In Zoroastrianism, soil is a sacred element and it is disgusting to contaminate it in any way. According to this belief, the followers of this religion refuse to place the corpses of the dead in the ground and place their corpses in high and enclosed places so that over time, these corpses will rot and return to nature by natural agents and birds.

These high places, which are known as the Dakhmeh (crypt) or tower of silence, exist in many parts of Yazd province. A circular space surrounded by high walls and small, block able entrances is one of the features of these crypts.

In the center of this circular space is a pit-shaped space where the bones are placed, known as the Ustodan. The use of these places was common until a few decades ago and was used by Zoroastrians. But now this method of burial is obsolete.