Yazd Atash Behram

The Yazd Atash Behram (Fire Temple) in Yazd, Iran, houses a sacred fire that Zoroastrians believe has been burning continuously since approximately 470 CE, making it one of the oldest continuously maintained sacred fires in the world. [1][2]

The fire is said to have been transferred from the Pars Karyan fire temple and has been maintained through successive relocations over 1,500 years. The current temple building was constructed in 1934 with the assistance of the Parsi community of India. [1][2]

Fire is the most important symbol in Zoroastrianism, representing Asha (truth, righteousness) and the presence of Ahura Mazda. The Atash Behram is the highest grade of Zoroastrian fire temple, and the Yazd fire is one of only nine Atash Behrams in the world (the others are in India). [1][2]

The temple is open to visitors, though the inner sanctum where the fire burns is visible through a glass partition. Yazd itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic urban fabric. [3]

The fire temple is a focus for Zoroastrian devotion in Yazd, long a center of the faith in Iran, and is also open to visitors, who view the sacred fire through a glass partition rather than entering the inner sanctum. The historic city around it preserves a distinctive desert religious landscape. [1][2][3]

The temple houses an Atash Behram, the highest grade of Zoroastrian sacred fire, said to have burned continuously for many centuries through successive relocations, now kept in a chamber visible to visitors. The present building dates to the twentieth century, built with support from the Parsi community of India. [1][2]

Fire is the central symbol of Zoroastrianism, representing asha (truth and right order) and the presence of Ahura Mazda, and the Atash Behram is the most exalted form of fire temple. Yazd is one of the historic strongholds of the Zoroastrian community, among the world's oldest continuously practiced religions. [1][2][3]