Gonabad ( fa, گناباد , also

Romanize Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

d as Gonābād; also known as Gūnābād; formerly Janābaz) is a city and capital of

Gonabad County Gonabad County ( fa, شهرستان گناباد) is located in Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. The capital of the county is Gonabad. At the 2006 census, the county's population (including those portions of the county later split off to form B ...

, in Razavi Khorasan Province,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. At the 2011 census, its population was 36,367, in 10,389 families. It is mostly well known because of the Gonabadi

Dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...

es and for its

qanat A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface, through an underground aqueduct; the system originated approximately 3,000 BC in what is now Iran. The function is essentially the same across ...

s, also known as kareez. It is one of the most important producers of

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent i ...

in Iran. Other agricultural products include: Grape, Pistachio and pomegranate. The shrine the

Ni'matullāhī The Ni'matullāhī or Ne'matollāhī ( fa, نعمت‌اللهی) (also spelled as "Nimatollahi", "Nematollahi" or "Ni'matallahi) is a Sufi order (or ''tariqa'') originating in Iran. The order originates within Sunni Islam, but would later be a ...

Gonabadi dervish order is located in Beydokht, a village in the Gonabad county.

History

The famous ancient war of

Davazdah Rokh Davāzdah Rokh ( fa, دَوازدَه رُخ) (Twelve combats) is a story in Shahnameh. This relatively long story (almost 2,500 verses) is described as one of the finest stories of Shahnameh in terms of "plot, dramatic description, and insight into ...

had happened between Iran and

Turan Turan ( ae, Tūiriiānəm, pal, Tūrān; fa, توران, Turân, , "The Land of Tur") is a historical region in Central Asia. The term is of Iranian origin and may refer to a particular prehistoric human settlement, a historic geographical re ...

(Central Asia) in this city on the

Zibad Castle Zibad Castle is one of the four historical monuments of Zibad, Iran, located in the Kakhk district of Gonabad County, in the Razavi Khorasan Province. It is believed to be the last refuge of Yazdegerd III, whose death signaled the collaps ...

. The construction of this city is attributed to the Achaemenid kings and during the

Seljuk Empire The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turko-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total are ...

and

Khwarazmian dynasty The Anushtegin dynasty or Anushteginids (English: , fa, ), also known as the Khwarazmian dynasty ( fa, ) was a Persianate C. E. BosworthKhwarazmshahs i. Descendants of the line of Anuštigin In Encyclopaedia Iranica, online ed., 2009: ''"Li ...

periods (fifth to seventh centuries AH) it was Shahrabadi.

Geography and weather conditions

The city of Gonabad is located in the south of Khorasan Razavi province on the Brakuh plateau. The city is located on a flat plateau and is 24 km away from the Barakuh mountain range. The highest peak of Barakuh is called Tirmehi Mountain or Zibad Mountain. The city of Gonabad is located in an

arid A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...

and

semi-desert climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

on the edge of the desert. This city has been facing a serious drought crisis in recent years. The city of Gonabad is located on the plain and plateau of Siah Kooh or Ghahestan mountain range. Ghahestan mountain range in Gonabad region is more known as Brakuh, Siah Kooh and Zibad mountain.

Historical sites, ancient artifacts and tourism

Forud Castle

Forud Castle is a historical

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

located in

in Razavi Khorasan Province, The longevity of this fortress dates back to the

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conque ...

Zibad Castle

Zibad Castle is one of the four historical monuments of Zibad, Iran. In 2001, the castle was registered as a national property in Iran, which is related to the history of

pre-Islamic Iran The history of Iran is intertwined with the history of a larger region known as Greater Iran, comprising the area from Anatolia in the west to the borders of Ancient India and the Syr Darya in the east, and from the Caucasus and the Eurasian Step ...

, and is located in Gonabad city,

Kakhk Kakhk ( fa, کاخْک, also Romanized as Kākhk and Kākhak; also known as Kākh) is a city and capital of Kakhk District, in Gonabad County, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and als ...

district, in the residential area of Zibad. It has been registered as national heritage. In addition to the castle of Zibad, there are also the royal castle of Zibad nationally registered under the name of Shahab Castle in 2002.

Jameh Mosque of Gonabad

The Jameh Mosque of Gonabad is related to

and is located in Gonabad.

Qanats of Gonabad

The Qanats of Ghasabeh, also called Kariz Kai Khosrow, is one of the world's oldest and largest networks of

s (underground aqueducts). Built between 700 and 500 BCE by the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

in what is now Gonabad, Razavi Khorasan Province,

, the complex contains 427 water wells with a total length of . The site was first added to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's list of tentative

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 2007, then officially inscribed in 2016, collectively with several other qanats, as "The Persian Qanat".

Education and culture

Higher Education

Gonabad can be considered the most student city in Khorasan Razavi province. According to unofficial statistics, about 30% of the city's population (equivalent to about 12,000 people) are indigenous and non-indigenous students. The most important higher education centers in Gonabad: * Gonabad University of Medical Sciences * Islamic Azad University, Gonabad Branch * University of Gonabad

Gallery

File:Ghanat970.jpg, Qanats of Gonabad File:قنات قصبه.jpg, Qanats of Gonabad File:KarizZibad.jpg, Qanats of Gonabad File:گناباد 4.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 5.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 6.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 7.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 9.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 11.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 12.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:گناباد 16.jpg, Anthropological Museum File:قسمتی دیگر از راه قلعه فرود.jpg, Forud Castle File:گردشگران در قلعه فرود.jpg, Forud Castle File:Castle of zibad from the top of shahneshin castle of the last shelter of yazdgerd3.JPG, Zibad Castle File:Zibad Castle 1.jpg, Zibad Castle File:مسجد جامع قصبه شهر، گناباد.jpg, Jameh Mosque of Gonabad File:در ورودی مسجد جامع قصبه شهر گناباد.jpg, Jameh Mosque of Gonabad

References

{{Authority control Achaemenid cities Cities in Razavi Khorasan Province Parthian cities Populated places in Gonabad County Sasanian cities