Towers of Silence, Yazd, Iran

I'm always fascinated by religions and have been intrigued by Zoroastrianism for a long time. I think it's fair to say that one aspect of this fascinating religion that excites the most morbid interest for most people is the way in which the followers of the religion dispose of their dead. Since fire is sacred and earth should not be contaminated by the dead, bodies are laid out to be stripped by vultures in what are known as 'Towers of Silence'. It's a fascinating concept though I can't help but thinking that a flock of vultures devouring the flesh of your nearest and dearest aren't likely to ... more