Fifth Journey Day 97: The Glass That Waited Too Long

Sketch of circles in soft desert tones — a memory of Yazd’s stillness.

Date: August 13, 2025
Location: Yazd, Iran

Today in Yazd, Iran, I encountered the city’s quiet resilience — from the Zoroastrian Fire Temple’s eternal flame to shaded alleys where devotion lingers in subtle forms. Yazd, known for its windcatchers and desert harmony, breathes patience into every corner.

The Atmosphere of Yazd

The light in Yazd feels directional — not just illumination, but pressure, sculpting shadows onto every surface. I walked to the Zoroastrian Fire Temple just before it got really hot. The street was almost completely quiet, with the exception of the sound of a distant motorcycle and the soft cooing of doves.

Meeting the Eternal Flame

The air inside was cooler and had a faintly metallic smell. The eternal flame — steady and precise — did not flicker the way I expected. It felt less like fire and more like a held breath.

Choosing Stillness Over Sketching

I didn't sketch there. It didn't feel right. Instead, I sat and watched the flame for a long time. When I left, the sun was starting to set, making the edges of the buildings glow. I found a corner with shade near a closed shop and drew what I remembered — not the building's design, but the feeling of it being taken care of. Devotion doesn't need to be fancy. The page was filled with a kind of subtle symmetry, a feature that was not planned but still very noticeable.

Moments of Refreshment

Later, I had a cold glass of doogh with mint. It was sharp, refreshing, almost too alive after the stillness of the fire. I drank it slowly, watching two cats chase each other along a wall full of heat cracks. Yazd is a gentle city, but it's also very resilient. It doesn't resist, but it does absorb.

A City That Observes

I feel something similar stirring in myself. I don’t want to respond, but I am willing to observe without getting involved. Tomorrow, I may visit the wind towers or find a rooftop to sit on. But for today, it was enough to meet the flame, walk back quietly, and capture what I couldn’t quite forget.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Clear skies, 36°C in the afternoon, dry air with a faint warm breeze moving through narrow streets and shaded courtyards.
• Scents: A faint metallic coolness inside the temple, balanced later by mint and yogurt in the doogh.
• Sounds: Distant motorcycle hum, cooing of doves, playful cats along cracked sunlit walls.
• Reflection: Yazd teaches quiet strength — a patience that absorbs rather than resists, leaving room for stillness.