Climate : Warm
OldName : Istatis
Area : 131551
Population : 582682
yazd Province is one of the 31 provinces of
Iran. It is in the centre of the country, and its administrative center is the city of
yazd.
The province has an area of 131,575 km², and according to the most recent divisions of the country, is divided into eleven counties: Maybod, Mehreez,
Taft,
...see more Ardakan, Behabad, Khatam, Sadogh, Bafq, Abar Kooh and yazd, the capital.
In 2006, yazd had an estimated population of 1,033,291. The population of yazd is predominantly Persian, most of whom are Shi'a Muslims. There are also small Zoroastrian communities.
The province of yazd has one of the driest climates in Iran due to its location east of the Zagros mountains, making much of yazd subject to the rain shadow effect.
The city of yazd’s first mention in historic records predate it back to around 3000 years B.C. when it was related to by the name of Ysatis (also Υσάτης in ancient greek), and was then part of the domain of Medes, an ancient empire of Iran.
Excavations of Gharbal Biz remaining from the Achaemenid period are another example of the antiquity of yazd.
Zoroastrians have traditionally been populous in yazd. Even now, roughly ten percent of the town's population according to some estimates adhere to this ancient religion.
In the course of history due to its distance from important capitals and its harsh natural surrounding, yazd remained immune to major troops' movements and destruction from wars, therefore it kept many of its traditions, city forms and architecture until recent times.
yazd hails from an ancient history. As an example, Tehran University and Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization have teamed up with France's CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) to carry out archeological studies in yazd province as part of a project aiming at preparing archeological plans of the area from the Mesolithic era.
During the invasion of Genghis Khan in the early 13th century, yazd became a safehaven and home for many artists, intellectuals, and scientists fleeing their war ravaged cities across Persia.
Amidst the immense surrounding desert, yazd retains elements of its old religion, traditions, and architecture, which is recognized by UNESCO for its architectural heritage.
In 2004, the Majles allocated funds to help restore historical sites in yazd in order to nominate yazd as a Cultural Heritage city by UNESCO.
The word yazd means feast and worship. The city of yazd has resisted the modern urbanization changes and has so far maintained its traditional structure.
The geographical features of this region have prompted residents to develop special architectural styles. For this reason, in the older part of the city most houses are built of adobe and have domed roofs (gonbad).
These materials serve as an excellent insulation preventing heat from passing through.
The existence of special ventilation structures, called Badgirs is a distinctive feature of the architecture of this city (A Badgir is a high structure on the roof under which, in the interior of the building, there is a small pool).
The Jame Mosque (Friday Mosque) of yazd crowned by a pair of minarets, the highest in Persia, the portal's facade is decorated from top to bottom in dazzling tile work, predominantly blue in color.
Reference : wikipedia.org
