The eighteenth conference for learning Avesta and Gaatha that started on Tuesday, August 8th, at Markar, Tehran ended two days later with success.


The first day of conference started with prayer and reading the provisions of the Gaatha.


In addition to Mr. Shahriar Bahrami, the Zoroastrian Youth learning center's teacher who started the programs with his speech, Dr. Esfandiar Ekhtiyari, the Zoroastrian representative in Iran's Congress expressed his gratitude for the organizers of this event, and added that he is extremely glad to see that our community is learning and following the ways of Zarathurstra, and that we have provided a place for young Zoroastrians to come together and not only show us what they have learned, but also remind us, and teach us something.

Translated by Siroos Sekhavat
Original Source and Pictures: http://www.t-z-a.org/akhbar/900614Mantra.htm

Zorastrian Temples

Era of No Temples

From the accounts of Herodotus (c. 430 BCE), and from the earliest archaeological sites discovered so far, that up to the 5th century BCE, Zorastrians "had no temples nor altars, and consider(ed) the use of them a sign of folly."

Further, Zorastrian scriptures do not prescribe worshipping in a temple and make no mention of Zorastrian places of worship. Traditionally, Zorastrians worship individually at home, or in the open, facing a source of light. When they wished to worship as a community, they did so in open air gathering areas around a podium where a fire was lit. The gathering areas were on hillsides and hilltops.

Advent of Fire Houses and Temples

About 400 to 500 years after Herodotus' observations, by the turn of the millennium, Strabo in the first century ACE, noted that the magi of Cappadocia (now in Turkey), "... have Pyraetheia (fire-houses), noteworthy enclosures; and in the midst of these there is an 'altar' on which there is a large quantity of ashes where the magi keep the fire ever burning." The altar that Strabo refers to is not an altar in the usual sense. He describes it as a fire holder. 

While the magi during Strabo's time (around the start of the first millennium) had started to use the fire-houses for their worship rituals, there is no indication that the community at that time time joined the Magi in rituals at the fire-houses (atash-gah) or that the magi worshiped fire as many have suggested. The community continued to conduct their worship events in the open. Nevertheless, the fire-houses did eventually become fire temples used by the community. In subsequent years, enclosed fire temples became standard. Today, there are no designated or formal open places of worship, and the temples that do exist are multi-purpose facilities to accommodate community gatherings (saal, jashans, etc...).

Development of the Fire House Concept

In ancient times, frequently lighting a new fire would have been difficult. In addition, maintaining a continuous fire in homes would have denuded a fragile environment of trees. Zoroastrian communities therefore developed community fire houses that housed an ever burning flame tended at all hours by fire keepers. Every evening, the fire keeper would carefully cover the fire with its ashes so that it would continue smouldering throughout the night while saving fuel, ready to resume when the ashes were removed in the morning. When needed, householders would come and light their house fires from the central community fire. The fire-houses were central to, and a vital part of each community. Fire-keeping was a profession supported by the community.

The fire houses later came to be known in Persian as atash gahs and the fire keepers were called atharvans, a task that became part of the magi's profession.  

The old stories told by elders from generation to generation suggests the importance of fire and how difficult it was for those in need of it to get fire going at their homes.  Only the privileged had fire, and that the needy would sometimes walk over to someone else's home to beg for a bit of fire to take back. (Pire-Kharkan - Golkhandan Ardeshiri) 

Chahar-Taqi Fire Temple Design

Together with the Parthian era fire-temple / fire-house (atash-gah) shown below, the Ani fire-house is an early example of the fire temple design that came to be known in Iran as chahar-taqi meaning four directions. The walls and openings faced the four cardinal directions. The alignment of the walls or pillars of the fire-houses with the solar-based cardinal points has led some to believe that the fire-houses/temples served an additional function - that of using the position of the sun at sunrise, noon-meridian and sunset to determine seasons and significant days of the year. Zorastrians mark these days with festivals, jashnes or jashans, and they were particular important for farmers in determining sowing times and for live-stock owners as well. The chahar-taqi design continued to be used for fire temples during the Sassanian era, that is up to 650 ACE.

Ani, Armenia, Turkey

Fire House, Ani, Turkish Armenia, 1st - 4th century ACE. Image Credit: Virtual Ani

Map of Turkey showing the location of Ani

Reconstruction image of the Ani Fire House Image Credit: Virtual Ani

Ruins of a fire house (atash-gah) or fire temple (above and right) have been discovered in Ani, Turkish Armenia, the area referred to by Strabo, and dating to the era in which he lived. The region of which Ani is in close proximity to the environs around Lake Urmia and Lake Van in an area that would have been part of the northern reaches of the Media.

The structure has massive pillars and no walls. At a later period the structure was converted into a Christian chapel by the insertion of curved walls between its four columns.

The structure which is the oldest building in the Ani site, fits Strabo's description of a Pyraetheia, a fire-house.

The shape of the roof in the reconstruction image of the Ani fire house above is speculative since among the ruins, there is no evidence of the roof. It could even have been a dome (see standing chahar-taqi designs from the same era below). The massiveness of the columns suggests a stone roof, and stones similar to the rest of the structure (not not used elsewhere in Ani) have been found in part of the citadel wall built during the seventh century ACE. Archaeologists surmise that the citadel stones were taken from the fire house.

Chahar-Taqi Fire Temples in Iran

The chahar-taqi plan of the Ani fire house is similar to other early Parthian (247 BCE-224 CE) Sassanian (226-651 ACE) fire temples found in Iranian. These structures are simple, open, yet substantial (noteworthy in Strabo's words). They are usually situated within a walled area.

The earliest example of a chahar-taqi temple in present-day Iran that we have been able to locate is a photograph (see below) taken by Ali Majdar at Flickr. Ali Majdar states that the temple dates to the Parthian era 247 BCE-224 CE, and further that its name, Bazeh Khur indicates that the temple also served as a solar observatory in order to fix dates. Bazeh means mountain edge and Khur means Sun. This temple is in reasoanble condition and is located in the eastern province of Khorasan while many of the other examples we have found are in western Iran.

Note the use of domes. While some may think that the use of domes is an Arab-Islamic design, the use of domes in Iranian-Zoroastrian structures predates the former.

Bazeh Khur Fire Temple, Khorasan One of the oldest Chahar-Taqi temples dating to the Parthian era 247 BCE-224 CE. 80 km s of Mashhad & at Robat Sefid Village's edge. Image credit: Ali Majdar at Flickr

Another image of the Bazeh Khur fire temple. Image credit: www.itto.org

Drawing of Rokn Abad Sassanian temple before its destruction Rokn Abad Fire Temple ruins near Bido stream at Akbar-Abad 10 km near Shiraz. Islamic Govt. of Iran's Ministry of Highways ordered it destroyed even though it was 30m away from the highway

Sassanian Chahar-Taqi at Niasar near Kashan, Esfahan (Isfahan) Image Credit: Photographer unknown Sassanian Chahar-Taqi at Niasar near Kashan, Esfahan (Isfahan) Image Credit: World Housing Encyclopedia

Sassanian era Fire Temple Ruins, Esfahan (Isfahan) Image Credit: Abbas Soltani at Iranian Archives Sassanian era Fire Temple Darrehshahr, Ilam Image Credit: Fouman, Iranian Historical Gallery

Surakhani, Azerbaijan Chahar Taqi Temple

About 550 km (330 miles) directly west of Ani, on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan's Abseron peninsula, there is an enigmatic seventeenth century CE atash-gah, in the village of Surakhani located fifteen km. west of the capital Baku. UNESCO has designated the complex as a world heritage site. The temple ceased to be used in 1883 CE.

This atash-gah follows the chahar-taqi plan.

The are reports of ruins of a 9th century CE fire temple in the Caucasus mountains at Khynalyg (also spelt Khinalyg, Khinalugh, Xinaliq) village near Quba (Guba, Kuba), some 165 km northwest of Baku, as well as one in the neighbouring country of Georgia's capital, Tblisi (see Sasanika site).

[Surakhani is also spelt Surakhany or Suraxani]

Map of Caucasus region (Azerbaijan, Armenia and E. Turkey) showing the location of Ani, Quba and Surakhani

Atash-gah in Surakhani, Baku, Azerbaijan The surrounding walls form a pentagon.

Atash-gah in Surakhani, Baku, Azerbaijan Natural gas fires can be seen burning in the top corners. The gas rises through ducts constructed in the four corners of the structure. Image Credit: Various. Advantour & Ecotourism

The name Azerbaijan derives from the Middle and Old Persian Adar-badhagan and Atur-patakan (from the Avestan atere-pata cf. Farvardin Yasht), meaning protected by fire. Surakhani derives from the Persian words Surakh meaning hole or Surkh / Sorkh meaning red, and khani meaning room, source or fountain. The region is known for its continuously burning natural gas fires which to the ancients must have seemed like the miraculous phenomenon of an ever-burning fire - a symbol of special importance in Zoroastrianism. In ancient texts, Azerbaijan was known as the land of fire and burning hillsides.

Reference to "the eternal fires of Baku" appears in 5 ACE in a volume entitled Stories by the Byzantine author Prisk of Pania. He quotes Romul, the Ambassador to Rome, who mentioned that when the Hun leaders came to Rome to sign a peace treaty, they had traveled via the Caucasus along the Caspian Sea where they had seen "a flame that appears from a rock underwater".

Surakhani - Hindu or Zoroastrian Temple?

Atash-gah Surakhani, Baku, Azerbaijan plaque in Devnagri script Image Credit: Rita Willaert at Flickr

There are twenty inscriptions embedded in the the stone walls of the complex. Eighteen are in the Nagari Devnagri script, one is in Punjabi using the Gurumukhi script and one is a bilingual inscription in Sanskrit and Persian. the bilingual inscription is dedicated to Lord Ganesh, Jwalaji and fire, and is dated Samvat 1802 (1745-46 CE). The Punjabi language inscription is a quotation from the Adi Granth.

The other inscriptions include an invocation to Lord Shiva. Taken as a set, the dates on the inscriptions range from Samvat 1725 to Samvat 1873, corresponding to the period from 1668 CE to 1816 CE. The present structure is relatively modern and the 17th century is a possible date for its construction. One report states that local records exist that the structure was built by the Baku Hindu trading community around the time of the annexation of Baku by the Russian Empire following the Russo-Persian War (1722-1723 CE).

Jonas Hanway commenting in his, An Historical Account of the British Trade Over the Caspian Sea, 1753 CE states "The Persians have very little maritime strength... their ship carpenters on the Caspian were mostly Indians... there is a little temple, in which the Indians now worship: near the altar about 3 feet high is a large hollow cane, from the end of which iffues a blue flame... . These Indians affirm, that this flame has continued ever since the flood, and they believe it will last to the end of the world. ...Here are generally forty or fifty of these poor devotees, who come on a pilgrimage from their own country."

The Baku Hindu trading community is thought to have originated primarily from Multan located in the Punjab region of the Indus valley (in today's Pakistan) and who plied their trade along the Grand Trunk Road, part of the old Aryan trade roads.

The single inscription mentioning Jwalaji venerates natural fires such as volcanoes and natural gas fires. In the present Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, there is a Jwalaji temple similarly constructed over a natural gas fire. The place is called Jwalamukhi, Jwala meaning a natural fire and Mukhi meaning mouth. There the fire is considered an incarnation of the goddess Durga.

The complex as it stands was clearly used as a Hindu temple. However, The complex is quite unlike other Hindu temples. Instead, the pentagonal perimeter structure consists of cubicles much like a caravan-serai and in the centre of the enclosed courtyard is a chahar-taqi building whose design is entirely consistent with the chahar-taqi Zoroastrian atash-gahs of Ani as well as those of ancient and medieval Persia. There is a strong possibility that prior to its use as a Hindu temple, a predecessor structure existed that was a Zoroastrian fire temple. With the decline of the Zoroastrian community and an abandoned structure would have been a candidate for occupation and use by the growing Hindu trading community. The present structure could have been modelled on a previous Zoroastrian structure. Alternatively, the present structure could have been built over the ruins of a Zoroastrian atash-gah or it could be a renovation of a previous Zoroastrian atash-gah. Even today, local tradition holds that the structure was a Zoroastrian atash-gah.

Professor A. V. Williams Jackson (1911 CE) while commenting on the observations of Jonas Hanway (1753 CE), left open the possibility that Zoroastrians may have worshipped alongside the larger Hindu community at the shrine. The Sikh community must also have worshipped alongside the Hindu community.

In the 1800s, the population of Hindus and Sikhs in Azerbaijan declined. Sir Jivanji Jamshedji Modi (1854-1933) in his book My Travels Outside Bombay Iran, Azerbaijan, Baku (1926) (translated from Gujerati by Soli Dastur) notes: "the original trade routes and customs changed and the visits of the Hindu traders diminished. And from the original group of the Brahmins, some passed away and a few that were left went back to their original home land." By the time of Modi's visit in 1925, the Surakhani atash gah had been abandoned.

According to authors from the 1800s, between the time when the atash gah was abandoned by the Hindus in the and Modi's visit in 1925, that is, in the 1800s, the Surakhani atash gah was briefly under the care of Zoroastrians.

James Bryce, in Transcaucasia and Ararat: Being Notes of a Vacation Tour in the Autumn Of 1876, noted, "...after they (the Zoroastrians) were extirpated from Persia by the Mohammedans, who hate them bitterly, some few occasionally slunk here (Azerbaijan) on pilgrimage" and that "under the more tolerant sway of the Czar (Azerbaijan was then part of the Russian empire), a solitary priest of fire is maintained by the Parsee community of Bombay, who inhabits a small temple built over one of the springs." (We do know that in the 1800s, the Parsees of Bombay lent their assistance to the Zoroastrians of Iran and sought to ameliorate the suffering of their co-religionists in their ancestral lands.)

A few years earlier, in 1858, French novelist Alexander Dumas (1802 - 1870 CE) had visited the atash gah and noted: "...the whole world is aware of the Atash gah in Baku. My compatriots who want to see the fire-worshippers must be quick because already there are so few left in the temple, just one old man and two younger ones about 30-35 years old."

In 1905, J. Henry in his book, Baku , states: "When 25 years ago (1880), the priestly attendant - a Parsee from India and the last of the long list of Fire-worshippers reaching 2500 years died at Surakhani."

From these accounts, we gather that the Surakhani atash gah was indeed a Zoroastrian place of worship, and that for a hundred and seventy years - from approximately 1660 CE to 1830 CE - it served as a Hindu temple as well.

Seven Fires

Central fire at the atash-gah in Surakhani, Baku, Azerbaijan

For a Zoroastrian, the presence of seven fires is auspicious and the presence of seven natural ever-burning fires would have been particularly auspicious. In the past, seven natural fires burned near the present temple site. The original presence of seven fires at the Surakhani atash-gah / fire temple site adds to the likelihood of there having been a Zoroastrian worship site or fire temple (in the environs) used by the local population prior to the use of the present structure by Indian traders.

According to historical sources quoted by Alakbarov, Farid (2003), before the construction of the Indian Temple in Surakhani at the end of the 17th century ACE, the local people also worshipped at this site because of the "seven holes with burning flame".

Engelbert Kaempher, a British traveler, who visited the Surakhani atash-gah in 1683 writes: "Previously, at about 500 paces distance from the temple, there could be seen seven holes situated in a single line. In early times, flames used to erupt from these holes. Then, the fire disappeared and burst forth at another locale where later the Atash-gah was built".

From these accounts, it appears that an original worship site where "local people worshipped" (and not Hindu traders) existed some 500 paces (say 400 metres) from the present site and that the fires disappeared causing that site to be abandoned. A fire then appeared at the present site where an atash gah was built. If the practice of Zoroastrianism in the region declined after the Arab invasion, the original site as a Zoroastrian place of worship would have ceased. Then in the 17th century ACE traders from India adapted or constructed the present structure. 

Places Sacred to Zorastrians

Approach through the great desert to Chak Chak (Order Fine Art Print) 

The primary religion in Iran today is the Shia sect of Islam but the far older faith of the prophet Zoroaster is still openly practiced, particularly in the central and northwestern regions of the country. Zoroaster's name in its original form is found in the sacred scripture the Avesta as Zarathushtra. It is not possible to say exactly when he lived but contemporary scholarship has mostly agreed upon the dates of 660-583 BC, with his birthplace being in the region of northwestern Iran now known as Azerbaijan. Similar to other great sages of archaic times, Zoroaster's life is part history and part legend. Tales are told of signs in the sky announcing his coming, of marvels and omens attending his birth, and of acts of power that he performed as a young boy. Around the age of twenty he withdrew from the world to seek the divine through study, wandering and solitary meditation in remote mountain areas. At the age of thirty he experienced the first of seven mystical visions from which he developed his spiritual philosophy and initiated his ministry. In these visions, an angelic entity by the name of Vohu Manah appeared to Zoroaster and escorted him to the throne of the Creator, Ahura Mazda. The wisdom teachings he received from Ahura Mazda are given in the form of seventeen hymns, the Gathas, contained in the Avesta scripture. The Zoroastrian religion has three central commands of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds.

Zoroaster was born in an age of agriculturalists and his religion is therefore deeply associated with the natural world. Besides its emphasis on the eternal conflict of good and bad, Zoroastrianism is also characterized by nature worship, by deification of the sun, moon and stars, and by scrupulously followed injunctions regarding the protection of the earth. In the Zoroastrian faith, reverence is shown to the Creator Ahura Mazda both directly and through the veneration of his various creations and their supernatural guardians. Fire is believed to pervade the other six principal creations and is always present at Zoroastrian ceremonies. During their prayers, believers face towards a fire, or else towards the sun or the moon, which are regarded as heavenly fires and as Ahura Mazda himself. Fire is, however, not regarded as a symbol but as a holy being that comes to man's assistance in return for nourishment and worship. The veneration of fire is also equated with the invocation of truth in the mind and heart of the believer.

Zoroastrian temple of Pir-e-Naraki, near Yazd (Order Fine Art Print)

The practice of Zoroastrian pilgrimage in contemporary Iran is similar to that of pre-Islamic Persia, though practiced on a vastly reduced scale. In the early period of the religion, it seems that the hearth-fire of each family dwelling was used for worship but that around the 4^th century BC communal temples began to be constructed. Fire temples were built in villages and cities, and at remote places in the high mountains sacred rocks, caves and holy springs were venerated. Mythological and archaeological evidence indicates that these mountain sites had been pagan sacred places well before the development of Zoroastrianism. The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5^th century BC, made the comment about the early Zoroastrian use of their mountain shrines, "It is not their custom to make and set up statues and temples and altars but they offer sacrifices on the highest peaks of the mountains." Over the centuries of use, however, these natural sacred sites were elaborated and simple temples were built. These mountain shrines, more so than the fire temples of the cities and villages, became the focus of the Zoroastrian pilgrimage tradition.

With the coming of Islam in the 7^th century AD, Zoroastrianism lost its position as the dominant religion, large numbers of Zoroastrians converted to Islam, and many remote shrines were abandoned and forgotten. The mountainous region of central Iran around the city of Yazd became a stronghold of Zoroastrianism and today remains the only significant area where shrine pilgrimage is still practiced according to the ancient traditions. There are six holy shrines (called pirs or pirangah) in the Yazd region and the yearly pilgrimages to them are an occasion for the gathering of members of different villages. Although each village has its own fire temple where initiations, agricultural festivals and funeral ceremonies are held, the annual pilgrimages to Pir-e Sabz and the other five mountain shrines are the most important religious periods of the year. Pilgrims may visit any of the shrines throughout the year but the religious benefit is considered greatest when an individual participates in the communal yearly pilgrimages. Pilgrimage ceremonies at the shrines generally last for five days and the pilgrimages themselves are referred to by the Muslim term hajj. Pilgrimage is simultaneously an undertaking of spiritual significance as well as an opportunity for feasting, music and dancing.

Zoroastrian temple of Pir-e-Naraki, near Yazd (Order Fine Art Print)

Writing on the founding legends of the six major shrines in the Yazd region, Michael Fischer comments that their "mythical origin is a variant of the Bibi Shahbanu legend, namely, that at the time of the Arab invasion a daughter or son or member of the court of Yazdegird III fled before an Arab army towards Khorassan, came to a point of exhaustion near Yazd, called upon God, and was taken into the mountain, rock, well, or cave before the bewildered Arab eyes. The second part of the legend concerns a process of rediscovery. That is to say, the location of these sites of ascension to the next world was lost. Then, in relatively recent times, they were rediscovered by a shepherd, child, or other person in need, to whom a spirit or saint (pir) appeared in a vision or a dream. This spirit aids the human protagonist by solving the mystery of lost sheep, lost path, and so on, requesting in return that a shrine be built." This legend, commonly used by devout Zoroastrians in order to sanctify their mountain shrines, is however, known to date from an historical period demonstrably more recent than the shrines themselves. The Zoroastrian mountain shrines of the Yazd region were used as holy places long before the birth of Islam and therefore predate any legends associated with that religion. The six shrines are:

• Pir-e Sabz (Chak-Chak); 72 kilometers from Yazd, near Ardakan; pilgrimage period June 14-18.
• Seti Pir; east of Yazd, pilgrimage period June 14-18, often visited on the way to the shrine of Pir-e Sabz.
• Pir-e Narestuneh (Narestan); Kharuna mountains, six miles east of Yazd; pilgrimage period: later part of June, after Pir-e Sabz.
• Pir-e Banu-Pars; near Sharifabad; pilgrimage period in early July.
• Pir-e Naraki; at the foot of Mt. Nareke, south of Yazd; pilgrimage period in mid-August.
• Pir-e Herisht; near Sharifabad.

The shrine of Shekaft-e Yazdan (the 'Cleft of God') in the Tutgin valley near the village of Zardju is sometimes visited after the pilgrimage to the shrine of Pir-e Banu-Pars. (Another sacred site in the Yazd region is the Muslim shrine of Haji Khezr, in the town of Kuhbanan.)

Approach through the great desert to Chak Chak (Order Fine Art Print) 

Pir-e-Sabz shrine

For Iranian Zoroastrians, summer begins with the pilgrimage to Pir-e-Sabz. This remote site is the holiest and most visited of the Zoroastrian mountain shrines. Shrine legends tell of a conquering Arab army that had pursued Nikbanoo, the daughter of the Sassanian Emperor Yazdgird III, to this region. Fearing capture, she prayed to Ahura Mazda to protect her from the enemy. In the nick of time the mountain miraculously opened up and gave her protection. This legendary site, where a holy spring issues from the towering cliff, is also called Chak-Chak, which means 'drop-drop' in Persian. Growing beside the source of the holy spring is an immense and ancient tree which legends says used to be Nikbanoo's cane, and the waters of the spring are believed to be tears of grief shed by the mountain for Lady Nikbanoo. The shrine enclosure, a man-made cave, is floored with marble and its walls are darkened by soot from the fires kept eternally burning in the sanctuary. Each year from June 14 to 18, many thousands of Zoroastrians from Iran, India and other countries flock to the temple of Pir-e Sabz. One of the pilgrim trails to Chak-Chak is a dirt road starting near the village of Elabad, north of Yazd. It is a time-honored tradition for pilgrims to stop the moment they see the sight of the shrine and continue the rest of their journey by foot. Several roofed pavilions have been constructed on the cliffs below the shrine and throughout the day and night these are tightly packed with pilgrims.

Zoroastrian temple of Chak Chak, near Yazd (Order Fine Art Print)

Notes on Zoroastrian sacred mountains

Sources of information on Zoroastrian sacred mountains are found in parts of Zoroastrian Avesta literature known as Zamyad Yasht and the Pahlavi Bundahishn.

Mt. Ushi-darena (translated as 'Support of Divine Consciousness' or 'Sustainer of Divine Wisdom') is the mountain where Zoroaster attained illumination and received the revealed knowledge of the supreme god, Ahura Mazda. Another Zoroastrian saint mentioned in the Avestan Yasht literature, Asmo-Khanvant, also attained spiritual illumination upon Ushi-Darena. This mountain appears to be situated in the Mt. Alborz range near Azerbaijan, Zarathustra's traditional birthplace. The Bundahishn, however, places it in Seistan (or Sajestan), east of Iran in the region referred to in the Avesta (Vendidad I, 9-10) as Vaekereta, the ancient name of Kabul (or Sajestan). The Greeks called in Dranjiana and in the Pahlavi writings it is known as Hushdastar.

Mt. Asnavant, now known as Mt. Ushenai in the Azerbaijan region near the sacred lake of Chaechasta (also known as Urumiah). Asnavant is another mountain where Zarathustra lived for a number of years practicing solitary meditation. In the Bundahishn, Mt. Asnavant is referred to as the seat of Adar Gushasp, the Sacred Fire. It is on this mountain where Zarathustra is believed to have gained the power and energy to go out into the world as a great spiritual teacher, while it was on Mt. Ushi-Darena that he achieved the realization of that which he later taught. The legends of Mt. Asnavant indicate that it has a power that dispels ignorance and develops purity.

Mt. Hara-Berezaiti, identified as Mt. Alborz. The Bundahishn mentions as existing at this mountain a "Bridge of Judgement" or "Bridge of Moral Discrimination" which is a pathway leading to the Otherworld. This bridge or pathway is supposed to run between two mountains, Chakad-e-Daitik and the Arezur ridge of Mt. Alborz. The Zoroastrian scriptures tell of a saintly king, Yima Vivanghvant, who received the power of prophecy from Ahura Mazda upon this mountain.

For further information on the sacred sites and pilgrimage practices of Zoroastrianism, consult the following sources:

• A Persian Stronghold of Zoroastrianism; by Mary Boyce; Oxford Press; 1977
• Sacred Circles: Iranian (Zoroastrian and Shi'ite Muslim) Feasting and Pilgrimage Circuits; by Michael Fischer; in Sacred Places and Profane Spaces, edited by Jamie Scott; Greenwood Press, New York; 1991
• The Zoroastrians of Iran: Conversion, Assimilation, or Persistence; by Janet Amigh; AMS Press, New York; 1990
• Zoroastrianism in Armenia; by James Russell; Harvard University Press, Cambridge; 1987

Additional notes on Zoroastrian pilgrimage and sacred sites:

Geographical characteristics and the origin of the Zoroastrians' pilgrimage places in Iran

Introduction

Probably the most important holy places in Iran for Zoroastrians are pilgrimage places near Ardakan, Aghdâ, Mehriz, and Yazd, located in Yazd province, central Iran. These holy places are visited every year by hundreds of Zoroastrians not only from different parts of Iran, but also from different parts of the world. The aim of this article is to highlight the significance and characteristics of these historical and religious places.

The pilgrimage places that will be considered in this article are: Pir-e Sabz, Pir-e Herisht, Pir-e Narestaneh, Pir-e Banoo, and Pir-e Naraki.

Geographical locations

Except Pir-e Herisht, all other pilgrimage places are located on or near the mountainous slopes. The locations of these pilgrimage places are shown in table 1. The nearest of these holy places to Yazd is Narestaneh and the furthest one is Pir-e Banoo.

Table 1: The locations of Zoroastrians' pilgrimage places compared to the Yazd and other nearest cities.

Pilgrimage Place	Location compared to Yazd	Location compared to other cities
Pir-e Sabz	65 km northwest	40 km northeast of Ardakan
Pir-e Herisht	90 km northwest	15 km northeast of Ardakan
Pir-e Narestaneh	30 km north	_______
Pir-e Banoo	110 km west	12 km south of Aghdâ
Pir-e Naraki	55 km southeast	15 km west of Mehriz

Pir-e Sabz (Chak Chaku) is located on the slope of Chak Chak Mountain in an abandoned area (Plate 1). A secondary road from Ardakan to Khorânagh village is passing in 14 km distance. Pir-e Herisht was built on a small hill and it is about 5 km from a secondary road to Khor (means sun) in the heart of the Dasht-e Kavir (The Great Kavir). A small farm and spring, called Howz-e Gowr (Zoroastrian pool), is the nearest place to the Herisht located at 14 km distance near the road towards the Khor.

Narestaneh is located in one of the valley sides of the Narestaneh Mountain, which is also a remote place. The nearest village to this holy place is Dorbid located 7 km to the north. The last time (1990) that I visited this village two shepherd families were living there. One of the shepherds pointed to the remnants of an old fire temple of Dorbid. It had been demolished and levelled to the ground by local people (mainly from the city) who wanted to build a mosque instead.

Pir-e Banoo is the furthest pilgrimage place to Yazd and is located in one the several valleys inhabited by local farmers, shepherds and hunters. It is near to Aghdâ, an area full of ancient Persian names, as well as, new Arabic names. Persian names such as Ormudeh, Ashtigah (peace place!), Desgin, Parpar, Haftador (Hapt Ador = Seven Fire) seems to be historical.

Archaeological characteristics

No archaeological evidence has been found in these holy places so far to suggest antiquity or very ancient age of the features. Probably the oldest building belongs to Pir-e Banoo could not be older than 200 years due to its architectural elements and materials and also according to the existed inscriptions. Possibly the older buildings or structures had been demolished naturally or during rebuilding process.

One can assume that these places were important for many centuries, before the renewing of the firealtar buildings took place. Although the archaeological evidence is absent in these places there are some evidence from nearby areas. In the Aghdâ Mountain near Zarjoo village (adjacent to Pir-e Banoo) a historical cave has been found with evidence of compacted and cemented remnants of debris from a fireplace. Nobody until now has tried to investigate the exact age of the inhabitancy of this cave and the age of the fireplace. In the Naraki case, for instance, several archaeological tools and sculptures have been found near Mehriz, which have been interpreted as Achaemenid remnants. However, there is no clue to find out any relationship between the archaeological evidence found in nearby areas and the occurrence of the holy places.

There are rumours among the local peoples about historical treasures, which have been found by local shepherds and foreign passengers. Local people talking about points that they have found coins, broken jewellers, dagger, and human skeletons around the pilgrimage places. Unfortunately, in several cases, the archaeological evidence of human activities have been removed or destroyed by persons who were looking for valuable treasures.

Theories on the origin of these holy places

One of the earliest and most conventional theories about the origin of these holy places is related to the time of Arab invasion. The beginning of the event, according to this theory, is related to the chasing of the daughters or relatives of Yazdgerd the Third, the last Sassanian king of Iran by foreign invaders. The family of the king, and particularly his daughters with their treasures, were moving towards Khorasan. Khorasan is located to the northeastern part of the country and it was much larger than today during the Sassanian period. The aim of the Yazdgerd relatives was to escape from the Arab invaders to a safer place far away from Pars, which was the mainland of Sassanian. The legend stories explain that during the journey towards Khorasan when Yazdgerd family reached to the Aghdâ Mountains the chasers were very near to catch them. As a result, the relatives of the king separated into different groups and tried to escape into different mountains. The legend concluded that in the last minutes of the journey when the travellers were near to be captivated the innocent girls or women prayed to the God for protection. Consequently, the God helped them and they were disappeared into the opening fissures or buried by falling rocks. Old Zoroastrians explain that many years ago a petrified colourful cloth was visible near Pir-e Banoo and they believe that it was part of a woman dress. However, the conglomerate rocks of Pir-e Banoo area are full of colourful stones, which resemble colourful clothes (plate?).

The second theory is similar to the first one but, in this version, the internal rebels are replaced with foreign invaders. According to this theory, during the wars between Sassanian army and Arabs at western border of Persia, there were upheavals inside the country by some of the opposition groups. The son (or one of the relatives) of Bahrâm Chubineh, a grand general of the previous king (Khosro Parviz), for example, leaded one of these opposition groups. Whatever the reason behind the conflict, the rebels tried to cut the Yazdgerd family during their journey towards Khorasan, most likely to pillage the kingdom treasury, which they carried away. The rest of the story is the same as the first one: disappearance of the innocent people (particularly girls and women) inside the suddenly opened ground.

The third narrative, which is also related the origin of some of the Moslems holly buildings (imamzadeh) in Iran, related to the most economical point of view. According to this theory, these holy places, or their nearby lands, were the hiding places of treasures of the Yazdgerd or other Sassanian nobles. During their escape from the Arab invaders, or from internal rebels, the chance of rescue was much lower if they stuck to their heavy treasures. On the other hand, if the climate conditions were drier than the present time, which meant less access to water, there was no need to have the chasers behind for get ridding of the heavy and dangerous cargo. This was probably the case, if they had lost their horses or mules and had to continue the rest of the journey by walking. As a result, according to this theory, they buried the treasures wherever possible with more or less a vague record about their burial locations. The holiness of those places were created afterward either by local people, who were interested in keeping the treasures safe, or by the survivors if any.

The forth notion about the origin of these holy places is related to the Anahita (in Avesta: ardevi sura anahita). Anahita was the goddess or Izad of water, rain, rivers, love, motherhood and birth (Frahvashi, 1987). Although from those holy places only two, Pir-e Sabz and Naraki, have waterfalls at the present time such features may have been more active during the wetter conditions of historical times (Mobed Rostam Shahzadi, personal communication, March 1989). Furthermore, rivers and springs were much more active in these places during that period, while nowadays there are some small amounts of underground water or narrow intermittent streams. Waterfalls and springs within such places had been functioned as the holy place of Anahita, probably earlier than Zoroastrian period, under Mithraism effects. One can assume the water in such arid environments was too precious and praiseworthy that the occurrence of springs, waterfalls and rivers was connected to Izad Anahita as the source of this valuable features.

A clue for this idea is that most of these holy places are initiated in relation to the women rather than men. For example, Banoo in Pir-e Banoo means lady or gentlewoman. Another example is Pir-e Sabz, which is related to Hayat Banoo, a holy woman although with an inverted Arabic name. There is also a similar story for the initiation of Pir-e Naraki in relation to a holy lady. All of these relationships together, according to this theory, could be originated by the effect of Izad Anahita, which then, converted to more acceptable story of Yazdgerd daughters and later on due to necessity converted to the story of those holy ladies with Arabic names.

The fifth and the last theory is the "immigration stations theory". I believe that these important and valuable pilgrimage places were, in fact, a chain of stations and the last farewell places towards the India. After 1100 AD (5th century of khorshidi) the immigration of Zoroastrians towards east was accelerated due to a rapid increase in hardship life and limitation on their activities. Zoroastrians all over Persia, from Azerbaijan and Aran (Eran), to Susiana (Khuzistan); and from Alborz to Zagros Mountains, were subject of continues discrimination and persecution afterwards. As a result, a wave of immigration continued with movement of several groups of people towards the east.

Yazd and Ardakan deserts had two remarkable characteristics; one was their isolation from the other parts of Iran, and another was their central location within the Persia. The isolation was due to the occurrence of extensive deserts and kavirs around the Yazd-Ardakan area and this area (with Nain) was geographically the central part of the Iranian Plateau. On the other hand, one can assume that during those dark and harsh days the Zoroastrians caravans were trying to do not attract any attentions. As a result, it was reasonable to avoid crossing major roads and cities. The vital needs of the caravans were water and food, both of these were relatively available in the abandoned mountainous areas of Aghda, Ardakan and Yazd. The wild goat, wild sheep and partridge were much more abundant than today and the water supply was probably better than now due to a wetter climate.

Whether or not those holy places were functioning during those days as pilgrimage, they were used as stations during the long journey of Zoroastrians towards the east. Varieties of Zoroastrian accents in Yazd, Ardakan and Taft areas could be a testimony to the effect of such immigration and mixture events. It was highly possible that many of those travellers settled down in Ardakan, Yazd, Aghda and Taft areas.

These places may have also been used as temporary shelters during local or regional disturbances when the Zoroastrians were seriously under pressure. For example, the period of Sultan Hosain Safavi, the last king of Safavi dynasty, was one of the darkest sequences of Zoroastrians history. During the last few months of the Sultan Hosain life, Zoroastrians were seriously under attack and persecution. There are some oral memories about those days with Zoroastrians escaping to the mountain areas of Isfahan, Nain, Aghda, Ardakan and Yazd. During such suffering times the local mountains with a suitable source of water were more likely of high interest for Zoroastrians. Although those dark days have finished the Zoroastrians still come together in these "piroon" places whatever the origin and reason of their genesis are. These pilgrimages at the present time are not only functioning as praying places but also they are, at the same time, lovely places for entertainment and happiness.

Conclusion

The Zoroastrians pilgrimages of Yazd are conventionally believed to be originated from the end of Sassanian dynasty as the martyrdom places of Yazdgerd daughters. There is also another notion, which consider these places as Anahita worships in origin.

Considering the geographical, geological and historical conditions of the Yazd-Ardakan area, the holy places may were functioned as temporary shelters for Zoroastrian caravans travelling towards India.

They deserved to be holy places, whether or not their holiness belongs to Anahita or to the King Yazdgerd daughters. They deserved to be pilgrimage places because they carry a long history of faith, resistance, love, hope and survival.

Reference:

Dr Daryoush Mehrshahi FEZANA Journal,USA, Fall 1999, p.55-57.

Door of the inner sanctum, temple of Chak Chak

2011 World Zoroastrian Youth Congress

2011 5th World 

Zoroastrian Youth Congress, 

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ON-LINE REGISTRATION BEGINS: AUGUST 1, 2010

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Founding Chairperson, 1st World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, 1993, USA

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