Chak Chak ( fa, چک‌چک – "Drip-Drip", also

Romanize Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

d as Chek Chek; also known as Chāhak-e Ardakān and ''Pir-e Sabz'' ( fa, پیر سبز) "The Green Pir") is a village in

Rabatat Rural District , native_name_lang = fa , settlement_type = Rural District , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_alt ...

Kharanaq District , native_name_lang = fa , settlement_type = District , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , flag_alt = ...

Ardakan County Ardakan County ( fa, شهرستان اردکان) is located in Yazd province, Iran. The capital of the county is Ardakan Ardakan ( fa, اردكان, also romanized as Ardakān and Artagan) is the capital city of Ardakan County, Yazd Province ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. At the 2006 census, its existence was noted, but its population was not reported. The village consists of a ''pir'' perched beneath a towering cliff face in the desert of central Iran. It is the most sacred of the mountain shrines of

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...

. Located near the city of

Ardakan Ardakan ( fa, اردكان, also romanized as Ardakān and Artagan) is the capital city of Ardakan County, Yazd Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 75,271 in 22,475 families. Ardakan is the second major city of Yazd Province. ...

, Chak Chak serves as a pilgrimage point for pious Zoroastrians. Each year from June 14–18 many thousands of Zoroastrians from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and other countries flock to the

fire temple A fire temple, Agiary, Atashkadeh ( fa, آتشکده), Atashgah () or Dar-e Mehr () is the place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran (Persia). In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (see ''atar''), together wi ...

at Pir-e Sabz. Tradition has it that pilgrims are to stop riding the moment they catch sight of the temple and complete the last leg of their journey on foot. In Zoroastrian belief, Chak Chak is where Nikbanou, second daughter of the last pre-Islamic Persian ruler,

Yazdegerd III Yazdegerd III (also spelled Yazdgerd III and Yazdgird III; pal, 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩) was the last Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 632 to 651. His father was Shahriyar and his grandfather was Khosrow II. Ascending the throne at t ...

of the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

, was cornered by the invading Arab army in 640 CE. Fearing capture Nikbanou prayed to

Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ae, , translit=Ahura Mazdā; ), also known as Oromasdes, Ohrmazd, Ahuramazda, Hoormazd, Hormazd, Hormaz and Hurmuz, is the creator deity in Zoroastrianism. He is the first and most frequently invoked spirit in the ''Yasna''. ...

to protect her from her enemies. In response to Nikbanou's pleadings, the mountain miraculously opened up and sheltered her from the invaders. Notable features of Chak Chak include the ever-dripping spring located at the mountain. Legend has it that these drops are tears of grief that the mountain sheds in remembrance of Nikbanou. Growing beside the holy spring is an immense and ancient tree said to be Nikbanou's cane. Legend also has it that a petrified colorful cloth from Nikbanou was also visible in the rocks, although pilgrims have since removed it. The actual temple of Chak Chak is a man-made grotto sheltered by two large bronze doors. The shrine enclosure is floored with marble and its walls are darkened by fires kept eternally burning in the sanctuary. In the cliffs below the shrine are several roofed pavilions constructed to accommodate pilgrims.

Gallery

File:Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak-1.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak-2.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak-3.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak-4.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Chak Chak - inside shrine.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Incense in Chak Chak.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak File:Zoroastrian temple doors opening.jpg, Iran - Yazd - Chak Chak

References

External links

Articles about Chak Chak
* Ali Attar, ''Pir-e Sabz'', in Persian, Jadid Online, 2007

A slide show of ''Pir-e Sabz''

(4 min 43 sec). {{Ardakan-geo-stub Populated places in Iran Zoroastrianism in Iran Shrines in Iran