so there is no need to stick to any attractions. Walking around is the best way to visit the old city.

Walking on the streets of the city, it seems like you are always traveling through numerous tunnels.

I like these winding alleys, which seem to lead to an unknown world. You don’t know what kind of surprising scenery is waiting for you ahead.

For example, a tabby cat ran through the alley.

For example, a woman walks by and leaves behind a beautiful silhouette.

For example, in a traditional handicraft shop, the craftsmanship may have been passed down for hundreds of years.

From time to time, a woman wearing a black burqa floats past, becoming a mysterious scenery.

As we walked, the rising sunlight fell through the gaps in the old wall, leaving long shadows in the alley. Between light and shadow, light and dark are intertwined. Pedestrians are in the sun for a while, and then hidden in the shadows, adding a little mystery.

The whole city was very quiet, and the elderly and children were talking quietly. We didn't dare to make any noise for fear of waking it up.

I accidentally walked into a cafe deep in the old city and discovered such charming light and shadow.

This is both a coffee shop and a book bar. It teased me so much that I wanted to pretend to be an artistic young man.

After walking out of the cafe, I encountered the Juli Mosque again. In every region of Iran, there is a Judah Mosque, also known as the Friday Mosque, which is the most important mosque in the area.

The mosque is not only a solemn religious place, but it is also an important leisure place for local people.

Although the Friday Mosque in Yazd is not gorgeous overall, nor does it give people a particularly shocking feeling, the domes, niches, minarets, main walls of the mosque, and the delicate inlay craftsmanship can still make people feel to the majesty of religious buildings.

The tall arc-shaped arch at its main entrance is one of the tallest arches in Iran. The two 48-meter-high minarets at the main entrance still tower against the blue sky and have become the undisputed direction mark of this ancient city.

No matter where you get lost in the ancient city, no matter how intricate the winding alleys are, as long as you look at these two gorgeous minarets, you can walk back to the Friday Mosque, which is also the center of the ancient city.

When wandering around the ancient city, you will often see wind towers. This is Yazd's unique "air conditioning system". Since the temperature here can reach 50 degrees Celsius in summer, the wind towers introduce cool breeze into the room, so that every room is like "decorated". With natural air conditioning, it feels comfortable and cool. So Yazd is also called the City of Wind Towers.

There are many historical sites hidden in the deep alleys, such as Alexander Prison, Friday Mosque, Tomb of the Twelve Imams, etc. However, it is too tiring to deliberately search for scenic spots in the maze-like old city, so it is better to just let your temper get lost. Anyway, the sunshine It's so clean and bright, the alleys are so clean and quiet, and I feel calm just walking around.

As we walked, the sun began to set, and the setting sun spread on the circular dome.

When you are tired of shopping, find a teahouse, climb to the top floor, sit on the bed, order black tea and snacks, and enjoy Persian leisure.

As the sun sets, look at the skyline of Yazd and quietly wait for the sunset in Yazd.

The most beautiful thing about Yazd is its sunset. The sun shines on the light yellow wall and the dirt road. The light and shadow change lines with the sun, becoming more and more golden, and then the sky turns into dark blue until it becomes a small glowing point in the distance.

At this time, the mullah's adhan sound came like poetry, and it felt like a world away, and I didn't know where I was.

The ancient city in front of you, the strange costumes of the people, and the figure of the pretty woman, everything will give people the illusion that they have really arrived in Persia in 1397.

At that time, carriages and horses were very slow, letters were far away, and there was only enough time to love one person in a lifetime. If you don’t change your original intention, time will not fail you.

 

To be continued…