Alexander’s Prison or Ziayeh School

Alexandria Prison of Yazd, like most of the historical attractions of this city, is located in Fahadan and with its very beautiful and extraordinary architecture and fine art in different parts, it shows its beauty and glory. Up to 9 meters, it shows a unique civilization even in the heart of the desert.

As the name of the building indicates, its construction dates back to the time of Alexander the Great and documents and signs from the year 631 AH can be seen in it. This building was built by Zia al-Din Hussein Razi and after 74 years by his sons Full was available.

Unlike the early years when the building was built and used to imprison Alexander the Great’s exiles, it eventually became a very important school, where eight centuries of famous people studied and taught.

Considering that the story of Alexander’s Prison in Yazd dates back to the 7th to 8th centuries AH, there are different narrations of Rajab. Some believe that Alexander built this prison in the path of his power-seeking. Others believe that Zia al-Din Hussein Razi took the first step in building the Ziaieh school, and later his sons Majdaldin Hassan and Sharafuddin Ali completed the construction of the school.

The amazing architecture of Alexander Prison

One of the reasons that made Alexander’s Prison in Yazd very famous is the type of architecture and the splendor that can be seen in its different parts.

The architecture used in Alexander’s Prison or Ziaieh School has a unique feature. The architectural style of this building is Azeri or Mongolian, which was common during the Ilkhanid period. In the construction of this building, only raw clay has been used and there is not much news about decorative tiles. Although this building has been reconstructed and restored so far, but the use of raw clay can be considered the reason for its durability.

Different sections of Alexander’s Prison

 This old building has important parts which are:

Dome

The dome can be seen in most Iranian and Islamic historical monuments. The dome of Alexander’s Prison in Yazd, like other parts, is made of clay. At first, this building was simple and without decoration, but the appearance of this building includes designs in golden and azure colors. This dome is about 18 meters high. One of the uses of this building is to keep the indoor air of Alexander’s Prison in Yazd for the residents and to repel the heat of the sun.

Shabestan

Alexander’s Prison in Yazd also had a large nave, with altars in this section and large and small porches in different parts of the prison, each with a special architecture.

This altar is made of plaster and several porches. There are several courtyards in the nave of Alexander’s Prison in Yazd, one of which is known as the final courtyard with 38 steps to a depth of 2.8 meters.

Windbreaker

Yazd means the city of windbreaks and weather conditions and increasing weather in summer cause them to be created next to buildings. Due to the weather conditions in Yazd and also the extreme heat, the wind deflectors work in the cooling of the cooling system for houses and buildings. The windshield of Alexandria Prison circulates the air flow well in the whole complex and causes the air to cool down. Next to the Alexander’s Prison building, there is a room called the windbreak room, which is used for airflow. The architecture of Yazd is known for its windmills

Wells and main yard

The large and rectangular courtyard of Alexander’s Prison or Ziaieh School has 3 large porches for residents.

One of the interesting parts of Alexander’s Prison or Ziaieh School is a well 2.8 meters deep in the middle of the courtyard of the mansion, which was created due to the collapse of the stream in the courtyard of the building. At the bottom of this well, there is an old water reservoir and basement with a depth of approximately 5 meters, and the reason for its existence is to provide water and use it for school residents.

Museum

There is a collection of old tablets and tombstones in this complex. To go to this well 2 to 2.8 meters, you have to go down 38 steps.

The crypt

The crypt and pond were used to quench the thirst of the school, and some said that prisoners were imprisoned there. There are both stories about this crypt, but the most probable story is that the waterfall and the courtyard collapse at some point, causing a hole in the middle of the courtyard of Alexander Prison in Yazd.y