Kashan ( fa, کاشان; ) is a city in the Central District of

Kashan County Kashan County ( fa, شهرستان کاشان) is in Isfahan province, Isfahan province, Iran. The capital of the county is the city of Kashan. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 297,000 in 81,816 households. Retrieved 26 October ...

, in the northern part of

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

History

Earliest evidence of human presence around Kashan date back to

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

period that have been found at Niasar, Kaftar Khoun and Sefid-Ab. Middle Paleolithic stone tools were discovered at travertine spring of Niasar and the travertine of Kaftar Khoun. Upper Paleolithic groups were living around Sefid-Ab spring at SW of Kashan. By some accounts, although not all, Kashan was the origin of the

three wise men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...

who followed the star that guided them to Bethlehem to witness the nativity of Jesus, as recounted in the Bible. For example, medieval traveler Friar Odoric of Pordenone related this story in 1330 after having visited there. According to a legend dating from the

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

era, Abu Lu'lu'a, the Persian skilled craftsman who was enslaved by the Islamic conquerors and who eventually assassinated the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in 644, fled to Kashan after the assassination. The shrine that was built over his supposed tomb is one of Kashan's landmarks (see gallery below). During the rule of Timurid Empire, Kashan were patronized by Ulugh Beg, grandson of Timur. After the era of Timurid rulers, Kashan then came simultaneously under the rule of

Qara Qoyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu ( az, Qaraqoyunlular , fa, قره قویونلو), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, Eng ...

, and then

Aq Qoyunlu The Aq Qoyunlu ( az, Ağqoyunlular , ) was a culturally Persianate,Kaushik Roy, ''Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400–1750'', (Bloomsbury, 2014), 38; "Post-Mongol Persia and Iraq were ruled by two tribal confederations: Akkoyunlu (Wh ...

. Kashan was also a leisure vacation spot for Safavid kings. The earthquake of 1778 leveled the city of Kashan and all the edifices of Shah Abbas Safavi, leaving 8000 casualties. But the city started afresh.

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 248,789 in 67,464 households. The following census in 2011 counted 275,325 people in 80,015 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 304,487 people in 91,935 households.

Geography

Kashan is divided into two parts, mountainous and desert.

Location

The city of Kashan is located in the north of Isfahan province, north of the Karkas Mountains and west of Dasht-e Kavir desert, where it is poor in terms of vegetation and where bushes and shrubs are more or less found.

Mountains

Dare mountain is next to Dare village and 14 kilometers southwest of Kashan with a height of 2,985 meters overlooking the city of Kashan, and Gargash peak is the second highest peak of the Karkas mountain range (the first is mount Karakas in Natanz), 33 kilometers southwest of Kashan and 12 kilometers southwest of Qamsar and 7 kilometers northeast of Kamu with a height of 3,600 meters is located near the city of Kamu and Chogan. Kashan has the least light and air pollution. For this reason, it was chosen by international experts as the most appropriate and best place to establish the National Observatory of Iran, and the home of one of the largest large telescopes in the Middle East with the latest technology. Ardahal peak is located 35 kilometers west of Kashan with a height of 3505 meters after Gargash, is the highest point of Kashan heights (continuation of the central mountain range) in the vicinity of Niaser and the villages Nashlej and Mashhad.

Climate

Kashan has a hot desert climate, with (''BWh'') designation in Köppen climate classification and (''BW'') in Trewartha climate classification, with cold winters (although warmer than other Iranian cities) and very hot and dry summers. Kashan is significantly warmer than other cities in the Iranian Plateau due to its lower elevation.

Main sights

On August 9, 2007, Iran placed the Historical Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan on its Tentative List for possible future nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exact definition of what locations within Kashan proper might be nominated was not made clear. In 2012 Iran successfully nominated the Fin Garden separately for inscription by UNESCO as a part of its Persian Gardens World Heritage Site. Despite this the "Historical-Cultural Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan" remains in full on Iran's Tentative List. The Boroujerdiha house is one of the historical places from the Qajar period. Jardín de Fin, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 22

Jardín de Fin, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 22

Kashan_-_Timche-ye_Amin_od-Dowleh_-_20140512_-_JB

Kashan's architectural sights include: * Abbāsi House * Agha Bozorg Mosque * Āmeri House *

Bazaar of Kashan Bazaar of Kashan ( fa, بازار کاشان ''Bāzār-e Kāshān'') is an old bazaar in the center of the city of Kashan, Iran. It is thought to have been built in the Seljuk era with renovations during the Safavid period. The bazaar has a famo ...

* Boroujerdi House * Fin Garden *

Jalali Castle The Jalali Castle is located in Kashan, Iran. History The walls around Kashan were built originally by Zobeyde Khatun, Harun al-Rashid's wife. She sponsored many developmental activities in the different cities of Islamic countries. Early in th ...

Jameh Mosque of Kashan The Jameh mosque of Kashan is the oldest historical structure in Kashan, Iran. Its only brick minaret is located in its southeastern corner. On the bottom part of the minaret, there is a kufic inscription made by embossed brick. On the inscription, ...

* Meydan Mosque * Shrine of Abu Lu'lu'a (shrine dedicated to the assassin of Umar, the second Islamic caliph) * Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse *

Tabātabāei House The Tabatabai House is a historic house museum in Kashan, Iran. It was built around 1880, during the reign of the Qajar dynasty, for the affluent Tabātabāei family. It is one of the prominent historic houses of Kashan and Iran, together with the ...

* Tabriziha Mosque * Tepe Sialk

Today

Kashan is known for the manufacture of carpets, silk and other

textiles Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

Education

There are more than 10,000 students currently studying in various fields (e.g.:Applied sciences, Engineering, Art, Law, Medical sciences, Nano technology, literature, Carpet and Handicrafts, etc.) at universities of Kashan. Colleges and universities in Kashan include: *

Kashan University of Medical Sciences Kashan University of Medical Sciences (KAUMS) is a medical school of Iran. Located in the central city of Kashan Kashan ( fa, ; Qashan; Cassan; also romanized as Kāshān) is a city in the northern part of Isfahan province, Iran. At th ...

Islamic Azad University of Kashan The Islamic Azad University (IAU; fa, دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, ''Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi'') is a private university system headquartered in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the largest comprehensive systems of universities, college ...

* University of Kashan

Accessibility

* Road 71 * Freeway 7, located near the city Kashan is connected via freeways to

and Natanz to the South, and

Qom Qom (also spelled as "Ghom", "Ghum", or "Qum") ( fa, قم ) is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. Qom is the capital of Qom Province. It is located to the south of Tehran. At the 2016 census, its popul ...

, which is an hour drive away to the north. Kashan railway station is along the main north–south railways of Iran.

Kashan Airport Kashan Airport ( fa, فرودگاه کاشان) is one of the oldest airports in Iran, which became operational in 1954. The airport is 12 kilometers southeast of the city of Kashan, between the two main and transit roads, Kashan–Isfahan and K ...

reopened on 2 June 2016 after twenty years hiatus with an ATA Airlines flight from Mashhad International Airport. Old entrance of Kashan

Notable people

* David Alliance, Baron Alliance * Ghyath ad-Din Jamshid Kashani * Kamal-ol-Molk *

Amir Ghafour Amir Ghafour ( fa, امیر غفور; born 6 June 1991) is an Iranian volleyball player who plays as an opposite spiker for Iranian club Shahdab Yazd. He is a former member of the Iranian national team. Career National team He was invited to ...

* Ehsan Hajsafi *

Javad Kazemian Javad Kazemian ( fa, جواد كاظميان, born 23 April 1981 in Kashan, Iran) is an Iranian football winger. He is commonly mistaken for a striker as he is frequently involved in running towards the opposing box, but his preferred positio ...

* Mohsen Feyz Kashani *

Sohrab Sepehri Sohrab Sepehri ( fa, سهراب سپهری; October 7, 1928 – April 21, 1980) was a notable Iranian poet and painter. He is considered to be one of the five most famous Iranian poets who have practiced modern poetry alongside Nima Youshij, A ...

Ustad Ali Maryam Ustad Ali Maryam ( fa, استاد علی مریم) was a famous mimar of 19th century Persia. He is famous for designing three edifices in particular, all in Kashan: * The Borujerdi-ha House (1857) * The Tabatabaei House (1840s)

Afdal al-Din Kashani Afzal ad-Din Maragi Kashani ( fa, افضل‌الدین مَرَقی کاشانی) also known as Baba Afzal ( fa, بابا افضل‌) was a Persian poet and philosopher. Several dates have been suggested for his death, with the best estimate bein ...

* Reza Abbasi *

Sani ol molk Abu'l-Hasan Khan Ghaffari Kashani (1814–1866) ( fa, ابوالحسن غفاری) was an Iranian painter, miniature and lacquer artist, and book illustrator. When he became the Chief Court Painter, he also became known as Sani al Mulk ( fa, ص� ...

Kalim Kashani Kalim Kashani (1581/1585-1651) ( fa, کلیم کاشانی) was one of the leading Persians, Persian poets of the 17th century. Life He was born in Hamadan, but soon moved to Kashan, and this is the reason for his pen-name/association (nisba) Kasha ...

Muhtasham Kashani Muhtasham Kashani (1500–1588) ( fa, محتشم کاشانی) was an Iranian poet of the Safavid era. He was influential in Shi'ite religious poetry, especially ''marsiyah'' poetry mourning the tragedy of Ashura. He was born in Kashan Ka ...

* Ghotb Ravandi * Saeed Hajjarian *

Mohammad Motamedi Seyyed Mohammad Motamedi Qamsari, known as Mohammad Motamedi ( fa, محمد معتمدی; born on September 24, 1978) is an Iranian traditional vocalist, and a ney player. He has started learning singing & also playing ney as self-taught sinc ...

* Mulla Muhammad Mahdi Naraqi *

Molla Fathollah Kashani Molla Fathollah Kashani was a 15th-century jurisprudent, theologian, and commentator. He is most famous for his commentary on Quran Menhaj Al-Sadeghin. He was a student of Ali Ibn Hassan Zavväri that through him, narrated from Mohaghghe Korki an ...

* Moluk Zarabi * Pari Zangeneh

Twin towns – sister cities

* Neishabour, Iran

Gallery

File:Jardín de Fin, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 20.jpg, Bagh-e Fin File:Kashan 2017 (34089590781).jpg, Ameri House File:Casa histórica de Tabatabaeis, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 60.jpg, Tabatabaeis House File:Khane Tabatabaei interior.jpg, Interior of Tabatabaeis House File:Mezquita de Agha Bozorg, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 82.jpg, Agha Bozorg School and Mosque File:18 Chardin Caravanseray in Kashan.jpg, Chardin Caravanseray File:Casa histórica de Boroujerdi, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 33.jpg,

Borujerdis House The Borujerdi House is a historic house museum in Kashan, Iran. It was built in 1857 by architect Ustad Ali Maryam for the bride of Borujerdi, a wealthy merchant. The bride came from the affluent Tabātabāei family, for whom the architect had bui ...

File:Soleimaniye spring.jpg, Soleimaniye spring File:A manufactory of rose water in Kashan.jpg, A manufactory of rose water in Kashan File:Abu lulu tomb.jpg, Shrine of Abu Lu'lu'a, not far from Fin Garden File:Golabgiri.jpg,

Golabgiri Golabgiri ("making Rosewater") is a ceremony taking place annually from mid-May to mid-June in Kashan, Isfahan Province, Iran. The ceremony takes place throughout Kashan county, in Ghamsar, Niasar Neyasar ( fa, نياسر, also Romanized as Niā ...

festival in

Ghamsar Qamsar ( fa, قمصر, also Qamşar, Ghamsar and Kamsār) is a small town in central Iran. It is the administrative centre of the Qamsar District, which forms part of Kashan County is 15 km south of Kashan in the Province of Isfahan. In the ...

File:Soltan amir bath house5.jpg, interior of Soltan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse File:Baños del Sultán Amir Ahmad, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 47.jpg, Roof of Soltan bath house File:Angels valley.jpg, Darre Pariyan (Angels Valley) File:Antiguo Bazar de Kashan, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 86.jpg,

File:Mezquita del Viernes, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 87.jpg, Friday Mosque of Kashan File:Mezquita de Emamzadeh Abu Lolo, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 59.jpg, Sultan Amir Ahmad Mosque File:Casa histórica de Abbasi, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 74.jpg, Abbasi House

Notes

References

External links

Kashan Municipality

Ghaffari Clan of Kashan

University of Kashan

Kashan University of medical sciences

Islamic Azad university of Kashan

Kashan Culture FoundationArt from Kashan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
{{Iranian Architecture Architecture in Iran Oases of Iran Cities in Isfahan province Populated places in Kashan County