Tower of Silence
E92075
The Tower of Silence is a Zoroastrian funerary structure where Parsis traditionally place their dead to be exposed to scavenging birds, reflecting religious beliefs about purity and the elements.
Aliases (1)
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Zoroastrian funerary structure
→
religious building → |
| affectedBy |
decline in vulture populations
→
public health regulations → urbanization → |
| architecturalForm |
circular raised structure
→
open-air structure → |
| associatedConcept |
corpse impurity (nasu)
→
ritual purity → |
| associatedWithCommunity |
Iranian Zoroastrians
→
Parsi community in India → |
| basedOnBelief |
earth must not be polluted by corpses
→
fire must not be polluted by corpses → purity of the elements → water must not be polluted by corpses → |
| category |
Zoroastrian architecture
→
death customs → funerary monuments → |
| culturalRegion |
India
→
Iran → |
| ethicalConcern |
environmental impact of corpse disposal
→
treatment of the dead → |
| funeraryPractice |
excarnation
→
sky burial → |
| hasComponent |
central pit for bones
→
concentric stone platforms → separate sections for men, women, and children → |
| languageOfTerm | English → |
| methodOfDisposal |
exposure to scavenging birds
→
exposure to vultures → |
| notableLocation |
Kerman
NERFINISHED
→
Malabar Hill, Mumbai → Mumbai → Yazd NERFINISHED → |
| originalTerm | dakhma → |
| originalTermLanguage |
Avestan
→
Persian → |
| purpose |
avoidance of corpse pollution
→
disposal of dead bodies → |
| religion | Zoroastrianism → |
| ritualContext |
Parsi death rituals
→
Zoroastrian funerary rites → |
| statusInSomeRegions |
declining practice
→
restricted use → |
| usedBy | Parsis → |
| usedFor | exposure of the dead → |
| viewInZoroastrianism |
prevents contamination of earth and fire
→
religiously meritorious method of disposal → |
| visibility | typically located on hilltops or isolated areas → |