A bronze furnace at the Zoroastrian temple Yazd Atash Behram in Yazd, Iran, contains the longest-burning manmade fire, said to have been set in 470 CE by Sasanian Shahanshah Peroz I (r. 459–84). Atar (holy fire) is regarded as the physical manifestation of Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism. [2736×3648]
by JaneOfKish
5 Comments
Does someone simply maintain the fire as a religious duty?
I’m going to wager that this has accidentally gone out frequently over the years
I love just from an aesthetic POV the Zoroastrian fire temples
That’s lit
Zoroastrianism is such a cool religion. I come from India where a very small but extremely prominent group of Zoroastrians continues to practice this faith. Their funerary customs are fascinating. In my understanding, they believe that one’s body must be useful even in death and so the dead are placed in a special structure known as the Tower of Silence and the idea is for vultures to devour the human remains. This is similar to the sky burial practice of certain Himalayan communities but there are some differences too.
There is a Tower of Silence in my city Bengaluru and ever time I pass by it, I can’t help but be gripped by a sort of macabre fascination. Also, I believe that the reduction in vulture populations has made it somewhat untenable to continue this custom. Non-followers of this religion are not allowed inside Zoroastrian Fire Temples.