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94-932: Al-Sulami was born in the city of Nishapur in the year 947 and came from a modest background and was orphaned in his teens after the passing of his father who was known for his piety and refined manners. His grandfather became his new guardian, who raised him up and took charge of his education. Al-Sulami was only 8 years old when he began to narrate hadiths which were narrated in writings and directly taken from his teacher, Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Subghi. An avid student of Hadith, al-Sulami travelled extensively and narrated hadiths from scholars in Nishapur , Merv , Iraq , Hejaz ( Mecca and Medina ) and he transmitted Hadith to narrators for over 40 years. His works became prominent and have spread far wide during his lifetime. Al-Sulami received his teaching certificate ( ijaza ) from Abu Sahl al-Sa'luki  [ ar ] and, some time after, he received

188-767: A conflict between the supporters of the Mohammad Khodabanda , the Safavid Shah of Persia , and his son Abbas the Great . In 1581, the castle of Nishapur went under siege. This siege became one of the events that helped the Abbas the Great to become the Ruler of Greater Khorasan and later the Shah of Persia in the Safavid Empire . In 1592 Abbas the Great took back the control of Nishapur from

282-595: A fierce hatred for each other. During Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik 's reign, the Umayyad government appointed Mudaris as governors in Khorasan, except for Asad ibn Abdallah al-Qasri's tenure in 735–738. Nasr's appointment came four months after Asad's death. In the interim, the sources report variously that the province was run either by the Syrian general Ja'far ibn Hanzala al-Bahrani or by Asad's lieutenant Juday' al-Kirmani. At any rate,

376-521: A major national expressway that connects the two major cities of Tehran and Mashhad , is connected to the city of Nishapur and it passes through it. Nishapur is connected to the Trans-Iranian Railway System which is a UNESCO world heritage . The Nishapur train station became operational during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and it is located on the southern part of the city. On 18 February 2004, runaway train wagons crashed into

470-590: A significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center within the Islamic world . Nishapur, along with Merv , Herat and Balkh , was one of the four great cities of Greater Khorasan and one of the greatest cities of the Old World in the Islamic Golden Age with strategic importance, a seat of governmental power in the eastern section of caliphates , a dwelling place for diverse ethnic and religious groups and

564-593: A trading stop on commercial routes from Transoxiana , China, Iraq and Egypt. Nishapur reached the height of its prosperity under the Samanids in the 10th century but was destroyed and most of its population was slaughtered by the Mongols in 1221 . This massacre, combined with subsequent earthquakes and other invasions, is believed to have destroyed the city several times. Unlike its near neighbor Merv , Nishapur managed to recover from these cataclysmic events, and survive until

658-428: A warm and semi-dry climate called '' central Iranian plateau climate''. Precipitation mostly happens in spring and winter. Nishapur is situated on a relatively higher elevation (1250 meters) than its neighboring cities such Sabzevar and Mashhad hence the weather is milder and better than these cities. Nishapur has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk). The city of Nishapur lies on a Holocene alluvial plain on top of

752-570: Is a city in the Central District of Nishapur County , Razavi Khorasan province, Iran , serving as capital of both the county and the district. Nishapur is the second-largest city of the province in the northeast of Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of Binalud Mountain Range . It has been the historic capital of the Western Quarter of Greater Khorasan , the historic capital of

846-453: Is a national and registered protected archeological area by law and any unauthorized archeological excavation is considered illegal. This district is also home to the burial and historical monuments (some are shown on the city infobox) of most of the renowned persons of the city throughout history such as the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyám and the Mausoleum of Attar of Nishapur . The third district

940-756: Is also used as one of the main touristic hotspots of the city. Many of this city's archeological discoveries are held and shown to the public in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City , the British Museum in London , the National Museum of Iran in Tehran , other international museums and the museums of the city of Nishapur. The city of Nishapur is also a member of international organizations such as

1034-410: Is diverse and it is based on several industries like Agriculture, Industrial parks, mining, tourism, health-care, retailing, banking etc. Many agricultural products such as saffron , cereals , cotton , herbs , plums , walnut , wheat , corn , apples , cherries and pistachio are exported from the county of Nishapur . The city is also a dairy and sugar exporter. Most of the water supply of

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1128-468: Is nowadays in that area. This palace was perhaps completely ruined in the 13th century. Most people speak Persian and are monolingual , however, there are several private foreign language-teaching institutions in the city that teach English and other languages. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 205,972 in 56,652 households. The following census in 2011 counted 239,185 people in 71,263 households. The 2016 census measured

1222-618: The Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad , the Tahirid rulers were effectively independent. The dynasty was founded by Tahir ibn Husayn , a leading general in the service of the Abbasid caliph Al-Ma'mun . Tahir's military victories were rewarded with the gift of lands in the east of Persia, which were subsequently extended by his successors as far as the borders of India . Tahirid influence extended to Baghdad when

1316-731: The Battle of the Oxus River . The next year, Ibn Amir concluded a peace treaty with Kanadbak , an Iranian nobleman and the kanarang of Tus . The Sasanian rebel Burzin Shah , of the Karen family , revolted against Ibn Amir, though the latter crushed the rebels in the Battle of Nishapur . After the invasion of Persia under Rashidun was completed in five years and almost all of the Persian territories came under Arab control, it also inevitable created new problems for

1410-528: The Caliphs , Khorasan was the name of one of the three political zones under their dominion (the other two being Eraq-e Arab "Arabic Iraq" and Eraq-e Ajam "Non-Arabic Iraq or Persian Iraq"). Under the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, Khorasan was divided into four major sections or quarters ( rub′ ), each section based on a single major city: Nishapur, Merv, Herat and Balkh. By the 10th century, Ibn Khordadbeh and

1504-571: The Ghilji Pashtuns from Kandahar and became part of the Hotaki dynasty from 1722 to 1729. Nader Shah recaptured Khorasan in 1729 and chose Mashhad as the capital of Persia. Following his assassination in 1747, the eastern parts of Khorasan, including Herat were annexed with the Durrani Empire . Mashhad area was under control of Nader Shah's grandson Shahrukh Afshar until it was captured by

1598-636: The Greater Khorasan region but subsequently declined in significance until a revival in its fortunes in the 9th century under the Tahirid dynasty , when the glazed ceramics of Nishapur formed an important item of trade to the west. For a time Nishapur rivaled Baghdad or Cairo : Toghrül , the first ruler of the Seljuk dynasty, made Nishapur his residence in 1038 and proclaimed himself sultan there, but it declined thereafter, as Seljuk fortunes were concentrated in

1692-585: The Hudud al-'Alam mentions what roughly encompasses the previous regions of Abarshahr , Tokharistan and Sogdia as Khwarasan proper. They further report the southern part of the Hindu Kush, i.e. the regions of Sistan , Rukhkhudh , Zabulistan and Kabul etc. to make up the Khorasan marches , a frontier region between Khorasan and Hindustan . By the late Middle Ages, the term lost its administrative significance, in

1786-497: The Jame mosque of Nishapur ( congregational mosque of the city) are among the examples of the buildings built during this era in Nishapur. Many poets, scholars and renowned historical figures of the city and the wider region of Abarshahr (one of the main four regions of Greater Khorasan with the city capitals of Nishapur, Merv , Herat and Balkh ) were also born in this period. Due to

1880-531: The Khayyam Industrial Park and the Attar Industrial Park are near the city of Nishapur. Many industrial products such as sugar, cooking oils and gas heaters are exported from the city and its county. Several hotels, ecolodges , resorts, parks, tourist hot-spots, restaurants, museums, a planetarium , cultural centers, mausoleums, religious pilgrimage sites and historic mosques are in and near

1974-587: The LHC and the ICCN UNESCO . Abarshahr was a satrapy (province) of the Sassanid Empire . Cities in the region were Candac, Artacauan, Apameia, and Pushang (founded by Shapur I). Nishapur was the capital. Abarshar was the name used for Nishapur during the Sassanid Empire and Rashidun Caliphate . The capital was a vital center of administration and of communications between Bactria, India, and Sagistan. The region

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2068-513: The Mongol subjugation of Khorasan, carrying out the task "with a thoroughness from which that region has never recovered." Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century, the majority of Islamic archaeological efforts were focused on the medieval era, predominantly in areas near what is today Central Asia . Under Caliph Umar ( r.  634–644 ), the Rashidun Caliphate seized nearly

2162-528: The Pleistocene sediments in the southwestern part of the Binalud Mountains . The Binalud Range, running northwest–southeast, is made predominantly of Triassic and Jurassic rocks. On the southern side of the northwestern part of the range there is a section of Eocene rocks that are volcanic in origin. The well-known Nishabur turquoise comes from the weathered and broken trachytes and andesites of

2256-819: The Qajar dynasty in 1796. In 1856, the Iranians, under the Qajar dynasty, briefly recaptured Herat; by the Treaty of Paris of 1857 , signed between Iran and the British Empire to end the Anglo-Persian War , the Iranian troops withdrew from Herat . Later, in 1881, Iran relinquished its claims to a part of the northern areas of Khorasan to the Russian Empire , principally comprising Merv , by

2350-650: The Saffarids , their "empire", with nominal sanction from the Abbasids , extended from India to Iraq , making Nishapur a provincial capital. Khurasan was thus an international entrepôt, with merchants coming not only from Iraq, India and Egypt, but also from Russia; additionally, Vikings came from Scandinavia to trade with the Bulghars and Khazars on the Caspian Sea . Nishapur occupies an important strategic position astride

2444-561: The Sasanians , during the reign of Kavad I ( r.  488–496, 498/9–531 ) or Khosrow I ( r.  531–579 ), and comprised the eastern and northeastern parts of the empire. The use of Bactrian Miirosan 'the east' as an administrative designation under Alkhan rulers in the same region is possibly the forerunner of the Sasanian administrative division of Khurasan, occurring after their takeover of Hephthalite territories south of

2538-516: The Shaybanids . Shah Abbasi Caravanseri of Nishapur was also built during his reign and later on, he left his two epigraphs on Jame Mosque of Nishapur on the Ramadan of October 1612. Saadat Ali Khan I Nishapuri , Nawab of Awadh (the ruler who governed the state of Awadh of India), was also born in this period in an influential family in Nishapur. After the death of Nader Shah Afshar in 1747,

2632-606: The Treaty of Akhal (also known as the Treaty of Akhal-Khorasan ). Khorasan has had a great cultural importance among other regions in Greater Iran . The literary New Persian language developed in Khorasan and Transoxiana and gradually supplanted the Parthian language . The New Persian literature arose and flourished in Khorasan and Transoxiana where the early Iranian dynasties such as Tahirids , Samanids , Saffirids and Ghaznavids (a Turco-Persian dynasty) were based. Until

2726-582: The Zafaranlu Confederacy but was given back to the Qajars in 1829. During the Revolt of Hasan Khan Salar , the city was an isolated outpost of Qajar rule led by Imamverdi Khan Bayat when most of Khorasan was under the wrath of Hasan Khan Salar. On March 21, 1849, Qajar forces entered Nishapur. The reconstruction of the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyam in Nishapur was commissioned by Reza Shah . Omar's previous tomb

2820-503: The ''Abe Bostan'' (Mir Ab River of Nishapur). The current position of the city was formed during this era and on the North West of the older position of the city which is now home to the Mausoleum of Attar of Nishapur and Shadiyakh Archeological Site and other remains of the old position of the city (the old position of the city is also now a protected archeological site by law though it is endangered). Mausoleum of Attar of Nishapur and

2914-536: The 1580s) that: The people of Hindustān call every country beyond their own Khorasān, in the same manner as the Arabs term all except Arabia, Ajem . On the road between Hindustān and Khorasān, there are two great marts: the one Kābul, the other Kandahār . Caravans, from Ferghāna, Tūrkestān, Samarkand, Balkh, Bokhāra, Hissār, and Badakhshān , all resort to Kābul; while those from Khorasān repair to Kandahār . This country lies between Hindustān and Khorasān. In modern times,

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3008-467: The 9th-century Tahirid dynasty , the initial capital of the 11th-century Seljuk Empire , and is currently the capital city of Nishapur County and a historic Silk Road city of cultural and economic importance in Iran and the region of Greater Khorasan . Nearby are turquoise mines that have supplied the world with turquoise of the finest and the highest quality for at least two millennia . The city

3102-806: The Abbasids granted them the military affairs in Mesopotamia . In 873, the Tahirids were replaced by the Saffarids . Saffarids expanded their sphere of influence through the north of Khurasan and also in south towards Sistan . They also made Nishapur their capital and rebuilt the Tahirid palace. In 900, Ismail Samani defeated the Saffarids and was made governor of Nishapur. The Samanids had been placed in power in Transoxiana by Caliph Al-Ma'mun , and ruled first from Samarqand and then moved to Bukhara . After defeating

3196-558: The Eocene volcanic rocks of this part of the mountain range. The main turquoise mines are situated about 50 kilometers northwest of the city of Nishapur in the foothills of the Binalud Range. Nishapur is located in a region with a rather high risk of earthquakes . Many earthquakes have seriously harmed the city; among the important ones are the historical earthquakes that ruined the city in the 12th and 13th centuries. The economy of Nishapur

3290-519: The Muslims. He offered to open one of the gates for the Muslim army to enter, provided he was granted immunity. The Muslims accepted the offer. The Persians were taken by surprise, and the Muslims became the new rulers of Nishapur. After consolidating their position at Nishapur, the Muslims conquered other cities around Nishapur, including Pusht, Ashband, Rukh, Zar, Khaf, Osparain and Arghian. Abu Muslim became

3384-608: The Oxus. The transformation of the term and its identification with a larger region is thus a development of the late Sasanian and early Islamic periods. Early Islamic usage often regarded everywhere east of Jibal or what was subsequently termed Iraq Ajami (Persian Iraq) , as being included in a vast and loosely defined region of Khorasan, which might even extend to the Indus Valley and the Pamir Mountains. The boundary between these two

3478-454: The Sufi cloak ( khirka ) from Abu'l-Kasim al-Nasrabadhi (d. 367/977-8), who just ten years ago became a Sufi at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Shibli . Al-Sulami studied under numerous Hadith scholars, his most prominent ones include: Al-Sulami had many students who narrated from him, among them were: Towards the end of his lifetime, al-Sulami founded a spiritual khanqa for Iʿtikāf . His intention

3572-799: The Ways of the Awliya (Tassawuf), so much as to summarize it according to the explanation of the ancient (oldest Friends of God). Al-Khatib said: "Al-Sulami was a proficient authority in Hadith." Al-Dhahabi said: The Imam, the hafiz, the Muhaddith, the Sheikh of Khorasan, and the great Sufi ." Al-Sulami started writing and authoring when he was in his 20's and continued to write until his death 50 years later. He authored over 100 works: Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur ( Persian : نیشاپور , also نیشابور )

3666-399: The area became an independent khanate under the reign of the Bayat chieftains. In 1754 Ahmad Shah Durrani captured Nishapur with the support of heavy artillery and imposed Shahrokh Shah as the ruler ( Shah ) of the western part of Greater Khorasan as a protectorate of the Durrani Empire . The city was conquered in 1800 by the Qajars . In 1828, the city came under the influence of

3760-414: The caliphate. Pockets of tribal resistance continued for centuries in the Afghan territories. During the 7th century, Arab armies made their way into the region of Afghanistan from Khorasan. A second problem was as a corollary to the Muslim conquest of Persia, the Muslims became neighbors of the city states of Transoxiana . Although Transoxiana was included in the loosely defined "Turkestan" region, only

3854-418: The cities of Mashhad and Tehran . The city also has local routes and highways to the cities of Kashmar and Quchan . Throughout the Middle Ages, Nishapur had been praised by many due to its many gardens and its healthy climate in Khorasan . Ibn Hawqal has commented the following about the weather and the climate of this city at that time: Throughout all of Khorasan , no such companion as enriched with

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3948-434: The city flourish again and the city's population grew once more and some of the villages around the city were improved and rebuilt. Hamdallah Mustawfi had visited the city of Nishapur in the Year 1339 or 1340. During this era, the ambassador of Henry III of Castile , Ruy González de Clavijo reached Nishapur and according to him, Nishapur had become a highly productive agricultural center with 40 non-stop working mills along

4042-493: The city is provided from the Binalud Mountain Range 's mostly seasonal rivers , qanats , dams and modern wells . Natural recourses such as turquoise and salt are mined from around the city. The electrical power supply of the city is provided from Neyshabur Combined Cycle Power Plant and Binalood Wind Farm . The excessive electrical energy of the city is mostly exported from the city's public power grid . Khorasan Steel Complex and two main industrial parks called

4136-430: The city. The construction of the new mausoleum was completed in the year 1963. The Tomb of Kamal-ol Molk was also built in Nishapur and designed by Seyhoun . The Wooden Mosque of Neyshabur was also built in the year 2000. The Second Asia-Pacific Jamboree was held at Baghrud Scots Park of Nishapur in preparation for The 15th World Scout Jamboree which was scheduled to be held 15–23 July 1979 in Nishapur but due to

4230-499: The city. The tourism industry of the city has a lot of protentional but it needs further development. There are two active hospitals (Hakim Hospital and 22 Bahman Hospital) in the city of Nishapur and a third one is also currently under construction. Nearly all of reputable public and private Iranain banks have branches in the city. Major Iranian companies such as Refah Chain Stores Co. , Iran Hyper Star , Ofoqh Kourosh and other companies have active branches in Nishapur. Road 44 ,

4324-433: The condition of paying a tribute. Having conquered the region around Nishapur, the Muslim force advanced to Nishapur itself. The city was divided into four sectors, with each sector under a Persian chief. These chiefs shut themselves in the city and closed the gates. The Muslims laid siege to the city for some days. In the meantime, the Persian chiefs quarreled among themselves. One of the chiefs entered into negotiations with

4418-662: The devastating Mongol invasion of the 13th century, Khorasan remained the cultural capital of Persia. It has produced scientists such as Avicenna , Al-Farabi , Al-Biruni , Omar Khayyam , Al-Khwarizmi , Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (known as Albumasar or Albuxar in the west), Alfraganus , Abu Wafa , Nasir al-Din al-Tusi , Sharaf al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī , and many others who are widely well known for their significant contributions in various domains such as mathematics, astronomy , medicine, physics , geography , and geology. There have been many archaeological sites throughout Khorasan, however many of these expeditions were illegal or committed in

4512-424: The early days of the Muslim conquests , Arab armies were divided into regiments drawn from individual tribes or tribal confederations ( butun or ‘asha‘ir ). Despite the fact that many of these groupings were recent creations, created for reasons of military efficiency rather than any common ancestry, they soon developed a strong and distinct identity. By the beginning of the Umayyad period, this system progressed to

4606-412: The eastern halves of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan , western Tajikistan , and portions of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan . The extent of the region referred to as Khorasan varied over time. In its stricter historical sense, it comprised the present territories of northeastern Iran , parts of Afghanistan and southern parts of Central Asia , extending as far as the Amu Darya (Oxus) river. However,

4700-457: The empire, at its height including cities such as Nishapur , Herat , Merv , Faryab , Taloqan , Balkh , Bukhara , Badghis , Abiward , Gharjistan , Tus and Sarakhs . With the rise of the Umayyad Caliphate , the designation was inherited and likewise stretched as far as their military gains in the east, starting off with the military installations at Nishapur and Merv , slowly expanding eastwards into Tokharistan and Sogdia . Under

4794-407: The entire Persia from the Sasanian Empire . However, the areas of Khorasan weren't conquered until c.  651 during the caliphate of Uthman ( r.  644–656 ). The Rashidun commanders Ahnaf ibn Qays and Abd Allah ibn Amir were assigned to lead the invasion of Khorasan. In late 651, the Rashidun army defeated the combined forces of the Sasanian and the First Turkic Khaganate in

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4888-446: The eventual conquest. In July 738, at the age of 74, Nasr was appointed as governor of Khorasan. Despite his age, he was widely respected both for his military record, his knowledge of the affairs of Khorasan and his abilities as a statesman. Julius Wellhausen wrote of him that "His age did not affect the freshness of his mind, as is testified not only by his deeds, but also by the verses in which he gave expression to his feelings till

4982-449: The formation of ever-larger super-groupings, culminating in the two super-groups : the northern Arab Mudaris or Qaysis , and the south Arabs or "Yemenis" ( Yaman ), dominated by the Azd and Rabi'ah tribes. By the 8th century, this division had become firmly established across the Caliphate and was a source of constant internal instability, as the two groups formed in essence two rival political parties, jockeying for power and separated by

5076-399: The former Khorasan Province of Iran (1906–2004), which roughly encompassed the western portion of the historical Greater Khorasan. The name Khorāsān is Persian (from Middle Persian Xwarāsān , sp. xwlʾsʾn' , meaning "where the sun arrives from" or "the Eastern Province"). The name was first given to the eastern province of Persia (Ancient Iran) during the Sasanian Empire and

5170-478: The government of the Shah , the Metropolitan's publications were limited to its own Nishapur ceramics. The site of Nishapur has been ransacked for half a century since World War II , to feed the international market demand for early Islamic works of art. Shadiyakh ("Palace of Happiness") was one of the main palaces of old Nishapur up to the 9th century AD, which became more important and populated after that. Some notable people like Attar lived there. Attar's tomb

5264-462: The governor of Khorasan , and chose Nishapur as his capital. He seems to have initiated a huge building program in which he stimulated the growth of the city. Nishapur increased in importance, and two of the ‘Abbasids were governors of this city before becoming caliphs. It was the governor of Khurasan (‘ Ali ibn Isa ibn Mahan ) who presented the large gift of Chinese imperial porcelains to Harun al-Rashid (see Abbasid Ceramics Section), demonstrating

5358-432: The health of the air, quantity and the vastness of its mansions can be found. In the same cited work , Hakim Nishapuri praises Nishapur with many favourable nicknames such as " Persian : نیشابورست، هوای او صافی به صحت آبدان وافی، خالی از خطایا و عاری از وبا و اکثر بلایا… عروس بلدان، خزانه خراسان، دار امارت، لطیف عمارت، موطن ادیبان… " and compares and claims that the weather and climate (or air Persian: هوا) of Nishapur

5452-579: The local governor and mayor and the heads of the fire and rail services. This disaster has become known as one of the worst railway industry disasters of the world. Little archaeology has been done on this vast and complicated site. George Curzon remarked that Nishapur had been destroyed and rebuilt more times than any other city in history, an evocative statement whether or not it is statistically true. The Metropolitan Museum of Art undertook excavations from 1935 that were interrupted in 1940. Searching largely for museum-worthy trophies that they shared with

5546-419: The major portion of Khorasān, as two of the four main capitals of Khorasān (Herat and Balkh) are now located in Afghanistan. Ghobar uses the terms "Proper Khorasan" and " Improper Khorasan" in his book to distinguish between the usage of Khorasān in its strict sense and its usage in a loose sense. According to him, Proper Khorasan contained regions lying between Balkh in the east, Merv in the north, Sistan in

5640-442: The massacre, Khan's troops killed and beheaded most of the population of the city and their skulls were reputedly piled in pyramids by the Mongols . Women, Infants, children, and even cats and dogs were among the beheaded. After the massacre a much smaller settlement was established just north of the ancient town, and the once bustling metropolis lay underground—until a team of excavators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art arrived in

5734-454: The mid-20th century. They worked at Nishapur between 1935 and 1940, returning for a final season in the winter of 1947–48. What remains of old Nishapur is a 3500-hectare "Kohandejh ( Persian : کهن دژ)" area, south of the current city of Nishapur. After the fall of Nishapur in 1221 by the Mongols, the structures of the city were weakened and the agricultural output of the city was reduced. Mahmud Ghazan and Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan tried to make

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5828-475: The middle of the last century. Preserved more than any other Sufi source, al-Sulami writings on the explanation of the mystical meanings behind the letters shows a method in which Sufis of the second/eight to the fourth/tenth centuries have interpreted the meaning of the Arabic letters and alphabetic groupings. Al-Hakim said: "He was abundant in his auditions and narrations of Hadiths and meticulous in narration." Abu Nu'aym said: He achieved complete Mastery of

5922-400: The most prominent men of the Marwanid period". Asad's arrival in Khorasan found the province in peril: his predecessor, Muslim ibn Sa'id al-Kilabi , had just attempted a campaign against Ferghana and suffered a major defeat, the so-called " Day of Thirst ", at the hands of the Turgesh Turks and the Soghdian principalities of Transoxiana that had risen up against Muslim rule. From

6016-407: The name has often been used in a loose sense to include a wider region that included most of Transoxiana (encompassing Bukhara and Samarqand in present-day Uzbekistan ), extended westward to the Caspian coast and to the Dasht-e Kavir southward to Sistan , and eastward to the Pamir Mountains . Greater Khorasan is today sometimes used to distinguish the larger historical region from

6110-473: The old Silk Road that linked Anatolia and the Mediterranean Sea with China. On the Silk Road, Nishapur has often defined the flexible frontier between the Iranian plateau and Central Asia. The town derived its name from its reputed founder, the Sassanian king Shapur I , who is said to have established it in the third century CE. Nearby are the turquoise mines that supplied the world with turquoise for at least two millennia. It became an important town in

6204-439: The political uncertainty of the Iranian Revolution in the country , the event was cancelled. On February 18, 2004, in the Nishapur train disaster , a train carrying flammable goods derailed and caught fire near the town. Five hours later, during fire fighting and rescue work, a massive explosion destroyed the train and many nearby buildings. Around 300 people were said to have been killed, mainly fire and rescue workers but also

6298-403: The population of the city as 264,375 people in 83,143 households. It is the third most-populous city in the eastern provinces of Iran after Mashhad and Zahedan . Nishapur is located at an elevation of 1250 meters on a wide fertile plain at the southwestern foot of the Binalud Mountain range in northcentral Razavi Khorasan Province. The city is connected by both railways and highways to

6392-447: The present day as an active modern city and county in tourism , agriculture , health care , industrial production and commerce in Razavi Khorasan Province of Iran ; however, many of its older and historical archeological remains are left to be uncovered. The modern city of Nishapur is composed of three main administrative areas/districts ( Persian : منطقه های شهر نیشابور) and is surrounded by many villages which are joining in to

6486-421: The relevant solar deity ). The province was often subdivided into four quarters, such that Nishapur (present-day Iran), Marv (present-day Turkmenistan ), Herat and Balkh (present-day Afghanistan) were the centers, respectively, of the westernmost, northernmost, central, and easternmost quarters. Khorasan was first established as an administrative division in the 6th century (approximately after 520) by

6580-602: The ruling elite of Transoxiana was partially of Turkic origins whereas the local population was mostly a diverse mix of local Iranian populations. As the Arabs reached Transoxiana following the conquest of the Sassanid Persian Empire, local Iranian-Turkic and Arab armies clashed over the control of Transoxiana's Silk Road cities. In particular, the Turgesh under the leadership of Suluk, and Khazars under Barjik clashed with their Arab neighbours in order to control this economically important region. Two notable Umayyad generals, Qutayba ibn Muslim and Nasr ibn Sayyar , were instrumental in

6674-412: The sources agree that al-Kirmani stood at the time as the most prominent man in Khorasan and should have been the clear choice for governor. His Yemeni roots (he was the leader of the Azd in Khorasan), however, made him unpalatable to the Caliph. Khorasan became the headquarters of the Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyads . It was led by Abu Muslim , who himself belonged to Khorasan. This province

6768-646: The south of the Hindu Kush as the Khorasan Marches, forming a frontier region between Khorasan and Hindustan . First established in the 6th century as one of four administrative (military) divisions by the Sasanian Empire , the scope of the region has varied considerably during its nearly 1,500-year history. Initially, the Khorasan division of the Sasanian Empire covered the northeastern military gains of

6862-668: The south of the Road 44. It is home to some of the main tourists attractions of the city such as the National Garden of Nishapur and the Khanate Mansion of Amin Islami . The Area/district 3 of the city is home to the ruins and the remains of the ancient city of Nishapur destroyed by Mongols in the Middle Ages and is located on the south and the southeast of the city. The third district of the city

6956-485: The south, Nishapur in the west and Herat, known as the Pearl of Khorasan , in the center. Improper Khorasan's boundaries extended to as far as Hazarajat and Kabul in the east, Baluchistan in the south, Transoxiana and Khwarezm in the north, and Damghan and Gorgan in the west. During the Sasanian era, likely in the reign of Khusrow I , Persia was divided into four regions (known as kust Middle Persian), Khwārvarān in

7050-419: The strategic importance of the province on trade routes. The Tahirid dynasty was a dynasty of Persian dehqan origin that ruled from 820 to 872 in Khorasan , northeastern Greater Iran , a region now split between Iran , Afghanistan , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan , and Uzbekistan . The Tahirid capital was originally Merv , but Nishapur became their capital from 828 to 845. Although nominally subject to

7144-554: The term has been source of great nostalgia and nationalism, especially amongst the Tajiks of Central Asia. Many Tajiks regard Khorasan as an integral part of their national identity, which has preserved an interest in the term, including its meaning and cultural significance, both in common discussion and academia, despite its falling out of political use in the region. According to Afghan historian Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar (1897–1978), Afghanistan's current Persian-speaking territories formed

7238-517: The throne to Khorasan following the Arab invasion in the western parts of the empire. After the assassination of the king, Khorasan was conquered by Arab Muslims in 647 AD. Like other provinces of Persia it became a province of the Umayyad Caliphate . The first movement against the Arab conquest was led by Abu Muslim Khorasani between 747 and 750. Originally from Isfahan , scholars believe Abu Muslim

7332-595: The urban area and structure of the city. The Area/district 1 of the city comprises the newer urban developments (initiated mostly in the 1980s and the 1990s) made to the north of the Road 44 and is home to most of the main higher educational institutions of Nishapur such as the University of Neyshabur and the IAUN . The Area/district 2 of the city comprises the downtown of the city and the older and more historic urban structures situated on

7426-537: The very end of his life". However, in the climate of the times, his nomination owed more to his appropriate tribal affiliation than his personal qualities. In 724, immediately after the rise of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (r. 724–743) to the throne, Asad's brother Khalid al-Qasri was appointed to the important post of governor of Iraq , with responsibility over the entire Islamic East, which he held until 738. Khalid in turn named Asad as governor of Khorasan. The two brothers thus became, according to Patricia Crone , "among

7520-611: The village of Khayyam near Nishapur. This accident caused several major explosions and it kill over 300. The entire village of Khayyam was destroyed due to the explosions. Greater Khorasan Greater Khorasan ( Middle Persian : 𐬒𐬊𐬭𐬀𐬯𐬀𐬥 , romanized:  Xwarāsān ; Persian : خراسان , [xoɾɒːˈsɒːn] ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and northern Afghanistan , northeastern Iran ,

7614-565: The west only being loosely applied among the Turko-Persian dynasties of modern Iran to all its territories that lay east and north-east of the Dasht-e Kavir desert. It was therefore subjected to constant change, as the size of their empires changed. In the east, Khwarasan likewise became a term associated with the great urban centers of Central Asia. It is mentioned in the Memoirs of Babur (from

7708-441: The west, apāxtar in the north, nīmrūz in the south and Khorasan in the east. Since the Sasanian territories were more or less remained stable up to Islamic conquests, it can be concluded that Sasanian Khorasan was bordered to the south by Sistan and Kerman, to the west by the central deserts of modern Iran, and to the east by China and India. In the Sasanian era, Khorasan was further divided into four smaller regions, and each region

7802-522: The west. Nishapur was sacked by the Oghuz Turks in 1154, and suffered several earthquakes in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. In 1221, after the death of Tuqachar , the husband of Genghis Khan's daughter, the entire city of Nishapur was destroyed by the Mongols over the course of 10 days. Genghis Khan's daughter requested the death of every resident of the city as vengeance for her husband's death. In order to become sure that no wounded would survive

7896-500: Was better and more healthier (according to him, cholera and other such diseases and disasters could not be found in Nishapur) than many neighboring regions such as Sistan (due to its winds), Indus valley (or سند in Persian) and Hindustan (due to their severe hotness), Khwarazm and Turkestan (due to their coldness) and Merv (due to presence of many insects). Nishapur generally has

7990-403: Was founded in the 3rd century by Shapur I as a capital city of Sasanian satrapy known as Abarshahr or Nishapur. Nishapur later became the capital of Tahirid dynasty and was reformed by Abdullah Tahir in 830, and was later selected as the capital of Seljuk dynasty by Tughril in 1037. From the Abbasid era to the Mongol invasion of Khwarezmia and Eastern Iran , the city evolved into

8084-553: Was involved in the Indian and Chinese trade. Its governor bore the title of kanarang . Nishapur was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate , without struggle, during the caliphate of Umar . The Caliph appointed Ahnaf Ibn Qais as the chief command of the Rashidun army out of Isfahan . From Isfahan, two routes led to Khorasan : the main route via Rayy and the other via Nishapur. The people of Nishapur chose not to fight and surrendered on

8178-619: Was more a matter of political and territorial gain. Tahir had helped the Caliph subdue other nationalistic movements in other parts of Persia such as Maziar 's movement in Tabaristan . Other major independent dynasties who ruled over Khorasan were the Saffarids from Zaranj (861–1003), Samanids from Bukhara (875–999), Ghaznavids from Ghazni (963–1167), Seljuqs (1037–1194), Khwarezmids (1077–1231), Ghurids (1149–1212), and Timurids (1370–1506). In 1221, Genghis Khan 's son Tolui oversaw

8272-610: Was part of the Iranian world that had been heavily colonised by Arab tribes following the Muslim conquest with the intent of replacing Umayyad dynasty which is proved to be successful under the sign of the Black Standard . Between the early 16th and early 18th centuries, parts of Khorasan were contested between the Safavids and the Uzbeks . A part of the Khorasan region was conquered in 1722 by

8366-465: Was probably Persian. It's possible he may have been born a slave. According to the ancient Persian historian Al-Shahrastani , he was a Kaysanite . This revolutionary Shi'a movement rejected the three Caliphs that had preceded Ali . Abu Muslim helped the Abbasids come to power but was later killed by Al-Mansur, an Abbasid Caliph. The first kingdom independent from Arab rule was established in Khorasan by Tahir Phoshanji in 821, but it seems that it

8460-513: Was ruled by a marzban . These four regions were Nishapur, Marv, Herat and Balkh. Khorasan in the east saw some conflict with the Hephthalites who became the new rulers in the area but the borders remained stable. Being the eastern parts of the Sassanids and further away from Arabia , Khorasan region was conquered after the remaining Persia. The last Sassanid king of Persia, Yazdgerd III , moved

8554-505: Was separated from his tomb, and a white marble monument ( Current Mausoleum ), designed by the Iranian architect Hooshang Seyhoun , was erected over it. This mausoleum became one of the main symbols of the city and one of the known works of the modern Persian architecture . The influence of the architectural design of this mausoleum is visible on the coat of arms of the University of Neyshabur , Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) and other public, civil and private organizations of

8648-537: Was the region surrounding the cities of Gurgan and Qumis . In particular, the Ghaznavids , Seljuqs and Timurids divided their empires into Iraqi and Khorasani regions. Khorasan is believed to have been bounded in the southwest by desert and the town of Tabas , known as "the Gate of Khorasan", from which it extended eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan . Sources from the 10th century onwards refer to areas in

8742-439: Was to build a solitude for pious worshippers and spiritual seekers of Nishapur , which was then visited by the famous Imam al-Khatib . When Al-Sulami passed away, he was buried in the same spiritual house he founded. To this date, al-Sulami works remain one of the most important authorities in early history of Sufi literature and many of his books have been preserved over the centuries. It has been both copied and produced since

8836-468: Was used from the late Middle Ages in distinction to neighbouring Transoxiana. The Sassanian name Xwarāsān has in turn been argued to be a calque of the Bactrian name of the region, Miirosan (Bactrian spelling: μιιροσανο, μιροσανο, earlier μιυροασανο), which had the same meaning 'sunrise, east' (corresponding to a hypothetical Proto-Iranian form *miθrāsāna ; see Mithra , Bactrian μιυρο [mihr], for

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