Muharram In Yazd

Like other parts of Iran, the people of Yazd, too, mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) in the month of Muharram. However, some of the customs and rituals observed in Yazd, which are influenced by the culture of this province of Iran, can only be seen in this province.
How Is Muharram Received in Yazd?
Before the arrival of Muharram, the people of Yazd decorate all the squares, streets, mosques, husayniyyas, and community centers with black cloth. There are many husayniyyas in Yazd, the most famous of which are Fahadan, Alqamah, Khalaf Bagh, Bagh-e Gandam, Bi’that, Khorramshah, Gonbad-e Sabz, and Panbehkaran, the longevity of every of which dates back to a few centuries ago.
Chavush Khani
Before the beginning of Muharram, the arrival of this month is announced to the people of the city with the ceremony of Chavush Khani. Usually, a person or a group stands in a high place or walks through the streets and recites poems that announce the arrival of the month of mourning.
Rozeh Khani
The Muharram mourning ceremony in Yazd is accompanied by a ritual called “Rozeh Khani” in which a person called “Maddah” mentions the sufferings of Imam Husain (AS) and his companions, and people mourn. Lamenting and “Sinehzani” (chest eating), which consists of the melodious reciting of lament poems by the maddah and the melodious beating of hands on chests by the mourners, forms another part of the Rozah Khani tradition.
Besides the special places that are arranged for mourning in the month of Muharram, most people Yazd also organize Rozeh Khani at their homes and, therefore, this ritual can be heard from early morning to midnight in different parts of Yazd Province. Rozeh Khani is usually held for 60 days, from the beginning of the month of Muharram until the end of the month of Safar.
Parsehzani (lit. Moving Around)
In this ritual, the mourners walk behind a Sayyid (a descendant of the Prophet of Islam) and a flagbearer and go from one neighborhood to another and upon hearing them and their eulogy the residents of the neighborhood serve them and hand over their offerings to them. These offerings are used for cooking food and distributing among mourners.
Nakhl Gardani
Nakhl Gardani is a ritual that the people Yazd perform as a symbolic funeral for Imam Husain (AS). In this ceremony, a chamber made entirely of wood as the symbol of the coffin of Imam Husain (AS) is carried around by the mourners. This ritual has a long history and some of the Nakhls such as the Amir Chakhmaq Nakhl are more than four centuries old. This ceremony is usually held from morning to noontime on the day of Ashura.
Water Carriers
Some teenagers wear black shirts, tie a red piece of cloth around their waist, carry a waterskin filled with water, and distribute the water among the mourners.
Ta’ziya Khani
Ta’ziya is a sort of program in which the events of Karbala are narrated for the audience with the help of a board on which certain images have been drawn. This program is usually held in Yazd on the morning of the day of Ashura.
The Rituals of the 13th of Muharram
The 13th of Muharram, which coincides with the third day of martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS), is a special day for the people of Yazd. On this day, Yazidis engage in mourning, Nakhl Gardani, and sineh zani (chest beating) from early morning to noon.
Kotal Horse
A horse decorated with a shawl, green and red silk, a mirror, some gems, and some verses of the Holy Qu’ran as the symbol of Imam Husain’s (AS) horse, which is moved around in front of the group of mourners going from place to another.
Joush-e Doreh
A ceremony held on the night of Ashura in which several people, encircled by other mourners, chant elegies and go around the husayniyya in circular form and lament.
Jeghjeghehzani
In some husayniyyas of Yazd, a ceremony called “Jeghjeghehzani” is held during the Muharram mournings, in which a group of about 100 mourners bang special sticks together while lamenting.


Like other parts of Iran, the people of Yazd, too, mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) in the month of Muharram. However, some of the customs and rituals observed in Yazd, which are influenced by the culture of this province of Iran, can only be seen in this province.