Iran - Andrew Burke [216]
Chak Chak
Chak Chak is Iran’s most important Zoroastrian pilgrimage. About 72km northwest of Yazd and deep in the desert, legend has it that after the Arab invasion in AD 637 the Sassanian princess Nikbanuh fled to this site. Short of water, she threw her staff at the cliff and water began dripping out – chak, chak means ‘drip, drip’. The steep, cliff-side location is impressive even if most of the buildings are not. The exception is the Pir-e-Sabz fire temple, home to the drip, which has a brass door embossed with the likeness of Zoroaster. The dramatic views make it worth the climb.
Chak Chak attracts thousands of pilgrims for an annual festival held between 14 and 18 June.
Meybod
About 52km north of Yazd, Meybod is a sprawling mud-brick town that is at least 1800 years old. It has three main sights near each other in the west of town, all open from 9am to 5pm, or 7pm in summer. They include a 300-year-old post house (admission IR3000) that served as a relay station on, as it says above the door, the ‘King’s Road, Rey to Kerman’; a caravanserai with a covered qanat; and a huge Safavid-era ice house (yakh dan) across the street. Crumbling Narein castle (admission IR2000; 9am-5pm, to 7pm summer), in the centre of town, dates from Sassannian times and affords desert-rooftop views across town.
As you enter town, stop at the circular pigeon tower that once housed 4000 pigeons whose guano was collected as fertiliser. The tower has been meticulously restored and today about 100 pigeons swing from strings in a crude celebration of the taxidermist’s art. Avoid taking anything mind-altering before coming here… It’s on government property so ask at the gate before entering.
Ardakan
Now almost merging with Meybod, Ardakan is another ancient desert city and a regional agricultural centre courtesy of its amazing qanat irrigation system (see The Qanat, Click here). Ardakan’s desert setting, rather than specific buildings, makes it worth a detour on the way to or from Chak Chak. There are some attractive old lanes and badgirs around the Jameh Mosque (Masjed-e Jameh). Ardakan is famous for its camels and you can sample delicious camel kababs in almost any kababi.
Saryazd
Saryazd means ‘head of Yazd’ and its two caravanserais were the last stop before Yazd for hauliers heading north. About 6km east of the highway, the sleepy village has zero tourist infrastructure. What it has is the crumbling but still largely intact, Safavid-era Robat-e Noh (New Caravanserai), complete with three floors of rooms, some with ancient pots scattered around the dusty floors, and fine rooftop views. And the village is just a fun place in which to wander a bit.
Infrequent minibuses come here from Abuzar Sq in Yazd, though most people come with a taxi dar baste (one way IR40,000).
Zein-o-din
Blink and you’d miss Zein-o-din, where the sole structure and raison d’etre is a 400-year-old caravanserai built on the orders of Shah Abbas I. Located two days’ camel ride south of Yazd (that’s 60km) in a vast desert plain flanked by mountains, the caravanserai was part of a network of 999 such hostels built to promote trade. Of those, it’s one of only two circular caravanserais (the other, near Esfahan, is largely destroyed).
Thankfully, this one was built to last and today Caravanserai Zein-o-din ( 0351-824 3338, 0912 306 0441; zeinodin2003@yahoo.com; per person incl two meals €48; ) is a serendipitous, romantic taste of a caravan traders’ life on the Silk Road. A three-year renovation, during which 13,000 pumice stones were used to scour centuries of grime from the walls, saw the simple accommodation restored to almost its original state: the raised rooms offer mattresses on top of carpets with just a curtain separating you from the corridor. Where it differs is in the stylish and clean communal bathrooms, the service and the delicious food. Zein-o-din’s isolation means food and excursions need to be planned ahead, so advance booking is essential. Prices are negotiable in summer and December.
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