Zurkhaneh in Yazd

Zurkhaneh in Yazd

The cavernous abanbar (water reservoir), built around 1580, resembles a 29m-high standing egg from the inside. Crowned with five burly badgirs, this impressive piece of architecture stored water for much of the city until modern irrigation made it redundant. The building has found a new purpose as a zurkhaneh (house of strength) in which javan mard (gentlemen) exercise using heavy wooden clubs to build muscle. The practitioners of this ancient sport are expected to display chivalrous values and embrace high integrity.

Zurkhaneh sport is another name for Iranian traditional sports. The place where they do traditional sports is called a Zurkhaneh”. Apart from traditional sports, athletic wrestling is also done in Zurkhaneh.
The world registry documents of athletic and zurkhaneh traditions were prepared by the efforts of Iranian Federation of Athletic and Zurkhane Sports with the help of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Orgaization. Athletic and zurkhaneh traditions were registered in UNESCO list of spiritual heritage by Iran on 25th of Aban 1389 or 16th of November 2010.
Saheb al-Zaman Zurkhaneh (AJ) is the greatest zurkhaneh in Yazd Province and all its equipment and materials are from Cultural Heritage Organization and its land is for Endowments Directorate.

Visiting Hours:
All days from 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.
Exercise Hours:
All days except Friday from 6 A.M. to 7 A.M.
All days except Friday from 4:30 P.M. to 5:30 P.M.
All days except Friday from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M.
All days except Friday from 7:15 P.M. to 8:15 P.M.
Fridays from 5 P.M. to 6 P.M.