a city of Persia, capital of a district of the same name in the province of Khorasan, 245 miles E. of Isfahan. It stands on a large sandy plain, mostly surrounded by hills, in the south-west corner of the province. The surrounding desert has no streams; but in spite of the great scarcity of water, Yezd yields fruits of the best flavour, a good deal of silk, and as much corn as would last its inhabitants for about forty days. The rest is imported from Isfahan. The city is large, and consists of two parts, one of which, the old town, is fortified. It owes its prosperity to its situation, being a convenient resting-place for caravans from India and Afghanistan on the one hand, and western Persia on the other. The silk stuffs manufactured at Yezd are very famous; as also are the felt of Taft, a village close by. Near it are some remarkable caverns or excavations in a hill, which are called the "Prison of Alexander." The population has been estimated at 50,000, among whom are 3000 families of fire-worshippers.