Yazd is home to a distinctive style of mosque, with very tall decorative entrance gates topped with a pair of minarets. They’re perfect for navigating your way around the labyrinth of the old city, and were some of my favourite of the many mosques I visited across Iran.
Masjed-e Jame
Home to the tallest (48m) minarets in Iran, this may not be the largest mosque but is one of the most beautiful. The entrance gate is exquisite from the front, and almost completely plain from behind.
Due to Yazd’s climate the mosque is open to the elements, and filled with wonderful tilework.
Even the backdoor was rather lovely…
At the back of the courtyard are steep steps leading down to a former well, now a cool if somewhat stale spot.
The mosque looks even better lit at night…
As does the nearby is Bogh-e Sayyed Roknaddin, which unfortunately is closed most of the time, but the stunning dome is visible, and particularly lovely at night.
A great find was the Hazireh Mosque, worth risking life and limb to cross a busy Iranian road to visit. Not as old as many in Yazd, and less immediately impressive, but inside were some of the most beautiful patterns I saw anywhere in Iran.
Heading up some steps outside the mosque revealed to my surprise a huge hole in the ground next door. They’re apparently building a multi-story car park!
The old city of Yazd is a great place to get lost in, and home to more lovely mosques.
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