View over the rooftops of Yazd, Iran
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Yazd, also spelled Yezd, is the capital city capital of Yazd province in central Iran. The city dates from the 5th century BC and was described as the “noble city of Yazd” by Marco Polo. Since Sāsānian times Yazd has been famous for beautiful silk textiles. The city is still a major centre of silk weaving. It has spinning and weaving mills, a plant for the manufacture of water purification and filtration equipment.
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Because of its hot climate, it has one of the world's largest networks of qanats (underground water supply systems), and Yazdi qanat makers are considered the most skilled in Iran. Many old buildings in Yazd have large wind towers and large underground areas to deal with the sweltering summers. The city is also home to prime examples of yakhchals, which were used to store ice retrieved from glaciers in the nearby mountains.
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Yazd's heritage as a center of Zoroastrianism is also essential. There is a Tower of Silence on the outskirts, and the city has an ateshkadeh which holds a fire that has been kept alight continuously since 470 AD. Zoroastrians make up a significant minority of the population, around 20,000–40,000 or 5 to 10 percent.