Ancient Persian Towers of Silence: Zoroastrian Sky Burial Explained
In ancient Persia, Zoroastrians developed Towers of Silence (Dakhma) to dispose of the dead without polluting sacred elements. Believing corpses attracted the demon Nasu and spread impurity, burial and cremation were forbidden. Bodies were placed on elevated circular stone platforms to be stripped by scavenging birds and purified by sun and wind. The practice emerged between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC, becoming standardized during the Sasanian period. Not all Persians used them: Achaemenid kings like Darius and Xerxes were entombed in rock-cut tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam, and non-Zoroastrians followed different customs. Use declined after the 7th-century Islamic conquests and further under Reza Shah's 1920s-30s reforms. Today, only 80,000–120,000 Zoroastrians remain worldwide, with towers still occasionally used in India.
Key facts
- Zoroastrians believed corpses were impure and attracted the demon Nasu.
- Burial and cremation were forbidden to avoid polluting earth and fire.
- Towers of Silence (Dakhma) were circular stone enclosures elevated above ground.
- Bodies were exposed to scavenging birds, sun, and wind for purification.
- The practice developed between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC (late Achaemenid or early Parthian period).
- Standardized form established by the Sasanian period with three rings for men, women, and children.
- Achaemenid kings Darius and Xerxes were buried in rock-cut tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam.
- Decline began after the 7th-century Islamic conquests and accelerated under Reza Shah's reforms in the 1920s-30s.
- Today, 80,000–120,000 Zoroastrians remain; towers are still used occasionally in India.
Entities
Artists
- Raphael
Institutions
- Vatican Museums
- MIT Libraries
- Columbia University
Locations
- Persia
- Iran
- Yazd
- India
- Mumbai
- Naqsh-e Rostam
- Persepolis