Atashkadeh (Persian اتشکده یزد, Ateshkade-e Yezd) is a fire temple of Iranian Zoroastrians located in the city of Yazd , the capital of the province of the same name in Iran. It holds the sacred fire [2] . In 1999, the temple was officially included in the list of national monuments of Iran [3] . Recently, the temple building is open to tourists.
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Content
Building architecture features
The main building of the temple is located in the center of a large courtyard, surrounded by evergreen trees - cypresses and pines. Its height is 21 meters. An eight-step staircase leads to the main entrance. The building is given special beauty and significance by the image of one of the forces revered in Zoroastrianism, the faravahar [4] , located above the main entrance to the temple. As well as stone columns with capitals located at the entrance. These graceful columns and stone wall decoration are the work of Isfahan craftsmen. Therefore, initially stone details were created in Isfahan , and then were transported to Yazd. The ceramic image of the faravahar is the work of pottery masters from Yazd. The walls inside the temple are decorated with images of the prophet Zoroaster and the holy book of Zoroastrianism Avesta . In general, the architectural simplicity of the building resembles the temples of Indian Parsi . Opposite the building is a large round pond. Location near the water is one of the features of Zoroastrian temples.
Temple Visiting
For followers of Zoroastrianism, temple visits are always accompanied by certain rules. All parishioners must keep their bodies clean. Before entering the temple you need to take off your shoes. Men and women should be dressed in light clothing and be sure to cover their heads. So, men should wear special white hats, and women should wear white shawls.
Temple Construction History
The temple building was built in November 1934 with a donation from the Hamabai Society of Indian Parsi. The location was a piece of land revered by Iranian Zoroastrians as sacred. The building plan was developed by Persian architects. And the responsibility for the construction was assumed by Arbab Jamshid Emanat. In his memoirs, Emanat noted that in order to attract the attention of the Indian Parsis to the construction of the temple, he had to make trips to India five times - four times on steamboats through the waters of the Indian Ocean, and once on foot and on a camel through the deserts of Iranian Balochistan and Pakistan . He traveled until the Society of Indian Parsis agreed to finance the construction of a temple in Yazd [2] .
Sacred Fire at the Temple
Inside the temple, in the part where the sun's rays do not fall, a sacred fire burns in a large bronze furnace in the form of a vase. Prayer rooms are located nearby. For the safety of the fire is the responsibility of a special employee of the temple "Hirbod" or "Herbed." Since ancient times, these people were allowed to perform the Zoroastrian ritual and could explain the basics of religion. For the fire to burn, it daily adds dry pieces of wood of such species as almond and apricot trees [5] . Visitors to the temple can always look at this fire, but through a glass wall, since human breathing should not defile it.
Holy fire has been burning for more than 1,500 years. It was originally brought from Ateshkade Kariyan in Larestan ( Fars province) [6] to the city of Agda [7] (Yazd province) and has been there for 700 years. In 1143, he was transferred from Agda to the city of Ardokan [8] (Yazd province) and stayed there for 300 years. In 1473, the fire was transported to the city of Yazd, where it was first stored in the house of the famous Zoroastrian named Mubad Tyrandaz Azargoshasab. And in 1934 the fire was transported to the newly built Temple of Fire (Atashkadeh).