Yazd

Yazd is the capital of Yazd province in central Iran, and since 2017 its historic city has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2016 census recorded 529,673 residents, the fifteenth largest population among cities in Iran. The city is renowned for its Persian desert architecture, particularly its windcatchers known as badgir, and its remote desert location spared it from many of the major conflicts that affected other Iranian cities through history. Marco Polo visited Yazd in 1272 and praised its silk weaving industry, and the city remains a center of Zoroastrianism with historic fire temples, along with traditional crafts including silk weaving, carpet making and confectionery.