Thirty kilometres from Yazd, out on the gravel plains where the Shirkuh mountains rise to the south-west and the Dasht-e Kavir stretches away towards the north, the ground is threaded with lines of small craters. Each crater is the mouth of a shaft dropping down to a qanat, an underground channel that carries water by gravity from the foot of the mountains to villages and fields many kilometres away. The Persian qanat is one of the great engineering achievements of the ancient world, and a selection of these systems is listed by UNESCO. Anjireh Ājori sits in this landscape, one of the places where the old desert infrastructure of water, shelter and trade can still be traced.
To understand the region, start in Yazd. The old city, a World Heritage site, is built almost entirely of mud brick, a maze of narrow lanes, domed roofs and tall windcatchers, the badgirs that channel breezes down into houses to cool them. Yazd is also a centre of the Zoroastrian faith; a fire is said to have burned in its fire temple for centuries, and on a hill outside the city stand the Towers of Silence, where the dead were once laid out for the birds. In the desert around, old caravanserais mark the trade routes, including the round, fortress-like Zein-o-din caravanserai to the south-east, now restored as a place to stay.
Riding in Iran is a serious undertaking and needs honest preparation. Check your government's travel advice, visa rules and the regulations for bringing a foreign motorcycle, which usually means a carnet de passages. Conditions can change quickly, and some nationalities face particular restrictions.
The roads around Yazd are mostly wide and straight, crossing open desert with mountains on the horizon. Traffic can be fast and unpredictable, with trucks and cars overtaking in unexpected places. The heat in summer is extreme, often above forty degrees, while winter nights can be freezing. Sandstorms can reduce visibility suddenly. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, ideally riding early and resting in the middle of the day.
Yazd, with nearly half a million people, is the place for fuel, food and repairs. Stations in the open desert are few, so fill up before heading out. Try a cool glass of faloodeh, a frozen sweet, or Yazdi cakes and pastries, and drink plenty of water.