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Khorasan province

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

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.

Golden Dome of Imam Reza shrine and Goharshad Mosque - 1976
Golden Dome of Imam Reza shrine and Goharshad Mosque - 1976

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.

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Golden Dome of Imam Reza shrine and...
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