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TheZoroastrianHousesofYazd
By:RyszardAntolak ,April2005

reviewofthearticlebyMaryBoyce Sometimesoldbuildingspossessthevirtuetoexpressfarbetterthanwordsthefearsanduncertaintiesof

nationsorreligiousgroups.TheoldZoroastrianhousesofYazdareonesuchexample.Civilandreligious persecutionhavedictatedthestyleandpatternoftheirunusualarchitecture.Memoriesofrepressionare encodedinthedesignoftheirthickadobewalls.Theyarevoicesfrozenintostone. Yazdissituatedonahigh,aridplateauattheinterfaceoftwomightydeserts(theDashteLutandtheDasht e Kavir).ItwasonceanimportantstationontheSilkRoad,famousforitsfabricsandtextiles[1].Formany years,itssplendidisolationprotecteditfrompoliticalupheavalsintherestofIran.AftertheMongol invasionsthatsawthetotaldisappearanceofZoroastrianpopulationsfromtheprovincesofSistanand Khorasan,Yazdemergedunharmed,protectedbyitsvastexpansesoffeaturelessdesert.Itbecameahaven forZoroastriansfromalloverIran.Inthiscityofwalledgardensandturquoisedomestheycontinuedto practicetheirreligionandcustomsrelativelyundisturbed.MostofthemstillspokeDari,oncetheofficial spokenlanguageoftheSassaniancourt,laterconfinedsolelytotheZoroastrianpopulationsofYazdand Kerman(thoughfragmentedintocountlesslocaldialects)[2].Thepleasantoasiscitydrewmanyartists,poets andsufistothesafetyofitswalls[3]. Theregionsprosperityandisolationlasteduntilthebeginningoftheeighteenthcenturywhereupontwo hundredyearsofpoliticalandreligiousturmoilensuedwhichdecimatedthepopulation.Yazdsufferedattacks fromAfghans,ZandsandAfshars,tonamebutafew.TheZoroastrianpopulationwassubjectedtoadditional hardships.Asareligiousminoritysubjecttodiscriminatorylaws,itfoundithadasmuchtofearfromits Muslimneighboursasfromtheforeignforcesarmedagainstit.Ittookextrameasurestoprotectitself,afact reflectedinthecommunitysunusualdomesticarchitecture[4]. Yazdisfamousforitsuniquesky lineofbadgirs:tall,elegantwind towersintendedtocatchtheslightest movementofairanddirectitdownwardintocoolundergroundchambers.Thehousesoftheregionhavegreat vaultedtalarsthatopenoutontospaciouscourtyardscontainingpleasantwaterfeaturesandgardens.Butthe olderhousesoftheZoroastrianpopulationaresignificantlydifferentfromthoseoftheirMuslimneighbours. In1963whenprofessorMaryBoycearrivedintheregiontostudythem,shediscoveredgloomy,fortress like buildingsvirtuallydevoidofanyfurnitureorgreenery.Theywerelowandairless.Nobadgirsadornedtheir roofs.Theprimaryconsiderationofthebuildershadbeendefence.Theidealsolutionwouldhavebeento buildupwards,erectinghigh,tower likehousesasarefound(forexample)alloverScotland.ButinIran, Zoroastrianswerenotallowedtobuildtheirhomesanyhigherthanamancouldreach(oranytallerthanthe housesofMoslems).Theycouldonlybuildoutwardsanddownwards,creatingdarkhoney combsof subterraneanroomswithadobewallsseveralfeetthicktowithstandattack.TheZoroastrianswerephysically greaterinstaturethantheirMoslemneighbours(mightymen,asMrsBoycecallsthem)andtheycouldwell haveputupafightiftheyhadto.Butitseldomhappened.ThepenaltyforkillingaMoslemwascertaindeath: tokillaZoroastrianmeantincurringonlyamodestfine,usuallywaivedbytheauthorities.Better,therefore, topreventattacksinthefirstplace Entrytothehouseswasviaasingledoorfromanarrowlanejustwideenoughtoallowafully ladendonkeyto pass.TheLawstatedthatthedoorofaZoroastriandwellingcouldbesecuredbyonlyasinglehinge,soaseries ofdoorshadtobebuilt(oneaftertheother)intheinterestsofsafety.Finally,attheendofagloomycorridor, anarrowdoor thesmallestofthemallledintoabare,centralcourtyardorrikda. Therewerenowidows.Sometimesglassbottlescouldbeseenprotrudingfromthewallsoftheentrancelane. Buttheseservedasspy holesratherthanwindows,defencebeinguppermostinthemindsofthesepersecuted inhabitants.Theonlylighttoenterthehousewasthroughthetinycourtyardorviairregulargapsinthedoors orceilings.Insomeofthebuildingsthecourtyardhadbeencoveredovercompletelytopreventintruders gainingaccessfromtheroof.Theresultwastotaldarknessandoppressiveclaustrophobia.Itisironicthat Zoroastrianswiththeirsophisticatedtheologiesoflightshouldhavebeenforcedtoliveinsuchshadowy, enclosedbuildings. BicameralfortressesTheoldeststandardformofZoroastrianhousedescribedbyMrsBoycedatedfromthe earlynineteenthcentury.Allotherhouseswerevariationsonitsbasicdesign.ItwasknowninDariasado pesgami(ortwo chamberedhouse)onaccountofitstwoopenpavilionsfacingeachotheracrosstherikda. Thesewereknowninvariablyasthepesgam imasandthepesgamivrok(thegreatandthesmallpesgams)[5]. Bothhaddomedroofstohelpminimisesolargainandspeedupthelossofheatfrombelow.

BicameralfortressesTheoldeststandardformofZoroastrianhousedescribedbyMrsBoycedatedfromthe earlynineteenthcentury.Allotherhouseswerevariationsonitsbasicdesign.ItwasknowninDariasado pesgami(ortwo chamberedhouse)onaccountofitstwoopenpavilionsfacingeachotheracrosstherikda. Thesewereknowninvariablyasthepesgam imasandthepesgamivrok(thegreatandthesmallpesgams)[5]. Bothhaddomedroofstohelpminimisesolargainandspeedupthelossofheatfrombelow. Thepesgamimas(orgreatpesgam)wassocallednotbecauseofitssize,(whichwasoftensmallerthanthe pesgam ivrok)butonaccountofitsgreatersignificance.Itwastheroomsetasideforreligiousobservances andwheretheritualvessels,theafrinigan,thebowlsandspoonsetc.,werekept.Itwasneverbuiltfacing north(thedirectionofevil)andwasalwayshiddenfromthedoorwaysothatnonon Zoroastrianvisitor mightseteyesuponit.Clayrectangularpotsinwhichgrassesweresownatmajorfestivalsweresecuredhigh upinitscorners,awelcomerelieffromthemonochromegreyofthehouse. Thegreatpesgamwasconsideredpure(pak)andhenceno oneinastateofritualimpuritycouldenterit.Its floorwasofplainearth.Brick,beingaman madematerial,wasconsideredunsuitableasitoffendedthe ZoroastriansfeelingofharmonywithNature.Theageofahousecouldoftenbeestimatedbytheheightofthe greatpesgamsfloor.Thiswasalwayshigherthanthefloorsoftherestofthehouse,aconsequenceofthefresh layerofsoilthatwasspreaduponiteveryyearduringtheFarvardaganfestival(thefestivalthatwelcomes backthespiritsofthedead)[6]. Oppositethepesgam imaswasthepesgam ivrok(orsmallpesgam),asecularpaviliondominatedbyweaving loomswiththreadsstrungfromwalltowallacrosstheroom.Zoroastrianswereforbiddenbylawtopractice anyskilledtrades,andhencewereforcedtorelyuponweaving(aswellassomefarmingandcattle droving)to earnaliving. Therewerevariousotherroomsaroundtheperipheryofthehouse,allofwhichMrsBoycedescribes meticulouslyinherarticle.Whatisstrikingaboutthemistheiremptiness:thealmostcompletelackof furniture,decorationorevencupboardspace.Inthebedroom,clothesandlinenswerestoredincotton bundlesalongthesidesofthewallsasifitsinhabitantswerereadyatamomentsnoticetofleefortheirlives. Thiswasoftenthetruth,forpersecutionwasendemic.Intheirhastetheyoftenburiedvaluablesunderthe floors,hopingtoretrievethematalaterdate.ThisknowledgegaverisetothebeliefthatalloldZoroastrian housescontainedburiedtreasure,andensuredthattheyattractedtheattentionofpotentialburglars. Somewhereinthehouse,however,therewasusuallyapanahgah(aconcealedroom)wherevaluables,wine andevenchildren couldbesecretedintimesoftrouble. Anotherroomcommonlyfoundinthesebuildingswastheganza yipunidun.Itwasnothingmorethana simplestonehut.Womenwouldpassthefirstfewdaysoftheirmenstrualperiodshere,segregatedawayfrom themen.Butbythe1960sthisarchitecturalfeatureofZoroastrianhomeswasalreadypassingintomemory. MrsBoyceonceaskedayoungZoroastriangirlwhatpurposeshethoughthestructuremighthaveserved,and receivedthereplythatitwasprobablyahen house! Theonlyheatedroominthewholehousewasthelongnarrowkitchen(orpokri)withitsaromaticbread ovens.TheweatherinYazdcouldbebitterlycoldinwinter,sothefamilywouldoftencongregatehereinthe evenings.Itsfirewasneverallowedtogoout. ManyofthelawsdiscriminatingagainstZoroastrians(andotherreligiousminorities)inIranwerestillinforce attheendofthenineteenthcentury.AZoroastrianhadtodismountfromhisdonkeywhenapproachinga Moslem.Hewasnotallowedoutofhishouseonrainydaysbecausethewaterfromhisclothesmight contaminatebelievers.Hewascompelledtoweardistinctivegarmentstoidentifyhimasanoutsider.Hewas notallowedtowearahatorshoes,unlesstheyweretorn.Eveneye glasseswereforbiddenhim.Subjecttothe notoriousjaziyatax[7],hewaskeptfirmlyinpoverty:asecond classcitizeninhisowncountry. Butwhenrestrictionsuponthemrelaxedatthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,Zoroastriansagainbegan toimproveandupgradetheirhomes.Thedo pesgamidevelopedintochor pesgami(orfour pavilioned) houses,upperstorieswerebuilt,courtyardsopenedupandbadgirsadded.Waterpondsandgardensbeganto appeartogracetheinnercourtyards.Lifebegantoreturntonormalonceagain.MrsBoyceremindsusatthe endofherarticlethat: Persia,withitsloveofgardensandflowers,wasZoroastrianbeforeitwasMuslimanditwas povertyandoppressionthatforcedtheYazdiZoroastriansintotheirsmallbare,fortress like homes,withoutabladeofgreennesstorelievethemonotony.[But]assoonaspressureonthem slackened,theycreatedhouseswithgardensagain. MaryBoyce,1964

Notes 1. 2. MarcoPolo,whovisitedthecityin1272calleditanobleandconsiderablysizedcity.Itwasfamousfor Yazdi,asilkenfabricembroideredwithgoldenthreads. DaridiffersfromFarsiinpossessingfewerborrowingsfromArabic.Overthecenturies,Darispeakers haveexperiencedextensivepoliticalpressuretoyieldupthelanguage.Todaytherearelessthan 10,000ofthemworldwide,mostoftheminKermanandYazd.DaribelongstotheN.WesternIranian languagefamilyandisrelatedtoKurdishGilakiandBalochi.ItisnotequatedwiththeDarispokenin Afghanistan. 3. AfewoftheseSufisbuiltinfluentialmonasteriesinthedistrict.Someofthem,likethemonasteryof

Yazdi,asilkenfabricembroideredwithgoldenthreads. 2. DaridiffersfromFarsiinpossessingfewerborrowingsfromArabic.Overthecenturies,Darispeakers haveexperiencedextensivepoliticalpressuretoyieldupthelanguage.Todaytherearelessthan 10,000ofthemworldwide,mostoftheminKermanandYazd.DaribelongstotheN.WesternIranian languagefamilyandisrelatedtoKurdishGilakiandBalochi.ItisnotequatedwiththeDarispokenin Afghanistan. 3. 4. AfewoftheseSufisbuiltinfluentialmonasteriesinthedistrict.Someofthem,likethemonasteryof SheikhAhmadFahadan,canstillbeseentodayinYazd. TheZoroastriansofYazddistinguishbetweentwokindsofMoslem:thenajib(kind,generous)andthe nanajib(theoppositeofnajib).Theyattachthesenamestoseveralvillagesinthedistrictandtravel considerabledistancestoavoidcontactwithna najibcommunities. 5. MrsBoycesoughtoutthecorrectDariwordsformanyofthedomesticobjectsshewroteaboutinher article.Shewashelpedbytwoprimarysourcebooks:Soroushian,Jamshid.Farhangibehdinan.Tehran 1956,andIvanow,W.TheGabridialectspokenbytheZoroastriansofPersiaIV.RSO,xviii(1939) 6. ThesebasichousedesignsarepeculiartoYazdandarenotfoundamongtheZoroastrianhousesof neighbouringKerman.Iftheyonceexistedthere,theyprobablydisappearedinthe18thcenturyafter themassacreoftheZoroastrianpopulationbyMahmoodtheAfghan. 7. TheheavypolltaxinflicteduponmostnonMoslems.

Source: TheZoroastrianHousesofYazd ByMaryBoyce IranandIslam(InmemoryofVladimirMinorsky).EditedbyBosworth,C.E.Edinburgh UniversityPress.1971 PrintedinGreatBritainbyT.&A.ConstableLtd.Edinburgh.Scotland.UK(ISBN085224200X)

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