Khorasan province

Khorasan is a place in Iran.

Its name means the land of the rising sun. It used to be a very large area. It was even bigger than it is now.

In 2004, the land was split into three parts. These parts are North, South, and Razavi Khorasan.

Many people live there. Most people speak ways of talking like Persian.

Big cities like Mashhad are in the area. It is a very special place to see.

Khorasan is a place in northeastern Iran. Its name means "where the sun arrives from." Long ago, it was a very large area. It included parts of many countries like Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

In 2004, the land was split into three new provinces. These are North Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Razavi Khorasan. The center of Razavi Khorasan is the city of Mashhad. Many people live near Mashhad. They grow crops and live in many towns.

Many different groups of people live here. Most people speak dialects of Persian. There are also Kurds, Turkic people, and Turkmens. Some people are Shia Muslims. Other people are Sunni Muslims. There are also small groups of Jews and Roma.

History can be hard in this region. Large earthquakes happened in 1968, 1978, and 1997. These events caused many deaths and left many people without homes. Today, the area is divided into many different counties. Each part has its own center city.

Khorasan is a famous region in northeastern Iran. Its name is Persian and it means "where the sun arrives from." This name describes the land of the rising sun. In the past, Khorasan was a much larger area. It covered parts of many different countries. Today, those parts are in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

History tells us how this land has changed over time. The name was first used during the Sasanian Empire. Later, in the Late Middle Ages, people used the name to tell this area apart from Transoxiana. Many important historical cities were located in the old Khorasan. These include Nishapur and Tus in Iran. Merv and Sanjan are in Turkmenistan. Samarkand and Bukhara are in Uzbekistan. Herat and Balkh are in Afghanistan. Khujand and Panjakent are in Tajikistan.

Life in this region has faced many hard moments. Large earthquakes have shaken the land. In August 1968, an earthquake killed 12,000 people. Another big earthquake happened in September 1978 and killed 25,000 people. There was also a major earthquake on 10 May 1997 in Qayen. That event killed 1,567 people and injured 2,300 others. It also left 50,000 people without homes. These events show how much the people there have endured.

In September 2004, the large province was divided into three new parts. The first part is North Khorasan. Its center is the city of Bojnourd. The second part is South Khorasan. Its center is the city of Birjand. The third part is Razavi Khorasan. Its center is the city of Mashhad. This province has many counties like Sabzevar and Neyshabour. Many people live and grow crops near Mashhad. Towns like Quchan and Shirvan are also nearby.

Many different groups of people call this place home. Most people speak dialects of Persian. There are many ethnic groups like Persians, Kurds, Turkic people, and Turkmens. There are also smaller groups like Baloch, Jews, Hazaras, and Roma. Most people are Shia Muslims, but there is a Sunni Muslim minority too. The land is a mix of many cultures and traditions. This makes the history of Khorasan very rich and deep.

Khorasan is a historic region located in northeastern Iran. Its name is Persian and means "where the sun arrives from." This name refers to the land of the rising sun. Historically, the term Khorasan described a much larger territory. This area included the eastern and northeastern parts of the Persian Empire. Today, the lands once part of Greater Khorasan are spread across several modern nations. These include Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The history of this region spans many ancient empires. The name Khorasan was first given to the eastern province of Persia during the Sasanian period. During the Hellenistic and Parthian times, the area was also known as Traxiane. In the Late Middle Ages, the name served a specific purpose. It helped people distinguish this region from the neighboring area called Transoxiana. This distinction was especially common during the post-Mongol Chagatai and Timurid times. The modern boundaries for the Iranian province were eventually formalized in the late nineteenth century.

Khorasan was once home to many famous historical cities. These urban centers were located across the wide expanse of the old province. In modern Iran, the cities of Nishapur and Tus were major locations. In Turkmenistan, the cities of Merv and Sanjan held importance. The region also included Samarkand and Bukhara, which are now in Uzbekistan. In Afghanistan, the cities of Herat and Balkh were part of this territory. Finally, Khujand and Panjakent are located in modern-day Tajikistan.

Natural disasters have significantly impacted the lives of people in this region. The land has experienced several major earthquakes. In August 1968, a large earthquake killed 12,000 people. A second major earthquake occurred in September 1978 and resulted in 25,000 deaths. Another serious event was the Qayen earthquake on 10 May 1997. This earthquake killed 1,567 people and injured 2,300 others. It also caused 50,000 people to become homeless. These events highlight the geological challenges faced by the local population.

In September 2004, the large Iranian province of Khorasan was divided into three new administrative provinces. The first is North Khorasan, which has its center in Bojnourd. This province includes counties such as Shirvan, Esfarayen, Garmeh, Jajarm, Maneh, and Samalgan. The second is South Khorasan, with its center in Birjand. Its counties include Ferdows, Qaen, Nehbandan, Sarayan, Sarbisheh, and Darmian. The third is Razavi Khorasan, which is centered in the city of Mashhad. This province contains many counties, such as Sabzevar, Neyshabour, and Quchan. Some parts of the original province were also moved to Sistan and Baluchestan or Yazd.

The population of Khorasan is diverse and includes many different ethnic groups. The largest group is Persians, accompanied by Khorasani Kurds. Other significant groups include Khorasani Turkic people and Turkmens. Smaller minority groups live in the region as well. These include the Baloch, Jews, Timuri Aimaqs, Hazaras, and Roma. Most people in the region natively speak modern dialects of Persian. While most residents are Shia Muslims, there is also a significant Sunni Muslim minority.

Geography and settlement patterns are closely tied to the local environment. A large cluster of settlements and farming areas exists northwest of Mashhad. This area contains important towns like Quchan, Shirvan, and Bojnourd. The city of Mashhad is a major urban center and serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan. The region's history and its many different cultures make it a significant part of the Middle East. The transition from one large province to three smaller ones changed how the area is managed today.