Sarv-e Abarkuh, the second oldest tree around, grows in the town of the same name in Iran�s central Yezd province.

A major tourist attraction with�a height of�25 meters and circumference of�18 meters, the Sarv-e Abarkuh cypress was planted about�4,500 years ago which makes it a peer of�the ancient Egyptian pyramids, Iran�s ISNA news agency wrote.
Sarv-e Abarkuh is only 300 years younger than�the record-holding old-timer Methuselah, a bristlecone pine tree from�California�s White Mountains, which is thought to�be over�4,800 years old.

Some legends attribute its origin to�Japheth, the son of�Noah, while others believe Zoroaster himself planted it.

?Favorable natural conditions of�its location have been credited as�the main reason for�the tree�s longevity, although it is now surrounded by�an urban park and is open to�disturbances by�unnatural elements.

In ancient Iran, planting a tree was of�great importance and can be seen in�some of�the carvings of�Persepolis. The cypress tree in�particular was considered sacred by�Zoroastrians as�it remained green all year long.

References to�the tree were made as�early as�the 14th century.

Cypresses have been typically the first choice for�Iranian Gardens. In all of�the famous Persian Gardens, such as�Fin Garden, Mahaan, Dowlat Abad, this type of�tree plays a central role in�their design.
By Sputnik