Yazd Tower of Silence
| Yazd Tower of Silence | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Yazd, Iran |
| Owner | Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism |
The Yazd Tower of Silence (Persian: برج خاموشان یزد) or the Yazd Dakhma (Persian: دخمه یزد) is a Zoroastrian tower of silence 15 kilometres south east of Yazd, Iran.[1][2]
Use[edit]
Zoroastrians believe that earth, fire and water are all holy elements, and thus do not pollute them by burying, burning or placing their dead in water. Instead, they place their dead on a tower of silence, letting vultures consume the corpses. In the middle of the tower is a pit known as Ostudan (Persian: استودان) where the remaining bones are placed after they are stripped of the flesh.[2][3]
History[edit]
This practice, however, has been banned in Iran since 1966–1967, and subsequently no bodies have been placed in this tower of silence.[4][3]
It is included in the list of national heritage sites of Iran with the number 6312.[2]
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References[edit]
- ^ "دخمه(آرامگاه) زرتشتیان در منطقه صفاییه یزد". Islamic Republic News Agency (in Persian). 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ a b c "آشنایی با برج خاموشان - یزد". همشهری آنلاین (in Persian). 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ a b "Zoroastrian Towers of Silence: abandoned, enigmatic but touristic". Tehran Times. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
- ^ "آخرین پاسبان مردگان زرتشتی در ایران". ایسنا (in Persian). 2018-02-05. Retrieved 2021-11-28.