Pir e Naraki, A Zoroastrian Monument

Pir e Naraki is a Zoroastrian Temple located between Dare Zanjir and Gigoon Valley, which is surrounded by Ti Jeng mountains on three sides. Pir e Naraki is one of the oldest Zoroastrian temples in Iran and tourist attractions in Yazd where there is a beautiful spring of water flowing.
Each year, many travelers and tourists come to this area, and for this reason, Zoroastrians have built many traditional style mud brick houses called Kheyle for them to take a rest and enjoy their visit.

The History of Pir e Naraki

There are two narrations about the temple of Pir-e Neraki; the first one says that after the fall of the Sassanid dynasty by the Arabs, “Naz Banoo", Yazdegerd's daughter and the one of Princesses of Persia, escaped from the Arabs. At first, she went to a mountain called Gigoon, but as she was not able to take refuge there, she went to Ti Jeng Mountain, where she sought the help of the Almighty God, Ahura Mazda. Great Ahoora Mazda accepted her request by hiding her in the heart of the mountain, and flowing suddenly a spring of fresh water from the dried land.
Shortly thereafter, a tired passenger dreamed there. Nazbanoo in his dream ordered to construct a temple there. Since then, Pir-e Naraki Temple was a sacred place for her loved ones, those who want to be forgiven (Naz Banu has promised that their wishes will come true in this place). Ahura Mazda, the one god, has given this invisible place to Nazbanoo and it is highly respected by the Zoroastrians from all over the world.
The second narration states that once upon a time, one of the rulers of Yazd cut down an old tree near Pir e Naraki and chopped it into slices. After cutting down the tree, he got blind. The ruler regretted greatly, so he decided to do some things to compensate. He built a temple and donated things to this place, planted some trees, gradually he got his lost sight back again.
Of course, most Zoroastrians believe the first narration and perform their religious rituals based on it.

Building of Pir e Naraki Temple

The building of this temple consists of a relatively large room, surrounded by distant panoramic shades, to be the venue for pilgrims. On the walls of this room, you can see a variety of Zarathustra photo frames, and in the middle of the room there is a round stone table that has always kept an everlasting fire in its heart.
Outside this room, there is a basket of white caps, which the pilgrims wear before entering the temple to show respect and honor, as well as a place for washing their hands and face in this section.
The administration of the Pir e Naraki Temple is carried out by Behruz Jarrah and the Zoroastrian Association of Kooche Buick.

Zoroastrian Gatherings in Pir-e Naraki

The historic city of Yazd has always been the cradle of the formation of Zoroastrianism and the place of residence of Zoroastrians, who like the followers of other religions have special ceremonies and sacred places for themselves.
It is interesting to know that Zoroastrians’ calendar does not have any weeks, so each month has thirty days and each day has a specific name. It’s been for years that from the day of Mehr to the day of Varhram (June 3rd to June 7th), which is known as the Soroush Izad and is the same day that Naz Banoo hid in the mountains, faithful Persians and prominent Zoroastrians from different countries gather in this place worshiping and praising Ahura Mazda and the holding religious rituals.

More about Zoroastrian ceremonies in Pir e Naraki

In addition to prayer, in the temple of Pire Neraki in Mehriz, other religious ceremonies also are performed including; stoning Gigoon Mountain (the symbol of Devil for not sheltering Naz Banu), live classical music performances, collective singing, and some other social activities such as awarding prizes to the best of Zoroastrian high school students and university students, introducing newly married couples to the pilgrims to whom pilgrims congratulate. The event goes on distributing the sweets by the couples, celebrating the Zoroastrian benefactors, organizing competitions and happy cultural, artistic, sporting festivals.   

If you are interested in Zoroastrian tourist attractions, Ateshkade, Pir e Herisht Temple, Chak Chak, Asadan Castle, Narestane Temple, Seti Pir, Pars Banoo Temple, etc. are the other important places for all Zoroastrians in the world that are located in Yazd.
If you wish to reserve a hostel in traditional and ancient part of Mehriz, the best choice for you can be Mehrgard Ecolodge in Mehriz.
During your stay in Mehriz countryside, you can enjoy a one-day tour of Sightseeing in Mehriz and Desert Touring in the best quality by Raadina Travels.

Please contact Raadina Support for more information on Pir e Naraki Temple.