Thus spake Zarathustra (with apologies to Nietzsche and Richard Strauss!)

Good thoughts, good words and good deeds is the philosophy of the religion known as Zorastrianism by the prophet Zarathustra who is thought to have lived in the second millenium BC. It is the world’s first monotheistic religion celebrating the single god Ahura Mazda and his good essence that runs through all things. Prayers are said facing the sun , fire or other source of light representing Ahura Mazda’s divine light and energy.

The religion took hold throughout Persia and Turkmenistan eastward to India. In Iran the city of Yazd maintains a signifiant Zoroastrian population. We visit the fire temple in the evening, lit up it is peaceful and spiritual. The next morning we visit the Tower of Silence which was the zoroastrian funerary centre. Bodies were laid out in these buildings to be exposed to the sun and eaten by vultures. It is a quirky little place with buildings that are reminiscent of a Star Wars set.

The old town of Yazd is a maze of narrow alleyways that is a delight to explore with shaded archways. Dotted all around are towers that are windcatchers that amazingly traps the breeze and funnels them into buildings, ancient air conditioning.

Central is the beautiful Jame mosque with its intricate blue decorations.

Leaving the mosque we are confronted with 30 soldiers in uniform heading straight for us. We move to the side to let them pass. It is forbidden to photograph or associate with the miltary. The troops engage us. I am offered sunflower seeds and they ask us to take selfies with them. Crazy but fun.