Sadeh ( Persian : سده also transliterated as Sade ), is an Iranian festival that dates back to the Achaemenid Empire . Sadeh celebrates 50 days before Nowruz . Sadeh in Persian means "hundred" and refers to one hundred days and nights remains to the beginning of spring. Sadeh is a mid winter festival that was celebrated with grandeur and magnificence in ancient Persia . It was a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.
55-525: Legends have it that King Hushang , the 2nd king of the mythological Pishdadian dynasty (Pishdad means to give the Law), established the Sadeh tradition. It is said that once Hushang was climbing a mountain when he saw a snake and wanted to hit it with a stone. When he threw the stone, it fell on another stone and since they were both flint stones , fire broke out and the snake escaped. This way he discovered how to light
110-413: A cheerful time, Iranians of all faiths make a collective effort at this day to keep up with their ancient traditions and to celebrate the preciousness of creation. Sadeh has a complex history and two different days were observed for the festival's veneration. In addition to 50 days (100 days and nights) before the beginning of the new year (or hundredth day after the gahambar of Ayathrima), already noted,
165-419: A fire. Hushang cheered up and praised God who revealed to him the secret of lighting a fire. Then he announced: "This is a light from God. So we must admire it." According to religious beliefs, Jashn-e Sadeh recalls the importance of light, fire and energy; light which comes from God is found in the hearts of his creatures. During ancient times, Jashn-e Sadeh was celebrated by lighting fire. For Zoroastrians
220-545: A guarded secret, and there are many that have remained a private family business for many generations. Baklava , ghotab and pashmak are the most popular sweets made in the city. In 2000 the Yazd Water Museum opened; it features exhibits of water storage vessels and historical technologies related to water. Yazd has expanded its industrial fields since the 1980s. With at least three main industrial areas each containing over 70 different factories, Yazd has become one of
275-462: A number of companies involved in the growing information technology industry, mainly manufacturing primary materials such as cables and connectors. Currently Yazd is the home of the largest manufacturer of fibre optics in Iran. Yazd's confectioneries have a tremendous following throughout Iran and have been a source of tourism for the city. Confectioners workshops ( khalifehs , or experts) keep their recipes
330-399: A small minority of the population of Yazd, around 1,000 out of 600,000. The 11th-century brick mausoleum and shrine Davāzdah Imām is the oldest dated building in the city. Built in 12th century and still in use, Jame Mosque of Yazd is an example of the finest Persian mosaics and excellent architecture. Its minarets are the highest in the country. Tomb of Sayyed Rukn ad-Din is nearby
385-415: Is 270 km (170 mi) southeast of Isfahan . At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd has a unique Persian architecture . It is nicknamed the "City of Windcatchers " ( شهر بادگیرها Shahr-e Badgirha ) from its many examples. It
440-446: Is also home to prime examples of yakhchals , which were used to store ice retrieved from glaciers in the nearby mountains. Yazd is also one of the largest cities built almost entirely out of adobe . Yazd's heritage as a center of Zoroastrianism is also important. There is a Tower of Silence on the outskirts, and the city has an ateshkadeh which holds a fire that has been kept alight continuously since 470 AD. Zoroastrians make up
495-421: Is also very well known for its Zoroastrian fire temples , ab anbars (cisterns), qanats (underground channels), yakhchals (coolers), Persian handicrafts , handwoven cloth ( Persian termeh ), silk weaving, Persian cotton candy , and its time-honored confectioneries. Yazd is also known as City of Bicycles, because of its old history of bike riders, and the highest number of bicycles per capita in Iran. It
550-571: Is given in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh . Hushang has no equivalent in the Indian tradition and is therefore considered a purely Iranian figure. Hushang's original status is uncertain. He appears to have been one of several 'first man/king' figures in different Iranian traditions, along with Jamshid , Gayomard/Keyumars , and Tahmuras . The more prevalent tradition attested in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh makes Hushang
605-566: Is given only to Hushang in the Avesta, in later tradition the first Iranian dynasty (the Pishdadians ), including Hushang's predecessor and successors, are called by this title. According to Ferdowsi 's Shahnameh , which drew from the traditional history developed in the late Sasanian period, Hushang was the second king of the Pishdadian dynasty and the grandson of the first man and king Keyumars. In
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#1733084732201660-584: Is its family-centered culture. According to official statistics from Iran's National Organization for Civil Registration, Yazd is among the three cities with the lowest divorce rates in Iran. The majority of the people of Yazd are Persians . They speak Persian with a Yazdi accent, which is different from the Persian accent of Tehran . During the Pahlavi era, a large group of Kurds from the Gulbaghi tribe were moved from
715-481: Is known from Avestan , Middle Persian , and Sasanian-based Persian and Arabic sources. He appears to have been one of several 'first man/king' figures in different Iranian traditions, along with Jamshid , Keyumars , and Tahmuras . In the Avesta , he is called Haoshyangha and is given the epithet [Paraδāta] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) , whence Persian pishdad . While this title
770-434: Is left from the fire would be taken back to the shrine to be placed in one container and kept at the temple until the next year. This way the fire is kept burning all year round. The "eternal fire" also symbolizes the love of homeland which is always alive like a fervent fire in the people's hearts. The festivities would normally continue for three days. The evenings are spent eating and giving out foods as donations, food that
825-506: Is much more common (135.8 days annually) and is more frequent in winter. Yazd is an important centre of Iranian architecture . Because of its climate, it has one of the largest networks of qanats (underground water supply systems) in the world, and Yazdi qanat makers are considered the most skilled in Iran. To deal with the extremely hot summers, many old buildings in Yazd have magnificent wind towers and large underground areas. The city
880-645: Is only applied to him in the Avesta, is later used for the first Iranian dynasty, the Pishdadians , which includes Hushang's predecessor and successors. In the Middle Persian Bundahishn , Hushang is referred to as the progenitor of the Iranians and the first ruler of the Seven Climes. Additionally, despite placing Hushang after Keyumars, the Shahnameh uses the phrase "down from the time of Hushang" to mean "from
935-582: Is prepared from slaughtered lambs and is distributed among the poor. The most elaborate report of the celebration of Sadeh after the Muslim conquest of Persia in 7th century AD comes from the 10th century AD during the reign of Mardavij of Ziyarid dynasty, the ruler of Isfahan . The Ziyarid dynasty did their best to maintain Persian traditions. Bonfires were set up on both sides of the Zayandeh River to remember
990-578: Is reported that bicycle culture in Iran originated in Yazd as a result of contact with European visitors and tourists in the last century. Yazd means "pure" and "holy"; Yazd City means "City of the Holy [One, i. e. , God]". Former names of this city: Kath, Isatis. Archeological evidence 12 kilometers north of Yazd suggests that the area has been populated since the period of the Achaemenid Empire (550 BC–330 BC). In his Natural History , Pliny
1045-519: Is said to have defeated demons ( daēva s). In the old Yasht s, particularly in the Aban Yasht , Hushang is depicted as a great king who made sacrifices to the gods and received from them the khvarenah (divine royal glory), then with the gods' assistance defeated the daēva s (demons or false gods) and their worshippers in Mazana and Varena, located on the western and eastern edges, respectively, of
1100-448: The Avesta , Hushang is called Haoshyangha ( 𐬵𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵𐬀 Haošyaŋha ). Older sources interpreted the second part of the name as -šyaŋh , composed of ši- 'dwelling' and -aŋh 'giving rise to', thus meaning 'he who produces good dwellings' or 'promoter of culture and sedentary living'. According to another interpretation, the second part of the name is -šiiah- a variant of čiia- 'selecting, deciding', giving
1155-454: The Denkard , he is made a son of Mashya and grandson of Gayomard. The Bundahishn calls him the son of Fravak, grandson of Siamak, great-grandson of Mashya, and great-great-grandson of Gayomard. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh , Hushang is the son of Siamak and the grandson of Gayomard, the first man and king of the world. He served his grandfather as a beloved advisor. Siamak was killed by demons, but
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#17330847322011210-602: The Late antiquity , namely under the Sasanian Empire (224–651). Under Yazdegerd I ( r. 399–420 ), a mint was established in Yazd (under the mint abbreviation of "YZ"), which demonstrates its increasing importance. According to the New Persian chronicle Tarikh-i Yazd ("History of Yazd") of 1441, Yazd was re-founded by "Yazdegerd, son of Bahram", i.e. Yazdegerd II ( r. 438–457 ). The word yazd means God. After
1265-454: The Muslim conquest , many Zoroastrians migrated to Yazd from neighboring provinces. By paying a levy, Yazd was allowed to remain Zoroastrian even after its conquest, and Islam only gradually became the dominant religion in the city. Due to its secluded desert setting and challenging access, Yazd was mostly spared from major conflicts and the devastation and havoc of warfare. For instance, it
1320-574: The Safavid Empire (16th century), some people migrated from Yazd and settled in an area that is today on the Iran-Afghanistan border. The settlement, which was named Yazdi, was located in what is now Farah City in the province of the same name in Afghanistan . Even today, people from this area speak with an accent very similar to that of the people of Yazd. One of the notable things about Yazd
1375-470: The Shahnameh , believed to be a popular story, also credits Hushang with the accidental discovery of fire, which happened after he hurled a flint rock to kill a venomous black serpent. Missing the serpent, the rock struck another flint to produce fiery sparks. Hushang learned how to make fire this way and taught his people. In honor of the discovery, they established the Sadeh festival. He is sometimes regarded as
1430-653: The Avesta, the main collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, he is mentioned in the Yasht s and in the Vendidad . The 10th-century Middle Persian Denkard summarizes Chihrdad , a lost book ( nask ) of the Avesta, which mentions Hushang. The Bundahishn , a Middle Persian compilation, also mentions Hushang. Arabic-language sources such as al-Tabari's chronicle, al-Tha'alibi's Ghurar akhbār mulūk al-Furs wa-siyarihim , and al-Biruni's The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries give information about Hushang. The story of Hushang
1485-689: The Elder (died 79 AD) mentions a town in the Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD) named "Issatis", which is seemingly connected to the name of the Asagarta/Istachae/Sagartians . As a result, some scholars have suggested that the name of Yazd was derived from Issatis (also transliterated as Isatichae, Ysatis, Yasatis), and that the latter name started to be used in the Median or Achaemenid eras. The area encompassing Yazd first started to gain prominence in
1540-548: The Government of Tajikistan. On January 30, 2023, people in multiple different cities of Iran, celebrated Sadeh. In the wake of the ongoing protests , Sadeh was celebrated by great number of people, and they prepared fire as a symbol of Sadeh feast all across the Iran. Among the cities that celebrated Sadeh, were Tehran , Tabriz , Izeh , Ahvaz , Shiraz , Kerman , Sanandaj , Isfahan , Zanjan , Kermanshah , Yazd , Malayer , Mashhad , and some cities of Hormozgan . In Tehran,
1595-521: The Kushke Varjavand gardens in Karaj (a township of Tehran province) splendidly with the presence of Persian Zoroastrians and others interested in traditional Persian ceremonies. Sometimes the fires are not lit outside and all activities take place inside the Zoroastrian temples. The activities of camel thorn gathering have almost been stopped though there are efforts to preserve the tradition. However,
1650-424: The Sadeh custom. The fires were kept in specially built metal holders. Hundreds of birds were released while the fireworks were lighting the sky. There were fireworks, dancing and music with lavish feasts of roasted lamb, beef, chicken and other delicacies. Today the ceremony is celebrated somewhat like the ancient times in some Iranian cities such as Kerman and Yazd . Jashn e Sadeh is also celebrated every year in
1705-573: The bulk of the Iranians/Persians are becoming more familiar with the occasion and there are gatherings and celebrations even outside the country on 30 January each year. People will gather and pray, and then they will hold each other's hands, form a circle, and dance around the fire. Every year, on 30 January, thousands of Zoroastrians in Iran and other countries celebrate the religious feast of Jashn-e Sadeh by burning firewood in an open space to signify
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1760-415: The camel thorns to the temples in their cities. If it was their first time doing this, on their return, a celebration was held at home with the presence of friends and families. During ancient times, the fires were always set near water and the temples (see also: Fire temple ). The fire originally meant to assist the revival of sun and bring back the warmth and light of summer. It was also meant to drive off
1815-624: The capital of the Muzaffarid Dynasty in the fourteenth century, and was unsuccessfully besieged in 1350–1351 by the Injuids under Shaikh Abu Ishaq. The Friday (or Congregation) mosque, arguably the city's greatest architectural landmark, as well as other important buildings, date to this period. During the Qajar Empire (18th century AD) it was ruled by the Bakhtiari Khans. Under the rule of
1870-439: The chief preparation for Sadeh was and still in some parts is the gathering of wood the day before the festival. Teenage boys accompanied by a few adult males would go to local mountains to gather camel thorns , a common desert shrub in Iran . For most, this is the first time they are away from their families. The occasion resembles a ritual of passage to adulthood, a notable step for the boys enroute to manhood. The boys would take
1925-413: The city as 529,673 people in 158,368 households. Yazd has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). It is the driest major city in Iran, with a yearly precipitation amount that is less than 60 millimetres (2.4 in), and has only 11.5 days of precipitation. Summer temperatures are frequently above 40 °C (104 °F) in blazing sunshine with low humidity, on 35.3 days per year
1980-623: The coming of spring and as a symbolic token of the eternal fight with mischief. There is a cave in a mountain near Yazd , called Chak-Chak Fire Temple. Every year special ceremonies are held there during the Sadeh Feast. It is believed that the last Zoroastrian princess took shelter there in 640 AD when the Muslims expanded their power to the east. Although for the majority of Iranians Sadeh has no religious significance and no specific rituals are involved other than lighting fires at sunset and having
2035-416: The demons of frost and cold, which turned water to ice, and thus could kill the roots of plants. The fire was kept burning all night. The day after, women would go to the fire in the morning, each taking a small portion of the fire back to their homes to make new glowing fire from the "blessed fire" of the temple. This is to spread the blessing of the Sadeh fire to every household in the neighborhood. Whatever
2090-480: The districts of Amanieh, Shahr-Ara, Andisheh, Shahriyar, Haft-howz, Ekbatan , Beheshti, and Sohrevardi were some of the neighborhoods in which Sadeh was celebrated by preparing fire. Some people also gathered in mountains of northern Tehran, and made fire to celebrate Sadeh. Hushang Hushang ( Persian : هوشنگ ; Middle Persian : Hōšang ), also spelled Hōshang , is an early hero-king in Iranian mythology. He
2145-474: The events experienced by the main Islamic martyrs and other important figures. These huge public gatherings created a series of spaces which, since most are near important urban monuments, are used at other times as hubs from which visitors can tour the main spots in the city. There is also a sizable population of Zoroastrians in the city. In 2013, Sepanta Niknam was elected to the city council of Yazd and became
2200-424: The first Zoroastrian councillor in Iran. The Pir-e-Naraki sanctuary is one of the important pilgrimage destinations for Zoroastrians, where an annual congregation is held and frequent visits are made during the year; it is now also a famous tourist spot. The story of the last Persian prince to come to Yazd before the arrival of Islam adds to its importance. Such a transformation has occurred several times. There
2255-568: The first king" and quotes Khosrow Parviz as calling the Iranian religion "the Creed of Hushang." In a different (and, according to A. Shapour Shahbazi , likely older) tradition recorded in the Fravardin Yasht , the list of kings begins with Yima (Jamshid) and ends with Kavi Hausrava ( Kay Khosrow ), then lists "Hushang the Valiant [ taxma- ]" as one of several venerated heroes. In both traditions, he
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2310-461: The founder of Susa and Babylon and the initiator of the festivals of Tirgan and Khorram-ruz . Hisham ibn al-Kalbi called Hushang a descendent of Noah through his son Sam . Yazd Yazd ( Persian : یزد ; [jæzd] ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County , Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Yazd
2365-515: The land of the Aryans. He is said to have defeated princes and priests who opposed him. The Yasht s give no information about Hushang's genealogy, and there is great variety in the later sources on this issue. Besides Ferdowsi's Shahnameh , most other sources place three generations ( Mashya , Siamak and Fravak) between Hushang and Gayomard. In the summary of the lost book of the Avesta Chihrdad in
2420-446: The maximum daily temperature reaches or exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). Even at night the temperatures in summer are rather uncomfortable. In the winter, the days remain mild and sunny, but in the morning the thin air and low cloudiness cause cold temperatures, with 24.3 days per year in which the minimum temperature falls below 0 °C (32 °F). Dust events are not uncommon in Yazd, as they happen 52 days per year. Thick haze
2475-410: The mosque. Always known for the quality of its silk and carpets, Yazd today is one of Iran's industrial centers for textiles. There is also a considerable ceramics and construction materials industry and unique confectionery and jewellery industries. A significant portion of the population is also employed in other industries including agriculture, dairy, metal works, and machine manufacturing. There are
2530-478: The most technologically advanced cities of Iran. In addition to its connection with major Iranian cities via Iranian Railways , Yazd is served by the Shahid Sadooghi Airport . The University of Yazd was established in 1988. It has a college of architecture specializing in traditional Persian art and architecture. Yazd and its nearby towns contain the following institutes of higher education: Yazd
2585-494: The north of Kurdistan province to the city of Yazd and the cities of Isfahan, Kashan, and Nayin. Today, the Gulbaghi tribe are mostly assimilated elements in the population of these cities. The majority of people in Yazd are Shia Muslims . Yazd is a strongly religious, traditionalist and conservative city. Several city traditions are the Muslim parades and gatherings, which are mainly processions called azadari held to commemorate
2640-441: The other celebration marked the hundred day before the religious new year (religious new year is not necessarily the same as spring new year). It is not clear why there are two Sadeh Festivals and why different regions have had different dates. Many of Zoroastrian holy days were and are celebrated twice; this is most likely caused by the calendar reform in the 3rd century AD. Since 2017 Sadeh is officially recognized and celebrated by
2695-547: The similarity between the name [Paraδāta] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) and Paralatos , the name of the progenitor of the Paralatae or "Royal Scythians " who was a grandson of Targitaus, the first man according to Scythian mythology . Hushang is called Ushanj or Ushhanj in Arabic sources. Hushang is known from Avestan , Middle Persian , and Sasanian-based Persian and Arabic sources. Within
2750-588: The successor of Gayomard, but Hushang's status as the first king is directly stated in some sources and implied by others. In the older Yasht s, the lists of heroes or kings who received divine favor always begin with Hushang. This suggests that Hushang was considered the first king of the world at the time of the Yasht s' creation. Several later sources associate Hushang with the beginning of Iranian sovereignty. Hushang's epithet [Paraδāta] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) / Pishdad , which
2805-415: The way, such as one can easily ride through; and in them there is great sport to be had in hunting and hawking, there being partridges and quails and abundance of other game, so that the merchants who pass that way have plenty of diversion. There are also wild asses, handsome creatures. At the end of those seven marches over the plain, you come to a fine kingdom which is called Kerman . Yazd briefly served as
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#17330847322012860-488: The whole name * hu-šiiah- the meaning 'good (religious) choice'. Hushang's epithet [Paraδāta] Error: {{Lang}}: Non-latn text/Latn script subtag mismatch ( help ) / Pishdad ( Pēšdād ) was interpreted in Sasanian times as meaning 'he who first set the law of sovereignty', which has been accepted by some modern scholars. Others interpret the name as meaning 'set at the beginning' in the sense of 'first man'. Some have noted
2915-783: Was a haven for those fleeing from destruction in other parts of the Khwarazmian Empire during the Mongol invasion . In 1272 it was visited by Marco Polo , who remarked on the city's fine silk-weaving industry. In the book The Travels of Marco Polo , he described Yazd in the following way: It is a good and noble city, and has a great amount of trade. They weave there quantities of a certain silk tissue known as Yasdi, which merchants carry into many quarters to dispose of. When you leave this city to travel further, you ride for seven days over great plains, finding harbour to receive you at three places only. There are many fine woods producing dates upon
2970-444: Was avenged by Hushang, who acquired the divine glory, subdued the forces of Ahriman , and succeeded his grandfather Gayomard, reigning for forty years. He was succeeded by Tahmuras , who is Hushang's son in the Shahnameh and the son of Vivanghan and the descendant of Hushang in other sources. He is credited with the invention of iron-working, architecture, the domestication of beasts, irrigation, and agriculture. A later addition to
3025-413: Was once a relatively large Jewish-Yazdi community, however, after the creation of Israel , many have moved there for varying reasons. Former president of Israel Moshe Katsav is an example. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 423,006 in 114,716 households. The following census in 2011 counted 486,152 people in 141,572 households. The 2016 census measured the population of
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