Ateshkadeh Zoroastrian fire temple

The Ateshkadeh is a Zoroastrian fire temple located in Yazd. The present structure dates back to 1940, but the fire in it is said to have been burning since 470 AD. The original Ateshkadeh was converted into a mosque when the Arabs invaded Iran. Only the Moubad, the Zoroastrian high priest, a descendant of the Magi, has access to the Moubad-e Moubadan, the inner core of the temple where the fire is burning. According to the Zoroastrian faith the fire in the temple is an agent of ritual purity. The temple is accessible in the mornings until 12 and in the afternoon after 4pm. The temple is in an enclosure in front of a circular water pond.