Editing Nakhl (section)

==Maintenance==
[[File:Nakhl fig 6.jpg|thumb|6. An unclad nakhl in front of the Takiya of Taft (Photo by Tara Bahrampour).]]
A nakhl structure is usually left in the same location uncovered and exposed to the elements throughout the year. As a result, the wood begins to deteriorate. The nakhl of ʿAqda, however, is kept in a covered location called khana-ye nakhl.<ref>Afšār, I, p. 454</ref> The famous nakhl of the Amir Chakhmaq Square of Yazd was endowed in 1882 and is still standing there, but as the structure has decayed and is no longer safe to carry, it is not used in the annual procession.<ref>see Afšār, II, pl. 167</ref> Allegedly, as a sacred object, the nakhl may not be destroyed and must be left to decay naturally. The same situation is also now occurring in Taft, where the old nakhl has been left to live out its days<ref>Afšār, I, p. 410</ref>, with the new one standing close by (picture 6). Since there is a popular belief that the nakhl holds miraculous properties, the abandoned nakhl is still venerated. People come and light candles in front of it as they make solemn vows or offer up supplications; the Amir Chakhmaq nakhl once caught fire from the votive candles that were placed near it. The larger nakhl usually have storage places nearby for the various items that are reused every year for decoration. In some cases, the necessary ornamental paraphernalia is stored in a takia.