Did you know the first air conditioning (A/C) were built by Zoroastrians Persia 2,000 years ago?

Yazd, the ancient Zoroastrian city, is a timeless masterpiece of architectural brilliance—an engineering marvel unmatched in human history. Despite repeated destruction by Muslim-Arab invasions, Yazd endured with remarkable resilience, rising from the ruins time and again. Today, it stands proudly as one of the oldest cities on earth. It dates back to 3000 BC, when it was known as Ysatis and belonged to the empire of the Medes. It has long been called the "Pearl of the Desert" and from a distance it looks as if it has grown out of the sand, as if it is a living part of the desert - which it is.

Because of its climate, has one of the largest water storage and irrigation systems (qanats) in the world. This is a combination of wells and tunnels that channel water below the surface so that it does not evaporate in the desert heat.

Yazd is the driest city in Iran. In summer, the temperature can easily exceed 40°C. To alleviate the uncomfortable heat, there is an interesting architectural invention: "chimneys"! Before the advent of electric air conditioning, persians used tall wind towers called badgirs, which in combination with cool air from qanats (underground aquaducts) served as ventilation shafts to remove some of the hot air from living spaces (see the image below). Above all this air conditioning is sustainable and you can build them anywhere on the planet, not only to cool the house but in colder regions on earth you could use the same system to heat your house! See my previous posts where I explain the architecture of these buildings in detail.

Yazd is nicknamed the "City of Wind Catchers" because of its many wind towers. It is known for its Zoroastrian fire temples, its cisterns and qanats (underground aqueducts), its yakhchals ( first ice-makers, see my previous post), Persian handicrafts, most exquisite hand-woven cloth (termeh), silk weaving and its confectionery, famous since ancient times. In fact Cotton candy originated in Yazd.?Traditional Persian sweets such as baghlava, qottab and gaz were also made in Yazd during the Safavid Empire. Yazd is also known as the "City of Bicycles", due to the long tradition of cyclists since early 20st century.

The 5,000 years Zoroastrian heritage is preserved in several places in Yazd. Two of the most important are the Tower of Silence and the Fire Temple.

In Yazd you can feel the spiritual openness and purity of the city. Drink pomegranate juice or tea while enjoying one of Yazd's many beautiful gardens. Visit Yazd just for the legendary sweet shops. The locals are so proud of their sweets that the recipes are a family secret. Yazd province is home to a 4,500-year-old cypress tree that is protected as one of the largest living organisms in the world.

The city of Yazd is located 270 km southeast of Isfahan and has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From Yazd there are daily flights to Tehran and international connections. Public transport is considered the best in Iran, so you can take the bus or train. Once in the Old City, you can usually walk, but try a bike.

This and 1000 more amazing stories about Persia in my book and in 7 languages worldwide in all bookstores and on Amazon: www. Persia1001nights. com. or follow #Persia1001nights here on LinkedIn, or FB or on Instagram. With this book we will travel to the places of all those amazing stories of 1001 nights as they happened thousands years ago in Persia, from Isfahan to Shiraz and Yazd and to Persepolis along the silk road. It is a virtual travel to 10,000 years of the oldest and continuous civilization on earth.

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5000 years city of Yazd - Image Iranamaze