Razavi Khorasan province

History

Main article: Greater Khorasan

The Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes of the Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Turkmens brought changes to the region time and time again.

Ancient geographers of Iran divided Iran ("Ērānshahr") into eight segments of which the most flourishing and largest was the territory of Greater Khorasan. Esfarayen, among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for residence of the Aryan tribes after entering Iran.

The Parthian Empire was based near Merv in Khorasan for many years. During the Sassanid dynasty, the province was governed by a Spahbod (Lieutenant General) called "Padgošban" and four margraves, each commander of one of the four parts of the province.

Khorasan was divided into four parts during the Muslim conquest of Persia, each section being named after one of the four largest cities, Nishapur, Merv, Herat, and Balkh.

In the year 651, the army of the Rashidun Caliphate conquered Khorasan. The territory remained under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate until 820, followed by the rule of the Iranian Tahirid dynasty until 873, and the Samanid dynasty in 900.

Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on 29 September 2004. The provinces approved by the parliament of Iran (on 18 May 2004) and the Council of Guardians (on 29 May 2004) were Khorasan-e Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan.

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 5,515,980 in 1,426,187 households. The following census in 2011 counted 5,994,402 people in 1,716,314 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 6,434,501 in 1,938,703 households.

Ethnicity

The major ethnic group in this region are Persians, there are other sizeable communities such as Khorasani Kurds, Khorasani Turks, Turkmens and Khorasani Baloch.

Religion

According to the 2016 census, the Muslim population of Razavi Khorasan was 6,409,180, most of whom are followers of Shia Islam, with the shrine of the 8th Shi'ite Imam being located in Mashhad. A significant Sunni population also inhabit the province, forming the majority in cities such as Torbat-e-Jam and Taybad. Additionally, the 2016 census recorded that there were 7,159 Christians, 961 Zoroastrians and 135 Jews living in the province, with an additional 1,073 being recorded as following other faiths, and a further 15,993 not stating their religion.

Administrative divisions

The population history and structural changes of Razavi Khorasan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.

Cities

According to the 2016 census, 4,700,924 people (over 72% of the population of Razavi Khorasan province) live in the following cities:

The following sorted table lists the most populous cities in Razavi Khorasan according to 2016 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran. After Mashhad, Nishapur, Sabzevar, and Torbat-e Heydarieh are the most populous cities of the province.

Archaeological sites

The main archeological sites discovered in this province include:

Kohandezh hills

Excavations conducted by an American team between 1935 and 1940 in Nishapur discovered museum-worthy objects, which were shared with the government of the Shah. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's publications document its own Nishapur ceramics from those excavations. For half a century after 1945 the site of Nishapur was ransacked to feed the international market demand for early Islamic works of art. Nowadays, the Kohandezh hills reveal the remains from those excavations.

Shadiyakh

Shadiyakh was an important palace in old Nishapur up to the 7th century, and became more important and populated after that. The palace was completely ruined in the 13th century. It was the home of notables such as Farid al-Din Attar, whose tomb is found in Shadiyakh.

Attractions

This province contains many historical and natural attractions, such as mineral water springs, small lakes, recreational areas, caves and protected regions, and various hiking areas.

Besides these, Khorasan encompasses numerous religious buildings and places of pilgrimage, including the shrine of Imam Reza, Goharshad mosque and many other mausoleums and Imamzadehs which attract visitors to this province.

The Cultural Heritage of Iran lists 1179 sites of historical and cultural significance in all three provinces of Khorasan.

Some of the popular attractions of Khorasan-e Razavi are:

Mashhad

• Imam Reza Shrine
• Goharshad Mosque
• Tomb of Nader Shah
• Tomb of Khajeh Rabie
• Tomb of Ferdowsi
• Haruniyeh Dome

Nishapur

• Mausoleum of Attar of Nishapur
• Mausoleum of Omar Khayyám
• Tomb of Kamal-ol-molk
• Tomb of Heydar Yaghma
• Shadiyakh
• Jameh Mosque of Nishapur

Sabzevar

• Khosrogerd Minaret
• Pamenar Mosque, Sabzevar
• Jameh Mosque of Sabzevar
• Tomb of Hadi Sabzevari
• Tomb of Boghrat

Kashmar

• Arg of Kashmar
• Tomb of Hassan Modarres
• Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza
• Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar
• Imamzadeh Mohammad
• Grave of Pir Quzhd
• Jameh Mosque of Kashmar
• Haj Soltan Religious School
• Haji Jalal Mosque
• Atashgah Manmade-Cave
• Atashgah Castle
• Kohneh Castle, Zendeh Jan
• Rig Castle
• Amin al-tojar Caravansarai
• Talaabad Watermill
• Yakhchāl of Kashmar

Khalilabad

• Jameh Mosque of Khalilabad
• Kondor castle
• Kondor Ab anbars

Torbat-e Jam

• Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami mausoleum complex

Gonabad

• Forud castle
• Qanats of Gonabad
• Kūh-Zibad

Sarakhs

• Ribat-i Sharaf
• Tomb of Baba Loghman

Bardaskan

• Tomb of Abdolabad
• Aliabad Tower
• Firuzabad Tower
• Firuzabad area
• Seyyed Bagher Ab anbar
• Darone Cave
• Sir Cave
• Rahmanniyeh Castle
• Qal'eh Dokhtar, Khooshab
• Qal'eh Dokhtar, Doruneh

Bajestan

• Jameh Mosque of Marandiz

Taybad

• Abbasabad Complex Taybad
• Karat Minaret

Rivash

• Qal'eh Dokhtar, Kuhsorkh
• Nameq Village
• Shahi Dam
• Gabar Hesar castle
• Baghdasht Peak
• Band-e Qara Bathhouse
• Natural Yakhchāl of Band-e Qara

Colleges and universities

• Asrar Institute of Higher Education
• Bahar Institute of Higher Education
• Comprehensive University of Applied and Practical Sciences, Khorasan
• Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
• Gonabad University of Medical Sciences
• Hakim-e Sabzevari University of Sabzevar
• Imam Reza University
• Islamic Azad University of Ghoochan
• Islamic Azad University of Gonabad
• Islamic Azad University of Mashhad
• Islamic Azad University of Neishabur
• Islamic Azad University of Sabzevar
• Islamic Azad University of Torbat e Jam
• Islamic Azad University of Torbat Heidariyeh
• Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
• Payame Noor University of Mashhad
• Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences
• Sadjad University of Technology
• Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran

Notable people

• Ferdowsi, Persian poet and the author of Shahnameh
• Nader Shah, Founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history
• Omar Khayyam, Poet mathematics and astronomy
• Al-Ghazali, Muslim scholar and polymath
• Jabir ibn Hayyan, Alchemy and chemistry
• Ali Shariati, Writer and sociologist
• Ebrahim Raisi, 8th President of Iran
• Abu Muslim, General
• Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, Polymath, philosopher, physician and scientist
• Anvari, Poet and writer
• Anousheh Ansari, Iranian-American engineer and entrepreneur
• Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Singer and master of Persian traditional music
• Homayoun Shajarian, Singer and master of Persian traditional music
• Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Politician and military officer
• Mohammad-Taqi Bahar, Poet and politician
• Ahmad Ghazali, Sufi mystic and writer
• Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, Writer
• Mohammad-Reza Shafiei Kadkani, Witer, poet and literary critic
• Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, Modern poet
• Jami, Scholar and writer of mystical Sufi literature
• Khodadad Azizi, Football coach and player
• Mohsen Namjoo, Musician and singer
• Rasoul Khadem, Wrestler
• Amir Reza Khadem, Wrestler
• Sharaf al-Din al-Tusi, Mathematician and astronomer
• Shaykh Tusi, Muslim scholar and jurist
• Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami, Sufi writer, mystic and poet
• Ibn Yamin, Poet
• Morteza Motahhari, Twelver shia scholar and philosopher
• Nizam al-Mulk, scholar, jurist, political philosopher and minister
• Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi, Historian and author
• Asadi Tusi, Poet and writer
• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Islamic scholar
• Saeed Jalili, Politician
• Haji Bektash Veli, Scholar, mystic, saint and philosophe
• Hadi Sabzavari, Philosopher and mystic theologian
• Badiozzaman Forouzanfar, Scholar and writer
• Daqiqi, Poet
• Hatefi, Poet
• Heydar Yaghma, Poet
• Sayf al-Din Bakharzi, Theologian
• Iran Teymourtash, Poet
• Mu'izzi, Poet
• Ibn Abi Sadiq, Physician
• Yusuf al-Juwayni, Theoretician and Islamic theologian
• Mohammad-Ali Abtahi, Politician and theologian
• Ali Sayad Shirazi, Military officer and commander
• Abd-al-Hussain Borunsi, Military officer
• Abu Mansur Muwaffaq, Physician
• Ibn Khuzayma, Physician
• Esmail Qaani, Brigadier general
• Eshaq Khan Qaraei-Torbati, Military commanders
• Abu al-Hassan al-Amiri, Philosopher
• Fasih Khwafi, Historian
• Hassan Taftian, Sprinter
• Al-Sulami, Muhaddith
• Abbas Salehi, Minister
• Hossein Wahid Khorasani, Author and shia marja
• Al-Fadl ibn Shadhan, Traditionist, jurist, and theologian
• Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Minister and full professor
• Muhammad Kazim Khurasani, Shia jurist and political
• Bi Bi Monajemeh Nishaburi, Mathematician and astronomer
• Alireza Faghani, International football referee
• Reza Kianian, Actor
• Hamed Behdad, Actor
• Fereydoun Jeyrani, Film director and screenwriter
• Abdolreza Kahani, Filmmaker
• Reza Attaran, Actor, director and screenwriter
• Reza Ghoochannejhad, Football player
• Navid Negahban, Actor
• Mitra Hajjar, Actress
• Hengameh Ghaziani, Actress
• Setareh Eskandari, Actress
• Sareh Bayat, Actress
• Rafi Pitts, Film director
• Mehran Ahmadi, Actor
• Saed Soheili, Actor
• Marshall Manesh, Actor
• Falamak Joneidi, Actress
• Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Football player
• Reza Enayati, Football coach and player
• Alireza Vahedi Nikbakht, Football coach and player
• Farhad Zarif, Volleyball player
• Abu al-Wafa' al-Buzjani, Mathematician and astronomer
• Heshmat Mohajerani, Football manager
• Mohammad Hassan Ganji, Meteorologist and academic
• Ahmad Alamolhoda, Shia Islamic cleric
• Gholamhossein Yousefi, Writer, translator
• Parviz Meshkatian, Musician, composer and researcher
• Sultan Ali Mashhadi, Calligrapher and master of nastaliq
• Fattahi Nishapuri, Poet and calligrapher
• Fatemeh Shams, Poet and literary scholar
• Naziri Nishapuri, Poet
• Fateme Ekhtesari, Poet and writer
• Keivan Saket, Composer
• Husayn Kashifi, Astronomer and author
• Mansour Nariman, Composer
• Yousef Kolahdouz, General
• Hassan Firouzabadi, General
• Kashef as-Saltaneh, Diplomat and constitutionalist
• Ata-Malik Juvayni, Historian
• Manouchehr Eghbal, Physician and royalist politician
• Abbas Vaez-Tabasi, Cleric and politician
• Mahmoud Kaveh, Military officer
• Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib al-Sarakhsi, Historian and philosopher
• Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Minister of Interior
• Mahmoud Khayami, Industrialist
• Al-Kunduri, Minister
• Mohammad Khazaee, Ambassador and Politician
• Hossein Sabet, Businessman
• Fakhreddin Hejazi, Politician
• Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Politician
• Behzad Nabavi, Politician
• Sowlat Mortazavi, Politician
• Sadegh Vaez-Zadeh, Politician
• Mohammad Dehghan, Politician
• Hamid-Reza Assefi, Ambassador
• Qutb ad-Dīn Haydar, Sufi
• Abu'l-Hasan Bayhaqi, Historian
• Mahmoud Shehabi Khorassani, Lawyer, philosopher and professor
• Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, Writer and orator
• Iran Darroudi, Modern artist
• Mohammad Mokhtari, Writer
• Fariborz Sahba, Architect
• Abu Sahl Zawzani, Secretary
• Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari, Shia marja
• Sayed Hassan Amin, Lawyer and philosopher
• Mohammad Mahdi Faghihi, Newspaper publisher
• Younes Shokrkhah, Journalist and academician
• Ali Baghbanbashi, Long-distance runner
• Hadi Khorsandi, Poet and satiris
• Porya Yali, Volleyball player
• Sepi Shyne, Attorney
• Mordechai Zar, Politician
• Mohsen Aminzadeh, Politician
• Alireza Kazemi, Minister
• Morteza Bakhtiari, Politician
• Golriz Ghahraman, Politician and lawyer
• Mohammad-Reza Rahchamani, Politician
• Dubfire, Musician
• Mohsen Ebrahimzadeh, Musician
• Mohammad Salimi, Minister and Commander
• Alireza Afshar, Military officer
• Hossein Badamaki, Football player
• Reza Haghighi, Football player
• Siavash Yazdani, Football player
• Hamed Afagh, Basketball player
• Rouzbeh Arghavan, Basketball player
• Masoud Haji Akhondzadeh, Judo player
• Mitra Hejazipour, Chess player
• Aria Nasimi Shad, Swimmer
• Majid Khodaei, Wrestler
• Teymour Ghiasi, Athletics
• Kourosh Khani, Racing driver
• Hadi Rezaei, Volleyball coach
• Hossein Tayyebi, Futsal player
• Ahmad Marvi, Shia cleric
• Ali Divandari, Cartoonist
• Amir Hosseini, Volleyball player
• Ehsan Jami, Politician
• Noureddin Zarrinkelk, Animator
• Ghazaleh Alizadeh, Poet
• Mohammad Daneshvar, Cyclist
• Ghamar Ariyan, Author
• Aqa Najafi Quchani, Islamic scholar
• Haj Qorban Soleimani, Musician
• Mohammed Kadhim al-Modarresi, Shia cleric
• Hasanali Morvarid, Shia cleric

Gallery

File:RezaShrine.jpg|Mashhad File:Mooze Naderi.jpg|Mashhad File:Hamam Shah- Mashhad- 2.jpg|Mashhad File:Tomb of Hassan Modarres2021-03-23 36.jpg|Kashmar File:Imamzadeh Hamzah2021-05-10 2.jpg|Kashmar File:Imamzadeh Morteza2021-05-14.jpg|Kashmar File:Mausoleum of Omar Khayyám.jpg|Nishapur File:مرتضی امین الرعایایی (82).jpg|Nishapur File:Attar mausoleum0.jpg|Nishapur File:Mausoleum of Yahya 02.jpg|Sabzevar File:Karevansaraye Mehr.jpg|Sabzevar File:Karavansaraye Zafaranie Sabzevar.jpg|Sabzevar File:K.sh.baran12.jpg|Khalilabad File:K.sh.baran8.jpg|Khalilabad File:مدرسه علیا فردوس 06.jpg|Ferdows File:مزار قطب الدین و مسجد از زاویه دیگر.jpg|Torbat-e Heydarieh File:آرامگاه بابا لقمان و دیواره های در حال بازسازی آن.jpg|Sarakhs File:Ab Anbar.JPG|Bardaskan

Notes

References

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