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Tower of Silence

Khamooshan Tower or Tower of Silence - as people from Yazd call it - is a Zoroastrian raised burial site located 15 kilometers southeast of Yazd city on a high hill named Safiyeh. Dakhma or Gordakhma is a place to destroy Zoroastrian dead bodies.

Because the followers of this religion believe that the soil as a sacred element is pure and should not be contaminated with dead bodies, the corpses of the recently deceased are placed in high stone burial pits. In addition to averting soil contamination, the corpses are feasted upon by scavengers, especially vultures.

 

The History of Silence Tower

Tower of Silence was built in ancient times by the Zoroastrians, but it was renovated during the Qajar period and was still used until 55 years ago (1967 AD).

However, today it is known as one of the cultural heritages of Yazd and in 2005 AD, it was registered on Iran National Heritage list. One of the most interesting points about this place is that in 1969 AD and at the request of the former Shah of Iran, a documentary film about this site was made by Albert Lamorisse (famous French director) called “The Lovers' Wind” or in Farsi (Bad-e- Saba). Interestingly, this film was nominated for the best documentary film of the Oscar festival in 1979.

The architecture of Silence Tower

Mankji burial site: This burial site with a diameter of 15 meters was built in 1890 AD (Qajar dynasty) and is called Mankji in honor of its creator.

Golestan burial site: Due to the increase in the population of Zoroastrians and also the impassable road of Manekji burial site, a bigger one named Golestan was built few years later with a diameter of 25 meters and a distance of 150 meters from the previous one.

Kheyleh: There are two-story rooms at a distance of 200 meters from the graves, which were a place for Zoroastrians deceased relatives to stay for ceremonies.

Zoroastrian burial site householder: the living quarters of the Nasasalar, whose duty was to wash the bodies of the dead.

 

 

Tags: yazd Province, Towerof Silence, Zoroastrians, Dakhma

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