TEHRAN – A group of Persian language scholars from India has visited tourist attractions of the oasis town of Meybod in central Yazd province on a familiarization tour, a local tourism official has said. 

As well as introducing the tourism potential of the city, the tour also showcased the city’s handicrafts to the participants, Mehrdad Zolfaqari explained on Sunday. 
    
According to UNESCO, Meybod is a remarkable example of the viability and transmission of human beings’ collective thoughts from different generations to the present one. “What is significant in the city of Meybod is the regularity in city planning. The anatomy and spatial structure of the city shows original plans which conform with the old Iranian city planning.”

Wedged between the northern Dasht-e Kavir and the southern Dasht-e Lut on a flat plain, Yazd enjoys a very harmonious public-religious architecture that dates from different eras.

Yazd is usually referred to as a delightful place to stay, or a “don't miss” destination by almost all of its visitors. The city is full of mudbrick houses that are equipped with innovative badgirs (wind catchers), atmospheric alleyways, and many Islamic and Iranian monuments that shape its eye-catching city landscape.

It is a living testimony to the intelligent use of limited available resources in the desert for survival. Water is brought to the city by the qanat system. Each district of the city is built on a qanat and has a communal center.

The use of earth in buildings includes walls and roofs by the construction of vaults and domes. Houses are built with courtyards below ground level, serving underground areas. Wind catchers, courtyards, and thick earthen walls create a pleasant microclimate.

ABU/AM