Kashan County ( fa, شهرستان کاشان) is in 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 ...

. The capital of the county is the city of

Kashan Kashan ( fa, ; Qashan; Cassan; also romanized as Kāshān) is a city in the northern part of Isfahan province, Iran. At the 2017 census, its population was 396,987 in 90,828 families. Some etymologists argue that the city name comes from ...

. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 297,000 in 81,816 households. Retrieved 26 October 2022 The following census in 2011 counted 323,371 people in 95,260 households. At the 2016 census, the county's population was 364,482 in 112,258 households.

Administrative divisions

The population history and structural changes of Kashan County's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table. The latest census shows four districts, nine rural districts, and seven cities.

Geography

To the north is Qom, to the east is Aran va Bidgol, the desert, and the Salt lake, to the south is Isfahan, and to the west is

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 th ...

and the

Karkas Mountains The Karkas mountain chain ( Persian رشته كوه كركس ''Reshteh kuh-e Karkas'') is a mountain range which is located almost in central Iran. Having a northwest-southeast direction, it is stretched from Kashan to Ardestan for more than 100 ...

. The rivers flowing from the mountains to the desert are small and temporary. The most important is Šāh-āb, originating in Qohrud. Irrigation is mainly dependent on subterranean channels, and the water is slightly salty. There are also several springs, the most notable of which is the Fin water source.

History

The etymology of the city's name comes from Kasian, the original inhabitants of the city, whose remains are found at Tapeh Sialk dating back 9,000 years; later this 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 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 ...

, the word for a tile (''kashi'') comes from the name of the town. Archeological discoveries in the

Sialk Tepe Sialk ( fa, تپه سیلک) is a large ancient archeological site (a ''tepe'', "hill, tell") in a suburb of the city of Kashan, Isfahan Province, in central Iran, close to Fin Garden. The culture that inhabited this area has been linked t ...

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. Kashan dates back to the

Elamite Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was used in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite works disappear from the archeological record ...

period of Iran. The

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

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 central l ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, 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, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

. Whatever the historical validity of this story, 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 era,

Abu Lu'lu'a Abū Luʾluʾa Fīrūz ( ar, أبو لؤلؤة فيروز; from ), also known as Bābā Shujāʿ al-Dīn ( ar, بابا شجاع الدين, label=none), was a Sassanid Persian slave known for having assassinated Umar ibn al-Khattab (), the se ...

, the

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 notable landmarks. Sultan

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 Safavi

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

s. ''Bagh-e Fin'' (Fin Garden), specifically, is one of the most famous gardens in Iran. This beautiful 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 so ...

as a classical

vision of paradise. The original Safavid buildings have been substantially replaced and rebuilt by the Qajar dynasty although the layout of trees and marble basins is close to the original. The garden itself however, was first founded 7,000 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 Mirza Taghi Khan-e Farahani ( fa, میرزا تقی‌خان فراهانی), better known as Amir Kabir (Persian: ‎, 9 January 1807 – 10 January 1852), also known by the title of ''Amir-e Nezam'' or ''Amir Nezam'' (), was chief minister t ...

, chancellor of

Nasser-al-Din Shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek ...

, Iran's King in 1852. Kashan-borujerdis house

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 8,000 casualties. But the city started afresh and has today become a focal tourist attraction due to the numerous large houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, illustrating the finest examples of Qajari aesthetics.

Tourism

Kashan has many tourist locations. Fin Garden to west of Kashan, at end of Amir kabir road (fin road), is an old and beautiful garden from 300 years ago. The garden has a museum and a bath. In the museum you can find many ancient tools from 3,000 years ago.

, the chief minister to

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Mal ...

( Shah of Persia), was killed 200 years ago in the bath. The ancient

Tepe Sialk Tepe Sialk ( fa, تپه سیلک) is a large ancient archeological site (a ''tepe'', "hill, tell") in a suburb of the city of Kashan, Isfahan Province, in central Iran, close to Fin Garden. The culture that inhabited this area has been linked t ...

(or Sialk hill)

is on Amir Kabir road and tourists can visit this ancient hill that was used 3,500 years ago. Ancient houses are located in the Soltan Mir Ahmad neighborhood in Alavi Street. In this neighborhood you can find many ancient houses from 300 years ago. The desert to the east of city is a beautiful place for people that like deserts and salt lakes. If you plan on going to Maranjab Kavir and the salt lake beach, you can go to Aran va bidgol town, and then continue to the salt lake beach and Maranjab Inn. The

Karkas mountains The Karkas mountain chain ( Persian رشته كوه كركس ''Reshteh kuh-e Karkas'') is a mountain range which is located almost in central Iran. Having a northwest-southeast direction, it is stretched from Kashan to Ardestan for more than 100 ...

are located behind the

Fin Garden Fin Garden ( fa, باغ فین ''Bagh-e Fin'') located in Kashan, Iran, is a historical Persian garden. It contains Kashan's Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir, the Qajarid chancellor, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah in 1852. C ...

and the Tehran-Isfahan Highway. The most important Kashan souvenirs are

cotton candy Cotton candy, also known as fairy floss and candy floss, is a spun sugar confection that resembles cotton. It usually contains small amounts of flavoring or food coloring. It is made by heating and liquefying sugar, and spinning it centrifu ...

pancakes A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying w ...

, sesame, and rosewater.

Kashan County 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.

Qamsar 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 ...

and Abyaneh are notable towns around Kashan, which attract tourists all year around. The nearby town of

Niasar Neyasar ( fa, نياسر, also Romanized as Niāsar, Nīāsar, and Nīyā Sar; also known as Nezār) is a city and capital of Neyasar District, in Kashan County, Isfahan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ...

features a man-made cave and fireplace of historical interest. Kashan is internationally famous for manufacturing

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 hav ...

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 the ...

and other textiles. Kashan today houses most of Iran's mechanized carpet-weaving factories, and has an active marble and copper mining industry. Ghaleh Jalali is not located in the centre of kashan. It is located on the edge of souther margin of the old wall of the city. As a matter of fact, the southern part of the wall and the Ghaleh (the citadel) join up and forms just one piece. Areas outside the wall used to be simply irrigated farm lands, but today is sporadically residential.

Main sights

Kashan's architectural sights include: *

Agha Bozorg Mosque Agha Bozorg mosque ( fa, مسجد آقا بزرگ ''Masjed-e Āghā Bozorg'') is a historical mosque in Kashan, Iran. The mosque was built in the late 18th century by master- mi'mar Ustad Haj Sa'ban-ali. The mosque and theological school (''madr ...

Āmeri House The Āmeris House ( Persian: خانه عامری‌ها) is a large historic house in Kashan, Iran. It was originally built as a family residence during the reign of the Zand dynasty for Agha Āmeri, the governor of Kashan, and is now restored and ...

* Boroujerdi House * Jalali castle * Tabātabāei House * Abbāsi House * Attarha House * Al-e Yaseen House * Sultan Amir shrine and bath * ''40 Dokhtaran'' Fortress *

Shrine of Abu Lu'lu'a The Shrine of Abu Lu'lu'a is a mausoleum built over what is popularly believed to be the final resting place of Abu Lu'lu'a Firuz, a Persian slave who assassinated the second Islamic caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in 644 CE. The structure was ...

, the assassin of the second caliph

* Ghal'eh jalali * Kashan Bazaar * Timcheh Amin-o-dowleh

Education

Colleges and universities in Kashan include: * Kashan University of Medical Sciences * Islamic Azad University of Kashan *

University of Kashan University of Kashan (Kashan University or UK, Persian: دانشگاه کاشان) is located in the city of Kashan, Iran, 230 kilometers south of the capital Tehran. It educates more than 7,000 students in many different fields including engine ...

Transportation

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

Natanz Natanz ( fa, نطنز, also romanized as Naţanz) is a city and capital of Natanz County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 12,060, in 3,411 families. It is located south-east of Kashan. Its bracing climate and l ...

to the South, and Qom, which is an hour drive away to the north.

Notable people

* Sohrab Sepehri * 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 wi ...

* Mohammad-Nabi Sarbolouki * Ustad Ali Maryam * Muhsen Feyz Kashani *

Yedidia Shofet Yedidia Shofet (also spelled ''Shophet'', and often referred to as Hakham Yedidia; November 14, 1908 – June 24, 2005) was the former Chief Rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry. Early life Yedidia Shofet was bor ...

, Former chief rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry. * Uriel Davidi, Former chief rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry. *

Isaac Larian Isaac Larian (born March 28, 1954) is an Iranian-born American billionaire businessman, founder and the chief executive officer (CEO) of MGA Entertainment, the world's largest privately owned toy company.MGA Entertainment *

David Alliance, Baron Alliance David Alliance, Baron Alliance, ( fa, داوود آلیانس, he, דייוויד אליאנס; born 15 June 1932) is an Iranian-British businessman and Liberal Democrat politician of Iranian origin. Personal David Alliance (originally Davo ...

, Businessman and a

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...

politician in the United Kingdom. *

Seyyed Hossein Nasr Seyyed Hossein Nasr (; fa, سید حسین نصر, born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian philosopher and University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University. Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in Iran and the United St ...

, Leading Islamic Philosopher and exponent of the

Perennial Philosophy The perennial philosophy ( la, philosophia perennis), also referred to as perennialism and perennial wisdom, is a perspective in philosophy and spirituality that views all of the world's religious traditions as sharing a single, metaphysical trut ...

Sister cities

Umeå Umeå ( , , , locally ; South Westrobothnian: ;). fi, Uumaja; sju, Ubmeje; sma, Upmeje; se, Ubmi) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County. Situated on the Ume River, U ...

, Sweden *

Kazanlak Kazanlak ( bg, Казанлък , Thracian and Greek Σευθόπολις (''Seuthopolis''), tr, Kazanlık) is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountai ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

Sabzevar Sabzevar ( fa, سبزوار ), previously known as Beyhagh (also spelled "Beihagh"; fa, بيهق), is a city and capital of Sabzevar County, in Razavi Khorasan Province, approximately west of the provincial capital Mashhad, in northeastern ...

References

{{Kashan County, state=collapsed Counties of Isfahan Province