Atabegs of Yazd


The Atabegs of Yazd were a local dynasty that ruled the city of Yazd from approximately 1141 to 1319. They succeeded the Kakuyids, to whom they were linked by marriage.

Dynasty

The names of the first members of the dynasty indicate that they were seemingly ethnically Persian, but like the Hazaraspids they had accepted the Turkish title of Atabeg. Most of the Atabegs of Yazd were tributaries to the Seljuks and the Mongol Il-Khans until they were finally overthrown by the Muzaffarids.
In 1272, the Italian explorer Marco Polo passed through Yazd on his way to China. He referred to Yazd as a "Noble City" that was safe and busy with trade, and functioned like a "desert port" on the "caravan route". The city was then a major silk-weaving center, and Marco Polo wrote about its fine silk. In the book The Travels of Marco Polo, he wrote:

Architecture

Various buildings are known from the period of the Atabegs of Yazd, such as "Alexander's Prison", that takes its name from a poem by Hafez in which he speaks of the terrible conditions of detention. On the outside, there is can see a beautiful dome made of raw clay and decorated with plaster works and gold and blue paint. The architectural features of the dome can also be found in other domes dating back to the Ilkhanid period in Iran.

List of rulers