Day 192: Shiraz – Yazd (یزد)

Oct 12 - Long drive (about 440 km) through the mountains and deserts today. Move northeast, cutting through the parallel ridges of the Zagros Range. About 100 km along the route, stop at the small town of Madar-e-Soleyman. Here is one of the top archaeological sites I wanted to see in Iran, the tomb of Cyrus the Great (600-530 BCE).

Cyrus the Great as a person has been heavily mythologized, but the archaeological evidence of his reign are clear and fascinating. I will skip Herodotus’ account of his early life, as it is clearly dramatized and dubious. It is, however, almost certain that he was son of the previous king Cambyses I. When Cyrus ascended the throne upon the death of his father (559 BCE), he was king only of the Persians, who were vassals of the Median Empire. Cyrus proved himself from the start to be an unusually levelheaded and just ruler, who stood in contrast to many of the violent leaders who were the usual fare of the time. It wasn’t long before Astyages, king of the Medes, decided to attack and bring the Persians more fully under his control, as Cyrus was proving too popular. His generals, however, aware of how Cyrus ruled, and how poorly they were treated by Astyages, all defected to Cyrus when the inevitable battle began (coincidentally, this occurred on the plain that would become the city of Pasargadae). Thus, the Median Empire fell quickly to Cyrus. This proved to be just the first of many military and diplomatic triumphs of Cyrus, a king who was as good with peace as he was with war.

He is most well known to most in the West for his compassion to the many subject and enslaved tribes he encountered when he marched in and took Babylon, in particular the Jewish people taken from Jerusalem. To these groups (not just the Jews), he granted liberty to return to their lands, and even funds to rebuild their temples that had been destroyed years before.

There was an incredible archaeological discovery in 1879 of a clay cylinder (now in the British Museum), inscribed with cuneiform. Called the Cyrus Cylinder, it is a declaration of Cyrus’ ascent to the throne and legitimization of his rule. What makes the cylinder so interesting is that on it, he states his list of rules for Persian and all subject peoples in his empire. Some are statements like ‘everyone will have the freedom to follow their chosen religion’ and ‘no one shall live as a slave’. In other words, incredible things to hear from a king reigning over 2500 years ago.

The photos above of the tomb are the only real thing to see of this once vast city. This is because the remainder was destroyed naturally, or intentionally during the Arab invasions. The only reason Cyrus’ tomb is virtually intact is because when the Arabs came, the local people lied about who the tomb was for, saying that it was the grave of Solomon’s mother. Since she is mentioned in the Qu’ran, the Arabs left it alone, and in fact eventually built a mosque around it. However, an earthquake after that destroyed the mosque, and it was never rebuilt. The remains of it were removed during the secular Pahlavi Dynasty.

We carry on for another few hours to the city of Abarkuh.

The icehouses of this part of Iran involve a very particular technology, quite simple but effective. The walls at the base are very thick, to support the tapering cone sealed at the top. A pit is dug inside, and there is only one entrance. Shallow ditches are dug nearby, with walls on the south sides. In the winter, when night temperatures are low enough, water was poured in the ditches, and allowed to freeze. In the morning, shielded from the sun, the ice was removed by hand and stored in the icehouse. Over the course of a few months, hopefully enough ice was made that could last the summer. Then the structure was sealed until the summer months, when bit by bit it was opened again, and ice removed as needed.

Also in this town is the proclaimed oldest cypress tree in the world. Most references quote an age of about 4500 years, though apparently Japanese and Russian experts recently concluded that it is probably older. It is mentioned in some very old texts.

Enter Yazd as the sun sets. This is a true desert city, with baking summer temperatures. At this time of year it is comfortable 30-32 C. The old part of the city (where we are staying) is a World Heritage Site, a mud-brick warren of narrow streets and the old bazaar.