Saryazd is a 7th-century Sassanian fortress in Yazd which used to be the Zoroastrian religious center during the Sassanid era in Iran. Although called a fortress, the building was not a military structure. It was rather a safe deposit in which the residents of Sar Yazd village could store valuables such as gold and jewels as well as food or grain. Accordingly, its labyrinthine architecture was designed to make it difficult to enter and navigate. The structure contained 468 chambers over three floors, connected through narrow and complex passages.
Saryazd Fortress was one of the oldest and largest safe deposits in the world.
The adobe and brick fortress covers an area of about 8000 meter squares. Two concentric walls, the outer being six meters and the inner being nine meters tall, defended the safe boxes. Additionally, a 20-foot-wide moat also surrounded the walls.
