Cham Village

Cham is a village in Pishkuh Rural District, in the Central District of Taft County, Yazd Province, about 5 kilometres northeast of the city of Taft. The village has a hot, dry climate, yet its air is relatively clean and pleasant. Its plain-like landscape, orchards and greenery, together with the village's historic fabric, give it a character different from the rest of the region. Cham is one of the best-known Zoroastrian villages of Taft, and local life revolves around farming, orchard keeping, animal husbandry and some traditional activities and handicrafts. Pomegranates, almonds, wheat, alfalfa, barley, sugar beet and turnips, along with medicinal plants such as shatareh (fumitory) and khakshir (flixweed), are among the crops and vegetation of the area. Water for farming and daily life comes from qanats and a piped network. The combination of the village's natural setting with its cultural background and Zoroastrian rituals has made Cham one of the most important cultural and tourist villages in Taft County.

Cham's most important natural attraction is an ancient cypress standing in the courtyard of the village's Zoroastrian fire temple. About 18 metres tall and nearly 3,000 years old, it is one of the most remarkable historic trees in the region. The cypress is registered as number 40 on Iran's list of natural heritage, and a place for lighting candles and the sacred Zoroastrian fire has been built beside it. The Cham Zoroastrian Fire Temple is also one of the village's major cultural attractions, registered on Iran's National Heritage list in 1386 (2007) under number 19988. Other sights in the village include the Cham dakhmeh (Tower of Silence), the Ancestral Cottage (Kolbeh-ye Ajdadi) guesthouse, and spaces linked to Zoroastrian handicrafts and traditions. The Sadeh festival, held at the Cham Fire Temple on the evening of the 10th of Bahman, is one of the village's best-known cultural events, attended by Zoroastrians and people interested in the culture and rituals of ancient Iran. This link between natural heritage, architecture, traditional rituals and local ways of life forms a large part of Cham's appeal for visitors.

Spring and summer are the better times to visit Cham, thanks to the milder weather and the greenery of the countryside and orchards, and during these seasons you can explore the village and its surroundings in greater comfort. Cham is reached from the city of Taft and the roads of Pishkuh Rural District, and its short distance from Taft makes it easy to include in a day trip around the region. When visiting the fire temple, the ancient cypress and other cultural sites, it is especially important to respect the sanctity of ritual spaces and the traditions and beliefs of the local community. In the orchards and countryside around the village, avoid damaging trees and vegetation, leaving litter and making noise, so that Cham's nature and cultural heritage can both be preserved.