Cypress of Abarkuh, Ancient cypress tree in Abarkuh, Yazd Province, Iran

The Cypress of Abarkuh is a Persian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) in Abarkuh, Yazd Province. Its trunk measures 11.5 metres around at ground level and 18 metres higher up among the branches, and the tree stands about 25 metres tall. In the photograph it appears as a dense, cone-shaped mass of dark green foliage, widest near the base and tapering to a rounded top, with a short thick trunk splitting into several heavy reddish-brown limbs just above the bare pale earth inside a low trimmed hedge.

Hamdallah Mustawfi described the tree in his Nozhat al-Qolub, written in 740 AH (1339–40), as more renowned than the cypresses of Kashmir and Balkh. Estimates of its age vary widely: the Russian scientist Alexandrov put it at over 6,000 years, Japanese researchers at over 8,000, and Alexander Ruf at 4,000 to 4,500. On 27 December 2003 Iran's Supreme Council of Environmental Protection declared it a national natural monument, moving its management from the Abarkuh municipality to the Department of Environment.

The tree is called the Zoroastrian Sarv, and legend says Zoroaster planted it on his way to Balkh to meet Shah Vishtaspa. In Iranian tradition the evergreen cypress stands for enduring life; the bent cypress motif later called boteh-jeghe appears in Iranian textile weaving, and the tree is painted in Persian miniatures.

The site welcomes visitors year-round, with access available throughout the seasons. Travelers typically arrive from nearby cities like Yazd, Isfahan, or Shiraz and should prepare for the hot, dry climate of the region.

Local tradition holds that the tree is one of twelve that the Ashab al-Rass, a tree-worshipping people mentioned in the Quran, venerated; other accounts say Japheth, son of Noah, planted it after the flood. Marco Polo is said to have described it in his travel memoirs as a green waterfall over the desert.