Tower of silence

What deeply impressed me in Yazd were the "tower of silence", the towers of silence of the Zoroastrians. It is a form of death cult, let me explain a little.

Zoroastrianism is one of the earliest monotheistic religions. It is unclear exactly when it originated, probably around 1500 BC. It was spread by the priest Zarathustra, who proclaimed the belief in a single, invisible and omnipotent God. Because there was no image and no image could be made, God was worshiped as light and for the people of that time fire was the symbol of light. This is how the fire temples and rituals of the Zoroastrians were created.

The faith is based heavily on dualism, day and night, light and dark, good and evil. People are encouraged to do good and especially to honor and preserve nature and the elements and not to harm them.

Actually a very contemporary religion!

However, since the burning of the dead would pollute the fire and burial would pollute the earth, the Zoroastrians built large cylindrical structures on the mountains outside the settlements - the towers of silence. After bidding farewell to the dead at the foot of the mountain, they were carried up the mountain by a pall-bearer, laid on the floor of the open tower, and given to the vultures as food.

The ritual lasted until the 1960s, today the dead are apparently buried in concrete graves. Yazd is an important city for the Zoroastrians, and there are still about 4000 people of this faith living there. Just outside Yazd is one of the most important shrines of the Zoroastrians with an eternal flame.

In Yazd there are two towers of silence, one of which can be visited. The atmosphere on this tower is indescribable. I was lucky enough to stand alone for a short moment in this enormous circle, high up on the mountain, only the wind gently blowing over it and a powerful, profound silence. A sacred place that deeply touched me. Then the tourist groups arrived and I left.

But the silence remains.