Tabas ( fa, طبس, 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 Ṭabas), formerly known as Golshan, is the capital city of
Tabas County
Tabas County ( fa, شهرستان طبس) is in South Khorasan province, Iran. The capital of the county is the city of Tabas. It was a part of Ferdows County in Khorasan province until July 1960. Tabas County became a part of Yazd
Yazd ( ...
in
South Khorasan Province
South Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان جنوبی ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Jonūbī'') is a province located in eastern Iran. Birjand is the centre of the province. The other major cities are Ferdows, Tabas and Qaen. In 2014, it ...
of
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 35,150, in 9,903 families.
Tabas is located in
central Iran
Central Iran consists of the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains in the north, the Zagros Mountains in south, the Central Iranian Range, and the desert of Dasht-e Kavir.
It includes the provinces of Esfahan, Yazd, Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari ...
, 950 kilometers southeast of
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, in
South Khorasan Province
South Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان جنوبی ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Jonūbī'') is a province located in eastern Iran. Birjand is the centre of the province. The other major cities are Ferdows, Tabas and Qaen. In 2014, it ...
. At first, it was part of the
Khorasan province, but in 2001, it was joined to the
Yazd Province. However, in 2013, it was returned to Khorasan, and it became part of South Khorasan province.
The name Khorasan means the land of the rising sun. There are two other places in Khorasan called Tabas, but the name Tabas usually refers to the city under discussion.
It is a
desert city with many date and citrus trees. It has a 300-year-old public garden (Bagh-e-Golshan). There is also a shrine in Tabas that is visited every year by thousands of pilgrims. Tabas has two universities with 2,500 to 3,500 students. The city has hot summers, and people rarely see a winter snowfall.
The people of Tabas speak a Khorasani
accent of
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
that sounds somewhat different from the standard Iranian version ("
Tehrani accent
The Tehrani accent ( fa, لهجهٔ تهرانی), or Tehrani dialect (), is a dialect of Persian spoken in Tehran and the most common colloquial variant of the Western Persian. Compared to literary standard Persian, the Tehrani dialect lacks or ...
").
History
The history of Tabas dates back to pre-Islamic times. It was an important outpost of the
Sassanid empire, and during the
Arab invasion
The spread of Islam spans about 1,400 years. Muslim conquests following Muhammad's death led to the creation of the caliphates, occupying a vast geographical area; conversion to Islam was boosted by Arab Muslim forces conquering vast territories ...
, it was considered the gateway to Khorasan. It was spared when the
Mongols attacked Iran. It had a local government incorporating not only Tabas but also Ferdows and Gonabad. After the death of
Nader Shah in 1747, it as under the control of the Zangu'i Arabs as an independent state which included nearby Tun. For a time they even kidnapped
Nader Mirza Afshar
Nadir Mirza Afshar was the great-grandson of Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Persia. He was the fourth son of Shahrukh Afshar, emperor of Khorasan.
Biography
In 1785, Shahrukh appointed Nadir Mirza as crown prince of Khorasan ...
and placed the
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
of
Khabushan
Khabushan ( fa, خبوشان, also Romanized as Khabūshān) is a village in Hesar Rural District, Khabushan District, Faruj County, North Khorasan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Per ...
in control of
Mashhad.
In 1978, the 7.4
Tabas earthquake
The 1978 Tabas earthquake occurred on September 16 at 19:05:55 local time in central Iran. The shock measured 7.4 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX+ (''Violent''). The death toll was in the range of 15,000 ...
affected the city with a maximum
Mercalli intensity
The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of IX (Violent). At least 15,000 people were killed. Since then, the city has been rebuilt with many new streets, parks and public buildings.
Climate
Tabas 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 ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''BWh'').
Operation Eagle Claw
The failed rescue American operation
Operation Eagle Claw
Operation Eagle Claw, known as Operation Tabas ( fa, عملیات طبس) in Iran, was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 52 embassy staff held captive at th ...
on 24–25 April 1980 to free American hostages in Tehran occurred near Tabas. In Iran, the operation is called ''amaliat tabas'' (Tabas operation), and the significance and aftermath of the failed operation made the city Tabas known in almost every corner of Iran. The
Tabas air defense system is accordingly named so.
Transport
Multiple bus lines, a railroad station and an airport connect Tabas to Mashhad, Yazd, Tehran, Kerman and Birjand (the capital city of South Khorasan province).
Agricultural products
ُThe agricultural products of this desert city are very significant. Products such as: oranges,
pistachios
The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food.
''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other spe ...
, dates,
persimmons
The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus ''Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Oriental persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki'' ''Diospyros'' is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-pers ...
, summer fruits and
daffodils
''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plant, perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as ''Ste ...
; Also, tea bread, chickpea bread, and jams that are prepared from agricultural products, such as: spring orange jam, balang jam, orange peel jam, and Tabas mountain and local
liqueurs
Liqueurs are alcoholic beverages that are bottled with added sugar and have added flavours that are usually derived from fruits, herbs, or nuts. Liqueurs are distinct from eaux-de-vie, fruit brandy, and flavored liquors, which contain no add ...
.
Mines
Tabas has some of the richest coal mines of Iran.
Notable people
*
Abbas Vaez-Tabasi
Abbas Vaez Tabasi ( fa, عباس واعظ طبسی; 25 June 1935 – 4 March 2016) was an influential Iranian cleric who held memberships at different institutions. He was Grand Imam and Chairman of the Astan Quds Razavi board from 1979 until his ...
, born 25 June 1935 in Tabas; Grand Imam and Chairman of the
Astan Quds Razavi
Astan Quds Razavi ( fa, آستان قدس رضوی, Āstān-e Qods-e Razavi) is a bonyad based at Mashhad, Iran. It is the administrative organization which manages the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions which belong to the organization.
...
board
*
Massoud Rajavi
Massoud Rajavi ( fa, مسعود رجوی, born 18 August 1948 – disappeared 13 March 2003) became the leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) in 1979. In 1985, he married Maryam Rajavi, who became the co-leader of the MEK. After leaving ...
, born 18 August 1948 in Tabas; one of the two leaders of the
People's Mujahedin of Iran
The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), also known as Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) or Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) ( fa, سازمان مجاهدين خلق ايران, sâzmân-e mojâhedīn-e khalq-e īrân), is an Iranian pol ...
Gallery
File:Pelikan234.jpg
File:گلدسته امامزاده کاظم در طبس.jpg
File:داخل باغ گلشن3.JPG, Bagh-e-Golshan
References
{{Portal, Iran
Populated places in Tabas County
Cities in South Khorasan Province
Oases of Iran
Cities destroyed by earthquakes
pnb:شہرستان طبس