South Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان جنوبی ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Jonūbī'') is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

located in eastern

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 ...

Birjand Birjand ( fa, بیرجند , also Romanized as Bīrjand and Birdjand) is the capital of the Iranian province of South Khorasan. The city is known for its saffron, barberry, jujube, and handmade carpet exports. Birjand had a population of 187,0 ...

is the centre of the province. The other major cities are Ferdows, Tabas and Qaen. In 2014, it was placed in Region 5. This new province, is but the old Quhistan which was included into greater Khorasan in the Iranian administrative planning. However, historically Qohistan forms a separate entity, with a distinct culture, history, environment and ecology. South Khorasan is one of the three provinces that were created after the division of

Khorasan Khorasan may refer to: * Greater Khorasan, a historical region which lies mostly in modern-day northern/northwestern Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan * Khorasan Province, a pre-2004 province of Ira ...

in 2004. While at the beginning, the newly created "South Khorasan" included only Birjand County and some new counties detached from that county (i.e.

Nehbandan Nehbandan ( fa, نهبندان, also Romanized as Nehbandān and Nahbandan; also known as Neh) (Neh-bahn-dahn) is a city in, and the capital of, Nehbandan County, South Khorasan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic o ...

, Darmian and Sarbisheh), in subsequent years, all northern and western cities and territories of the old Quhistan (such as Qaen, Ferdows and Tabas) have been annexed into the South Khorasan. South Khorasan Province consists of 11 counties: Birjand County, Ferdows County, Tabas County, Qaen County, Nehbandan County,

Darmian County Darmian County ( fa, شهرستان درمیان) is in South Khorasan 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 ...

, Sarbisheh County, Boshruyeh County, Sarayan County, Zirkuh County and Khusf County.

History

Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes of the Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Mongols, Turkemen and Afghans brought changes to the region time and time again. Ancient geographers of Iran divided Iran ("Iran-Shahr") into eight segments of which the most flourishing and largest was the territory of Greater Khorasan.

Esfarayen Esfarayen ( fa, اسفراین, also Romanized as Esfarāyen; formerly, Meyanābād, Mīānābād, and Mīyānābād) is a city and capital of Esfarayen County, North Khorasan Province in Iran. At the 2011 census its population was 60,372 perso ...

, among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for the residence of the Aryan tribes after entering Iran. The

Parthia Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...

n empire was based near

Merv Merv ( tk, Merw, ', مرو; fa, مرو, ''Marv''), also known as the Merve Oasis, formerly known as Alexandria ( grc-gre, Ἀλεξάνδρεια), Antiochia in Margiana ( grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐν τῇ Μαργιανῇ) and ...

in Khorasan for many years. At Parthians times,

was one of the important villages of Nishapur. During the

Sassanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...

dynasty the province was governed by a ''Spahbod'' (Lieutenant General) called "Padgoosban" and four margraves, each commander of one of the four parts of the province. Khorasan was divided into four parts during the

Muslim conquest of Persia The Muslim conquest of Persia, also known as the Arab conquest of Iran, was carried out by the Rashidun Caliphate from 633 to 654 AD and led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire as well as the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion. The ...

, each section being named after the four largest cities, Nishapur,

, Herat, and Balkh. In the year 651, the army of Islamic Arabs invaded Khorasan. The territory remained in the hands of the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Mutta ...

clan until 820, followed by the rule of the Iranian Taherid clan in the year 896 and the Samanid dynasty in 900. Mahmud of Ghazni conquered Khorasan in 994 and in the year 1037

Toghrül Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il ( fa, ابوطالب محمد تغریل بن میکائیل), better known as Tughril (; also spelled Toghril), was a Turkmen"The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

, the first of the Seljuq empire rulers conquered Nishapur. Mahmud of Ghazni retaliated against the invaders several times, and finally the Ghaznavids defeated

Sultan Sanjar Senjer ( fa, ; full name: ''Muizz ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Adud ad-Dawlah Abul-Harith Ahmad Sanjar ibn Malik-Shah'') (''b''. 1085 – ''d''. 8 May 1157) was the Seljuq ruler of Khorasan from 1097 until in 1118,the Khwarazmids and because of simultaneous attacks by the Mongols, Khorasan was annexed to the territories of the Mongol

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate ( fa, ایل خانان, ''Ilxānān''), known to the Mongols as ''Hülegü Ulus'' (, ''Qulug-un Ulus''), was a khanate established from the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. The Ilkhanid realm ...

. In the 14th century, a flag of independence was hoisted by the Sarbedaran movement in Sabzevar, and in 1468, Khorasan came into the hands of Tamerlane and the city of Herat was declared as the capital. In 1507, Khorasan was occupied by Uzbek tribes. After the death of Nader Shah in 1747, parts of it were occupied by the Afghans for a short period. In these periods, Birjand was a small part of Quhistan which almost encompasses the borders of today South Khorasan. The main cities of Quhistan were Toon (now Ferdows) and Qaen. Birjand grew in recent centuries, especially during the Qajar dynasty and found its important role in this region. This region was a place of refuge for some movements like the Ismaili, and was the target of Arab refugees who escaped from the tyranny of the

caliphate. Zoroastrian vestiges also exist in the area. In 1824, Herat became independent for several years when the Afghan Empire was split between the Durranis and Barakzais. The Persians sieged the city in 1837, but the British assisted the Afghans in repelling them. In 1856, the Persians launched another invasion, and briefly managed to recapture the city; it led directly to the Anglo-Persian War. In 1857 hostilities between the Persians and the British ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and the Persian troops withdrew from Herat. Afghanistan reconquered Herat in 1863 under

Dost Muhammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/Persian: ; 23 December 17929 June 1863), nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, Also titled Amir al-Mu'minin, was a member of the Barakzai dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of the Emirate of Afghanistan. His 37-year ...

, two weeks before his death. Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on September 29, 2004. The provinces approved by the parliament of Iran (on May 18, 2004) and the

Council of Guardians The Guardian Council, (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, fa, شورای نگهبان, Shourā-ye Negahbān) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence i ...

(on May 29, 2004) were Razavi Khorasan,

North Khorasan North Khorasan Province ( fa, استان خراسان شمالی, ''Ostān-e Khorāsān-e Shomālī'') is a province located in northeastern Iran. Bojnord is the capital of the province. The counties of North Khorasan Province are Shirvan Cou ...

, and South Khorasan.

South Khorasan today

The major ethnic groups in this region are the Persians, as well as sizeable ethnic Baloch and

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...

populations. South Khorasan is known for its famous rugs as well as its

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

barberry ''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South America an ...

which is produced in almost all parts of the province.

Most Populous Cities

The following sorted table, lists the most populous cities in South Khorasan.

Attractions

South Khorasan has many historic and natural attractions, but besides these, South Khorasan encompasses various religious buildings and places of pilgrimage as well. The Cultural Heritage of Iran lists 1179 sites of historical and cultural significance in all three provinces of Khorasan. Some of the popular attractions of South Khorasan are: * Birjand castle * Deragon Cave * Furg Citadel * Ferdows Religious School *

Ferdows Hole-in-the-Rock Ferdows Hole-in-the-Rock ( fa, سنگ سوراخ فردوس – ''Sang-e-Sourakh Ferdows'') is a natural geological formation west of Ferdows, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Description Ferdows Hole-in-the-Rock is an elliptical opening arou ...

* Ferdows Hot Spring * Ghal'eh Paeen-Shahr * Jameh Mosque of Ferdows *

Kurit Dam The Kurit Dam is a masonry arch dam located 34 km southeast of Tabas, Iran near the village of Kurit. The dam is an early arch dam constructed by the Mongolians around 1350 AD. Dam The dam was originally 60m tall but 4m of height was added ...

* Kushk Complex *

Qanats of Baladeh Ferdows The Qanats of Baladeh Ferdows belongs to the Sasanian Empire and is located in Ferdows Ferdows ( fa, فردوس, also Romanized as Ferdos, Ferdous, and Firdaus; named Toon or Tūn until 1929) is a city and capital of Ferdows County, located i ...

* Nehbandan Citadel *

Polond Desert Polond Desert ( fa, کویر پلوند, translit=Kavir e Polond, also Romanized as Plond Desert), also known as the Mozaffari Desert ( ), is a desert located 40 kilometers West of Ferdows, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Polond Desert is ...

Colleges and universities

University of Birjand
* Birjand University of Medical Sciences * Islamic Azad University of Birjand
Islamic Azad University of Ferdows
* Birjand University of Technology * Payame Noor University * University of Applied Science and Technology (south khorasan branch) * Academy of Tarbiat-e Moalem * Academy of Amuzesh-e Aly * Academy of Amuzesh-e Modiriat Dolaty

Gallery

File:قلعه تاریخی بیرجند.JPG,

File:Bagh akbarie birjand.jpg,

File:مدرسه شوکتیه.jpg,

File:Kolah Farangi Arg.jpg,

File:خانه مستوفی از نمای بالا.JPG,

Boshruyeh Boshruyeh ( fa, بشرويه - "''Bosh''-Growing", also Romanized as Boshrūyeh) is a city in, and the capital of, Boshruyeh County, in western South Khorasan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 13,778, in 3,638 families. Bo ...

File:Ferdows Hole in the Rock 2.jpg, Ferdows File:Golshan Garden - Tabas 2011.jpg, Tabas File:Tabas120.jpg, Tabas File:طاق شاه عباسی 11.jpg, Tabas File:Ebn-e Hesam Khoosfi's Tomb by Mostafa Alizadeh.jpg, Khusf

References

External links

The text of the law for division of Khorasan into three provinces (in Persian)

Cultural Heritage Foundation of Khorasan
{{authority control Provinces of Iran