Zoroastrianism in Iran

Zoroastrianism, sometimes called less correctly 'fire worshipping’, is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago. The first Persian king to recognize the religion proposed by Zoroaster was Kay Vishtash, and Zoroaster's ideas spread under Darius. According to the last census there are about 25000 Zoroastrians living in Iran, many of them in central provinces like Yazd and Kerman. People of Yazd celebrate their national, local and religious occasions same other regions in the country. Iran's largest community of Zoroastrians are settled in Yazd more than any part of Iran who have enriched the social fascinations with their own special ceremonies and traditions. Uppersia’s well-informed tour guide, Milad, suggested our guests to have dinner in a Zoroastrian ecolodge in Taft and hear a little about Zoroastrian beliefs from a young and ambitious couple who made you feel warmly welcome.

Our guests had dinner in a Zoroastrian local guesthouse in Taft and hear a little about Zoroastrian beliefs

Taft, the city of gardens and ancient rituals.

The ancient city of Taft with numerous old adobe monuments, dense gardens with pomegranate, plum, peach and grape trees and pleasant climate is located at an altitude of 1560 meters, on the foothills of Shirkooh Mount, in the west of Yazd province. According to Mohammad Bastani- Parizi, an Iranian writer and historian, the word Taft attributes to the desert’s hot sunshine.

The historical town of Taft and the flourishing villages around are home to a major Zoroastrian community with an amusing cultural and historical background. The Zoroastrians of Taft hold different symbolic ceremonies and one of them is called “Sadeh”, which is the ritual of respecting the fire in the middle of winter.

Another symbolic ritual of Taft is Nakhl-Gardani, held by the Muslims of this town. Nakhl-Gardani is a religious ritual in memory of Imam Hussein, held on Ashura day. The local men carry a giant and heavy wooden object named Nakhl and move it all around the city. The Nakhl-Gardani ritual is so stirring in Taft and the Nakhl of this city, which has been used for 600 years on Ashura mourning days, is the biggest one in Iran.

The people of Taft carrying the giant Nakhl on Ashura day.