Zoroastrians Towers of Silence

This is where Zoroastrians used to bring the dead and leave them to be eaten by vultures, and the bones would be dissolved by acid in the hole in the center of the tower. The buildings down there were the temporary houses for the ceremonies, because this place was far from the city. Nowadays, they bury the dead in the cemetery near the towers. One of the towers is maintained and has stairs to reach, and the other one is almost ruined.

The Zoroastrian crypt, which is also known as the Tower of Silence and the Tower of Silence, is located 15 kilometers southeast of Yazd on the crypt mountain. This crypt is one of the signs of the ancient customs of Zoroastrians, which is related to the burial ceremony of their dead; official that is obsolete today; But it has left a memory. This historical work is considered among the national works of Iran.
I recommend to visit this place at morning.

Quite an intriguing and mesmerizing place located in the outskirt of Yazd. It represents the ancient funeral ritual of Zoroastrians, the place where they used to buy their dead for the raven to eat and reside for a short period of time. It's worth spending a couple of hours there in isolation, contemplating the temporariness of this life.

One of the place that I found worth seeing the most in Iran. Quite impressive and teaches a lot about some values. Must learn about its history before visiting. It's good to learn about opening-closing times as well.

Very impressive place. The place where the Zoroastrians left their dead is also located here. You have to climb some stairs. Appropriate shoes should be worn.

Abandoned places of Zoroastrian sky-burial.
Here the Zoroastrians of Yazd would bring their dead to be eaten by vultures in accordance with their ancient customs. There are two towers, both are accessible, but tower on the smaller hill is more accessible for those who only wish to see one. There are decaying mud-brick structures at the base of the hills that are worth visiting also. The towers have been abandoned since the days of the Pahlavi Dynasty, so they can be visited without fear of offending any religious sentiments. There is not much to see when one climbs to the top of the hills, but if you have an interest in Zoroastrianism, this is probably a place that you must visit.

One of the historical places of Iran that is related to the burial of people who are followers of Zoroastrian religion. They believed that burying a human body and decomposing the human body in the soil would cause pollution in the soil, and therefore they would create a place at the top of the high hills in this way and put the bodies of their dead in that place so that the scavengers would eat the bodies. And the remaining bones were placed in the middle part of the pit and lime and other materials were poured on them so that they decomposed and were washed by rainwater and absorbed by the soil.

Born out of the old cults carried by Zarathustra ( Zoroaster in its Hellenized form ) in Persia Zoroastrianism is believed to be the earliest formulated religious philosophy that has survived till the present day from about c 1400 BCE and is believed to have been then the most prominent religion of Iran and central Asia .There are numerous legends about Zarathustra ( or Zoraster ) life and he is believed to have been born in central Persia .Much of what he was and did in his life survives from his times in Avesta the holy book of Zoroastrians as also in hymns sung by bards all over Persian empire regions of present day world . .It is is to be noted that in Ahura Mazda was accepted the creator of all things , the struggle between the good and the evil, in which good triumphs eventually , thus pre dating Judaism , Christianity and Islam .The Achaemenids were the first royal rulers to adopt Zoroastrianism as a state religion and thus the sate religion of the Persian Empire was this religion .The present day Parsis living across India and Pakistan who descended from the group of Zoroastrians who ran from Persia in 10th century AD with the onslaught and persecution by Muslims .India like ,it always has been , welcomed them with open arms , just as they did for Jews earlier , and today the largest followers live in this great land Pars may refer to: Fārs Province, modern Persian language name for Pars Province, central Iranian kingdom of the ancient Persian empire hence Parsis people from Pars The first reference to the Parsis in a European language is from 1322, when a French monk, Jordanus, briefly refers to their presence in Thana and Broach....This album is not only record of my journey but also my tribute to these visonary people with great heart who have contributed a lot in the development of this great nation they sought refuge in , and now call their own .

“Zoroastrian Towers of Silence” is 15 km from Yazd and built on a low hill in Safaie. they believed that water, soil, wind and fire were sacred, they did not bury their dead.
The towers were built far from the city to prevent disease transmission, it includes towers and resting places for mourners.
The Zoroastrians put their dead there to be eaten by birds,the remaining bones were stored in the middle well.
Access to this place is very easy by car about 15 minutes away from Yazd.

In Zoroastrian believe air, water, soil and fire are holy elements and they should not be contaminated. For that reason Zoroastrian believers do not burry the body of dead people in the soil. In former times the bodies were brought to the Tower of Silence, and were put on a platform on top of the tower, exposed to the elements and vultures or other necrophagous birds. When only the bones remained, they were put in a pit in the middle of the platform and dissolved with acid.

The towers of silence are fantastic — just a stone throw from the city centre, and you are already at the desert watching the world from the top. One of the best places you can find in Iran.

I spent in Iran almost 2 weeks. One day here is still one of the most memorable moments. It wasn't wasted day like a visit to the Temple of Fire. Recommend.

To climb though you get a bit tired, you will find another definition of death and life after death .
An ancient place, a small corner of a great culture.

Tower of Silence! The mysterious way of burying the dead. The place of funerals and religious ceremonies of Zoroastrians. A strange method that is now obsolete in Iran. But some Zoroastrians in India still use this method for burial.

Different from the other sites in Yazd. Two towers, the right one Golestan has 111 steps I think and the left one no steps. Left one is great for sunset.

Although it is a little bit far in southwest of the city of yazd but it is worth visiting I couldn't believe till I get there myself and saw how wonderful it was . The idea for having cemetery in such a form with taking care of nature is something for me out of mind in those old daysِ

Closing time is 6:30pm, not 8pm!
Our taxi driver begged the ticket officer to let us in when we arrived at 6:30pm. Nevertheless, it's a unique place that offers wonderful tranquility... although it's a place for excarnation.

Spectacular views over Yazd. Amazing during sunset and impressive sight. Nice walk up the hill.

Tower of silence which called Dakhmeh is one of the places that belongs to the Zoroastrian people, they used to move their corps and dead bodies on top of the hills to eaten by the vultures. They were doing this culture for thousands years and finally stopped only 50 years ago.

Beautiful place with a lot of rich history.