Kashan ( fa, ; Qashan; Cassan; also

romanized 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 ...

as Kāshān) is a city in the northern part of Isfahan 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 2017 census, its population was 396,987 in 90,828 families. Some etymologists argue that the city name comes from the Kasian, the original inhabitants of the city, whose remains are found at Tapeh Sialk dating back 9,000 years; later this was changed to "Kashian", hence the town name. Between the 12th and the 14th centuries Kashan was an important centre for the production of high quality pottery and tiles. In modern Persian, the word for a tile (''kashi'') comes from the name of the town. Kashan is divided into two parts, mountainous and desert. In the west side, Kashan is cited in the neighbourhood of two of highest peaks of Karkas chain, Mount Gargash to the southwest of Kashan (the home of Iran national observatory, the largest astronomical telescope of Iran) and Mount Ardehaal in the west of Kashan, also known as " Damavand of Kashan" and the highest peak of Ardehaal mountains (end part of Karkas chain in central Iran). In the east side of the city Kashan opens up to the central desert of Iran. Kashan is also known for Maranjab Desert and

Caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

located near the namak lake (or salt lake). Today Maranjab and the surrounding Shifting Sands is a visitor destination at the weekends for safaris. On August 9, 2007, Iran placed the Historical Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan on its Tentative List for possible future nomination as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

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

. 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 famous historical places from the

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

period. This house is well known with unique architecture, which has a specific beauty. The house has two internal and external patios. Other parts consist of kitchen, porch, aisle, the summer and winter courtyards are very beautiful.

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 The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories coin ...

groups were living around Sefid-Ab spring at SW of Kashan.

Archeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks which lie 4 km west of Kashan reveal that this region was one of the primary centers of

civilization A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system). ...

pre-historic Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

ages. Hence, Kashan dates back to the Elamite period of Iran. The Sialk

ziggurat A ziggurat (; Cuneiform: 𒅆𒂍𒉪, Akkadian: ', D-stem of ' 'to protrude, to build high', cognate with other Semitic languages like Hebrew ''zaqar'' (זָקַר) 'protrude') is a type of massive structure built in ancient Mesopotamia. It has ...

still stands today in the suburbs of Kashan after 7,000 years. The artifacts uncovered at Sialk Mahan Pasha reside in

the Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the '' Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A centra ...

in Paris and the

New York Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

, and Iran's National Museum. 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 190 ...

who followed the star that guided them to Bethlehem to witness the

nativity of Jesus The nativity of Jesus, nativity of Christ, birth of Jesus or birth of Christ is described in the biblical gospels of Luke and Matthew. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judaea, his mother Mary was engaged to a man ...

, as recounted in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus ...

. For example, medieval traveler Friar Odoric of Pordenone related this story in 1330 after having visited there. Whatever the historical validity, the attribution of Kashan as their original home testifies to the city's prestige at the time the story was set down. 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 ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...

in 644, fled to Kashan after the assassination. p. 127, note 23. On Abu Lu'lu'a, see The shrine that was built over his supposed tomb is one of Kashan's conspicuous landmarks (see gallery below).

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

Malik Shah I Jalāl al-Dawla Mu'izz al-Dunyā Wa'l-Din Abu'l-Fatḥ ibn Alp Arslān (8 August 1055 – 19 November 1092, full name: fa, ), better known by his regnal name of Malik-Shah I ( fa, ), was the third sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire from 1072 t ...

of the

Seljuk dynasty The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

ordered the building of a fortress in the middle of Kashan in the 11th century. The fortress walls, called ''Ghal'eh Jalali'' still stand today in central Kashan. Kashan was also a leisure vacation spot for Safavid kings. ''Bagh-e Fin'' ( Fin Garden), specifically, is one of the most famous gardens of Iran. This garden with its pool and orchards was designed for

Shah Abbas I Abbas I ( fa, ; 27 January 157119 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the 5th Safavid Shah (king) of Iran, and is generally considered one of the greatest rulers of Iranian history and the Safavid dynasty. He was the third s ...

as a classical Persian vision of paradise. The original Safavid buildings have been substantially replaced and rebuilt by the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...

although the layout of trees and marble basins is close to the original. The garden itself however, was first founded 7000 years ago alongside the ''Cheshmeh-ye-Soleiman''. The garden is also notorious as the site of the murder of Mirza Taghi Khan known as Amir Kabir, chancellor of Nasser-al-Din Shah, Iran's king in 1852. The earthquake of 1778 leveled the city of Kashan and all the edifices of

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

Abbas Safavi, leaving 8000 casualties. But the city started afresh and has today become a focal tourist attraction via the numerous large

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

s from the 18th and 19th centuries, illustrating the finest examples of Qajari aesthetics.

Climate

Kashan has a

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

with cold winters (although warmer than other Iranian cities) and hot, sometimes very hot summers. Kashan is significantly warmer than other cities in the Iranian Plateau due to its lower elevation. Its climate is somewhat similar to

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 pop ...

Main sights

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

Kashan_-_Timche-ye_Amin_od-Dowleh_-_20140512_-_JB

Kashan's

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...

sights include: * '' 40 Dokhtaran'' Fortress * Abbāsi House * Attarha House * Al-e Yaseen 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 * Fin Bathroom * Ghal'eh jalali * Jalali Castle * Jameh Mosque of Kashan * Manouchehris House * Menar tower * 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 th ...

* Tabriziha Mosque * Tepe Sialk * Timcheh Amin-o-dowleh

Today

Although there are many sites in Kashan of potential interest to tourists, the city remains largely undeveloped in this sector, with fewer than a thousand foreign tourists per year. Notable towns around Kashan are Qamsar and

Abyaneh Abyaneh ( fa, ابيانه, also Romanized as Ābyāneh, Ābiāneh, and Abyāneh) is a village in Barzrud Rural District, in the Central District of Natanz County, Isfahan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Ira ...

, which attract tourists all year around. The nearby town of Niasar features a man-made cave and fireplace of historical interest. Kashan is known for the manufacture of

carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester ...

silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from th ...

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 ...

. Today, Kashan houses most of Iran's mechanized carpet-weaving factories, and has an active marble and copper mining industry. Kashan and suburbs have a population of 400,000.

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 * Islamic Azad University of Kashan * University of Kashan

Accessibility

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

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...

and Natanz to the South, and

, which is an hour drive away to the north. Kashan railway station is along the main north–south railways of Iran. Kashan Airport reopened on 2 June 2016 after twenty years hiatus with an ATA Airlines flight from Mashhad International Airport. The airport aims to launch flights to Kish Island and Qehshm Island in Iran and

Najaf Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...

in Iraq.

Notable people

* David Alliance, Baron Alliance * Ghyath ad-Din Jamshid Kashani *

Kamal-ol-Molk Mohammad Ghaffari ( fa, محمد غفاری), better known as Kamal-ol-Molk (), was an Iranian painter and part of the Ghaffari family in Kashan. Biography Mohammad Ghaffari, better known as Kamal-ol-Molk, born in Kashan in 1848, to a family w ...

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 ...

* 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, Ah ...

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 *

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 Kash ...

* 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 *

Molok zarabi Parivash zangane

Twin towns – sister cities

* Neishabour, Iran

Gallery

file:Jardín de Fin, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 20.jpg, Bagh-e Fin 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 A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes co ...

and

Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

File:18 Chardin Caravanseray in Kashan.jpg, Chardin Caravanseray File:Casa histórica de Boroujerdi, Kashan, Irán, 2016-09-19, DD 33.jpg, Borujerdis House File:Soleimaniye spring.jpg, Soleimaniye spring File:Aran_va_bidgol_desert_scenery.jpg,

Aran va Bidgol Aran o Bidgol ( fa, آران و بیدگل, also Romanized as Ārān va Bīdgol and Ārān-o-Bīd Gol, meaning "Aran and Bidgol") is a city and capital of Aran va Bidgol County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 55, ...

desert scenery File:TOURISTs in desert of maranjab.jpg, Tourists in desert of Maranjab 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 Ni� ...

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:Kashan rug.jpg, The rug of Kashan 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

References

External links

Kashan Municipality

University of Kashan

Kashan University of medical sciences

Islamic Azad university of Kashan

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