The historical city of Yazd has been the birthplace of Zoroastrianism and the place of the residence for its followers. One of the oldest Zoroastrian shrines in Iran is Pir-e Naraki Pilgrimage in Mehriz. The shrine is surrounded by the Tijang Mountain from three sides and is located between the Gigon and the Zanjir Valleys. The popularity of this shrine among Zoroastrians and Iranians is in such a way that every year tourists and followers of Zoroastrianism from different parts of Iran travel to Mehriz. There are two narrations about the construction of the Pir-e Naraki Pilgrimage, the first one dates back to the time of the falling of the Sassanid by the Arabs; at this time, the daughter of Yazgir III (Nazbanoo) with one of the Persian princes went to the Tijang Mountains to escape from the Arabs and hide there in the mountain. Sometime later, a person slept at this place during his rest and found himself dreaming that Nazbanoo ordered the construction of a holy shrine in that place. The second narration also refers to the time of one of the kings of Yazd, who cut an old tree near there and as the result of his action he got blind; the king regret after his blindness, and decided to compensate by making a shrine and giving gifts whereby he could regain his eyesight. Among the people of Mehriz and Zoroastrians, the first narration is most welcomed and most of the ritual and ceremonies are based on this narration. In Pir-e Naraki Pilgrimage in Mehriz, in addition to praying, other ceremonies and rituals such as: performing music programs, singing and public celebrating, introducing young couples to pilgrims and announcing their relation, awarding prizes to Zoroastrian students, holding competitions and cultural, artistic and sporting festivals are done. On your trip to Yazd, you can also visit other attractions and sights of Mehriz. If you are planning to travel to Iran and Mehriz with Alaedin Travel, visit www.alaedin.travel
