According to the history narrated about this place, Alexander III of Macedon first built a prison in this place known as Alexander’s prison. Centuries later, while the prison was destroyed, in 1234 Ziauddin Hossein Razi began building a religious school at the same place where the prison was built which was later completed in 1306 by his grandson. That is why it is called both Alexander’s Prison and Ziaieyeh Madrasa (a religious school).
The style of architecture of Alexander’s Prison or Ziaieyeh Madrasa is Azeri. The tile decoration is not used in the construction of this building and only adobe bricks are used. The dome of Ziaieyeh School has four high walls, each with a length of 8.8 meters. The monument is 18 meters and the distance of its mouth is 5.9 meters.
Ziaieyeh Schoolyard has three iwans (a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open) and a howz (In traditional Persian architecture, a howz is a centrally positioned symmetrical axis pool) with a depth of 2.8 meters which is in the center of the yard.
Ziaieyeh School or Alexander’s Prison is located in the Fahadan quarter of Yazd and is close to Dolatabad Garden.
