Historical Complex of Mehrpadin in Mehriz

Mehrpadin Historical Complex is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Yazd and the main core of the town of Mehriz, which includes a castle, a Jame Mosque (winter and summer sections), Hosseiniyeh, Imamzadeh, an ab anbar, a public hammam, a bazaar, and old brick houses with beautiful skylights and tall badgirs (wind towers).
The word Mehrpadin consists of two words in Persian: Mehr meaning the sun and padine meaning land, so, the general meaning is the land of the sun.

About Mehrpadin Castle in Mehriz

Mehrpadin Castle is one of the historical places and tourist attractions of Mehriz in Yazd province, which is located 30 km from Yazd. Each year, a lot of visitors and tourists visit it.
Mehrpadin Castle with a length of 160 and a width of 148 meters, has 2 defensive brick forts. These defensive forts include walls with the height of 6 meters and 9 circle towers with the height of 8-meter, which had been a temporary residence belonging to the eighth century AH. This castle with fruit and vegetable gardens inside dominates the entire town.

Some historians attribute the historic fortress of Mehrpadin to the Safavid era, some to the era of Muzaffarids (8th century AH), and the same time of the construction of Mehrpadin town. There is also a local narration that says Mehrpadin Castle was created by a boy, who survived from Mongolian attack to Mehrijard while all other people were killed, and Mongol soldiers delivered him to the current residents of Saryazd, a village near Mehrijard.
The boy grew up, he built a large mudbrick castle with a tall fortress and towers to defend his city against such events. The magnificent castle was temporarily active up to a few decades ago; it and only gathered and saved the villagers in times of danger or attack. When facing danger, people used to call for help from other castles, by some special signs such as smoke at night, blinking something like a burning wood. This castle has also been used as a warehouse for goods and agricultural products, supplies and livestock.

The wonders of the historic castle

Mehrpadin Castle has a wooden 2-log entrance door decorated with metal studs. On the entrance, you see a well-shaped arched spear.
There is a vestibule between the outer and inner courtyards of Mehrpadin castle, the basement of which was used to store goods. Passing through the entrance door, you reach the main alley or main passage of the castle which is 3.30 m wide in the north-south direction; however, the other alleys of castle are 1.70 m wide and in the east-west direction.

The interior space of the Mehrpadin Castle includes the Shahneshin (the best place and the place for the king or the owner) in the highest part (above the entrance), the residential area, the public or religious space, the warehouse for storing goods, the stables, the corridors and numerous communication spaces. The most interesting part about these spaces is their extraordinary arrangement in a particular complexity. The castle also has its own floors, the upper floor for the people and the lower floor for keeping livestock. Upper and lower floors are joined together with a narrow adjoining staircase. In the eastern part of the castle, there is a deep underground well that probably provided the castle water.
Mehrpadin Mudbrick Castle was registered with registration no. 6143 in the list of National Iranian Monuments in 2002.

Jame Mosque of Mehrpadin

Jame Mosque of Mehrpadin is one of the most valuable mosques in the town of Mehriz and Yazd province, which is about 3000 square meters. The mosque includes a big dome, a minaret, iwans, courtyards and summer and winter setions. An inscription installed on the minaret over the mosque entrance door contains the date of the mosque. According to which Jame Mosque of Mehrpadin dates back to the Muzaffarids era and the early eighth century AH. In the inscription, it is also mentioned that the mosque was founded by a person called "Mahfouz ibn Muhammad".
The Great Mosque of Mehrpadin has been registered in National Iranian Monuments in 1999.
The most prominent part of this mosque is the single 30-meter high minaret as a city element, just beside the entrance to the mosque Mehrpadin. It’s also one of the most original elements of the mosque. At the height of 5 meters of this minaret, a 400-year-old inscription in mosaic tiles is installed representing the date of the Mehrpadin Mosque.

Hosseiniyeh Ershad of Mehrpadin

Hosseiniyeh Ershad is located in the western part of the Jame Mosque of Mehrpadin, which dates back to the Muzaffarids era, the same time that The Grand mosque was built. There were also other structures such as mills and bazaars around Hosseiniyeh Ershad in Mehriz, which were destroyed when nearby street was being built.

Imamzadeh Seyyed Ghiasuddin

The shrine of Imamzadeh Seyyed Ghiasuddin is another architectural wonder in Mehrpadin. It’s located in the traditional context of the town. The architectural and historical style of its building, has always been considered the best artwork and one of the attractions of tourism and religion. The holy shrine of Imamzadeh Ghiasuddin dates back to 570 AD. It is a 900-year-old building which is located between the winter section and the summer section, which has doubled the value of Imamzadeh.

Mehrpadin Qanat in Mehriz

The Mehrpadin Qanat was built by Mehrnegar, the son of the Sassanid Anushiruwan in the village of Mehrijard and west of the Jameh Mosque of Mehrpadin which path was passed through a paved alley. Even now, in the middle of this alley, there is a stream of water that is no longer supplied from the qanat but it feeds from a well. Around the stream, there are several old berry and old plain trees that have made a green and nice scene in the alley.

Mehrpadin Ab Anbars

Mehrpadin Ab anbar ( water reservoir ) is located in the north of the Shabestan of Jame Mosque of Mehrpadin. It is the only ab anbar of the Mehrpadin neighborhood, which is used by all local residents and even smaller neighborhoods around the water reservoir.

Mehrpadin Historical Hammam

Historical hammam of Mehrpadin is one of the old buildings of Mehrpadin in Mehriz and one of the best tourist attractions in Yazd province. It dates back to the Qajar era, but its main building was built at the same time of the Mehrpadin Complex (castle, mosque, hammam and etc.) in the eighth century AH and the Muzaffarids era. The various dimensions of the bricks used in the construction of this hammam also represent restoration of the building in different periods.
Mehrpadin hammam with the area of 500 meters is located next to the entrance to Mehrpadin Mosque. It includes GarmKhane (the hot part in which the people wash) and Khazine (the source of water; cold, warm, hot). Although the public hammam in the old times basically had only one section that men and women could use in turn, but the old Mehrpadin hammam has two separate parts for men and women. Regarding the harmony and architecture style, this hammam is really unique in Iran.
Passing through the entrance door and the vestibule of the historic Mehrpadin hammam , you get to Sarbine (locker room) which is really beautiful with an octagon plan. The floor of the Garmkhaneh is 4 steps lower than the locker room, connected by a narrow corridor to an octagonal pond with a depth of 50 cm and a smaller one which is 20 cm wide.
In the eastern part of the Mehrpadin hammam, there is a big pool full of water for controlling and regulating the amount of water, it takes the necessary water from the Mehrpadin Qanat. Nowadays, this part is replaced by modern showers and does not have the previous function anymore.
The historic Mehrpadin public Bath with registration number 2333 on May 20, 1999 has been registered as an Iranian National Monuments.

Traditional Chehel Dokhtarun Restaurant in Mehriz

In the process of erosion and destruction of the Mehrpadin public bath, two young men from Mehriz in 2007, have converted the historic Mehrpadin bath to the traditional Chehel Dokhtarun restaurant in order to protect it from being destroyed. The title of this restaurant comes back to the story of the Arab invasion of the area and the request of 40 daughters from the God to help them escape from Arab soldiers and maintain their chastity. God answered to their prayers by opening of the earth and taking their refuge under the ground. From then on, this region is known as the "Chehel Dokhtrun".
If you plan to stay in Mehriz and reserve a traditional hotel in the historic city of Mehriz, the Pahlavanpour Mehriz Garden Hotel, which is located near the Mehrpadin Historical Complex, is an ideal option for bookings.
While staying in the historic city of Mehriz, you can enjoy a one-day tour of Mehriz Sightseeing and a high quality Raadina Resort. Contact Raadina  support for more information on Mehrpadin historical collection.