Yazd Province     This province is located in the center of the Iranian Plateau on the borders of the central desert. Neighboring the provinces of Kerman and Fars to the south and south-west, Esfahan to the north and west and Khorassan to the north-east, this province is situated just over 1,215 meters above sea level, occupying an area of 72,342 kilometers. Marco Polo the first traveler who visited Yazd described it as a prosperous city with intelligent, industrious and talented people. This province is amongst the arid and comparatively dry areas of Iran. Faced with a chronic shortage of water, the inhabitants of this province developed an elaborate system of qanats or underground conduits, some of which are as much as 45 km long. In spite of the shortage of water, the province is famous for its agricultural products such as pomegranates and pistachios. Additionally, this province also occupies an vital status in the industrial structure of Iran and has become an important industrial axis producing a varied industrial products such as textiles, silk, carpets, blankets, ceramics and tiles, rubber products such as tires and tubes etc. Yazd The city of Yazd is famous as “the Queen of the Iranian Desert” since with its unique desert architecture, it glitters like a diamond ring in the desert. It is one of the oldest cities of Iran and the best example of a desert city. According to some historical documents the history of Yazd dates back to the time of Alexander the Great. Legend has it that Alexander built a prison in this city to detain the Iranian elite and apparently because of this legend during the first century after the advent of Islam, this city was famous as “Alexander’s Prison.” In addition to having written in bold letters some of the chapters of the story of man’s incessant struggle against nature, Yazd represents a microcosm of dilemmas and arts, the troubled social and religious harmonies that rejuvenate Iran. This city and its surrounding districts and villages have a large percentage of Zoroastrians, people who believe in an ancient Iranian religion of the prophet Zartosht. An important pilgrim center of Zoroastrians called “Pir Sabz Chak Chak” is located at a distance of 72 km from Yazd. In summer Zoroastrians pilgrims from all over the world visit this center to perform their religious duties.   The architecture of Yazd is unique, combining a proliferation of those graceful bad-girs (wind-towers) seen in central and southern Iran: the houses are surmounted by high turrets with openings oriented towards the dominant winds; these insure the ventilation of the lower parts of the house rather like air-vents on a ship. Enormous domes starting at ground level and also surmounted by air vents act as protective roofs for deep water tanks six, eight or ten meters below the street level, which wre reached by stair-cases. Yazdis of the present day retain their sterling qualities of old. They are strongly religious, whether their faith be Islam or the “Good Religion” of ancient Iran   Yazd Atashkadeh: This is the most important Zoroastrian fire temple. Here a sacred flame behind a glass visible from the small museum inside has been burning since about 470 AD and was transferred from its original site in 1940. A couple of paintings can also be found here, including one of Zoroaster. The temple is open to public from 08:00 to 11:00 hrs and 14:30 to 16:30 hrs daily except holidays. Bazaar The twelve historic bazaars of Yazd are worth a visit. The most important bazaars here are: Bazaar-e Khan, Goldsmiths Bazaar and Panjeh Ali Bazaar. The many bazaars of Yazd are probably the best places in Iran to buy silk fabric, cashmere, brocades and cloth, all with beautiful local designs, motifs and colors. Yazd is also famous for its cakes and sweets. Especially three types of sweets of Yazd, baghlava, qottab and pashmak are a delicacy relished all over Iran. Amir Chakmaq Mosque Built in the fourteenth-century AD this mosque is famous for its superb portal ornamented with stucco. Actually, this represents one of the buildings of a historic complex incorporating a mosque, a public bath, a caravansary, a mausoleum, water reservoirs and an imposing entrance to one of the bazaars of Yazd. Jam’e MosqueThe construction of this mosque know as Masjid-e Jam’e, or the Friday Mosque, built on a site of a Sassanian fire temple, was  begun in 1324 and continuously developed over a period of forty years. No other mosque in Iran has a more impressive gateway than this soaring 14-century edifice. Crowned by a pair of minarets, the highest in Iran, the portal’s fa栤e is decorated from top to bottom in dazzling tile work, predominantly blue in color. The tile work has recently been skillfully restored and a modern library built to house the mosque’s valuable collection of books and manuscripts.