Alexander's Prison

Let's visit one of the famous Yazd attractions, Alexander's Prison or Ziyaeieh School.
It is located in Fahadan Neighborhood. Entering Fahadan Neighborhood, Yazd historical tissue, passing its alleys and lanes, we can see a dome with height of 18 m which is decorated with beautiful water color golden and azure molding and decorations. However, a big part of these decorations is missed, a small part of them can be seen. 
Although the entrance of this monument is very short; entering the monument, we will be attracted by its magnificence as a monument with Islamic architecture dating back to Mongolian era.

A Tale for Building Ziyaeieh School

Let's have a look at the story of building this monument: in 631 (7th century) SH, Seyed Zia Al - Din Hossein -e Razi, who was son – in - law of Seyed Rokn Al - Din Mohammad, originator of Rokniye School, planned a comprehensive school and built two high minarets, a great iwan and a huge entrance with many chambers. He ran water from Ashkezar Qanat through the school.

Ziya Al- din also built a library for the students, a place for worshiping God next to the school, several houses with lofty badgirs (wind towers) for residence of the teachers behind the school. He died while the school was not built completely; so his sons: Majd Al - Din Hassan and Sharaf Al - Din Ali completed the school in 705 SH considering some endowments for school costs and maintenance. 

The Architecture of Ziaeiyeh School

The first place that we will visit is Gonbd Khane. Gonbad Khane is a building with sides of 8 m and height of 18 m and is considered as one of the oldest parts of the school. The dome has two parts and a simple Mihrab decorated with simple muqarnas adornments which has significantly beautified Gonbad Khane.
Getting out of Gonbad Khane, we enter the yard. The yard is rectangular having three lofty iwans in southern, northern (the room under the badgir), and western sides among which the iwan in western part is larger than the others. It is said that there used to be an iwan in eastern side which has been destroyed.

It is interesting to know that there is no tile work in this monument and there are only works of brick maintaining this monument through eras.
There is a Payab (water passage way) in the middle of the school with depth of 5 m. We can go down 38 narrow stairs to rest a little in the heart of the history. However, this Payab has been recently used as a coffee shop. 
Let's visit other parts of the Ziaeiyeh school. Crafts shops are the main significant shops. If you wish to buy some souvenirs from Yazd, you can buy them here.

Why Was It Named Ziaeieh School?

Let's mention that Ziyaeieh School has never been a prison; however, Yazd was called Alexander's Prison referring to Hafez's poem who called Yazd as Alexander's Prison.
Let's know a bit more about the founder of this school. Razi family was a highly respectable family in Yazd. In a way that Rashid Al - Din Fazl Allah Hamadani, who was related to them, repeatedly mentioned the members of this family even Ziya Al - Din Mohammad Ibn Razi in Rashidi endowments. In addition to nominating a trustee from his own family in Jame Al - Khayrat, which is the largest endowment in Yazd in Ilkhanate era, he appointed Ziya Al - Din and later his family as a custodian of his endowments.

Alexander Prison was registered in Iran National Monuments on March 13, 1968 with registration No. 770.

For more information about Alexander's prison, please contact Raadina Support.