Ghayen
Encyclopedia
Ghayen is a city in and the capital of Ghayen County
, in South Khorasan Province
, Iran
. Ghayen is also called the City of Saffron
. Saffron from Ghayen is prized for its unique aroma and strong colour. The population at the 2006 census, was 32,474 in 8,492 families.
Ghayen is a place of great antiquity and complex history. The present city, which lies in a broad valley, was founded in the 15th century on the site of an ancient city. Later, the Uzbeks (a Turkic people) took possession of the city and held it until Shah Abbas I
(1588-1629) expelled them. In the 18th century, Qaen fell under the control of Pashtun
s which is why some of locals, though they speak Persian
, still claim descent from Pashtun
s (rather than Persian
s).
A mud wall surrounds the modern town. More affluent residential areas lie outside the wall. The city is a trading center, but it also has industries that produce felt and carpets. The surrounding area consists of hill ranges of 9,000 feet (2,750 m) running northwest-southeast and sinking to the Sistan
depression in the south. The area is the main source of saffron in Iran, but it also produces grain, vegetables, and wood.
There are several ancient places around the town, such as the Tomb of Bozorgmehr Qaini, 5 km to the south.
At least 2,400 people in Ghayen and the surrounding region were killed in the Ardakul earthquake on May 10, 1997.
Ghayen County
Ghayen County is a county in South Khorasan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Ghayen. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 137,357, in 35,783 families. The county consists of five districts: Zirkuh District, Central District, Nimbeluk District, Zohan District, and Sedeh...
, in South Khorasan Province
South Khorasan Province
South Khorasan Province is a province located in eastern Iran. Birjand is the centre of the province. The other major cities are Ferdows and Qaen....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Ghayen is also called the City of Saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
. Saffron from Ghayen is prized for its unique aroma and strong colour. The population at the 2006 census, was 32,474 in 8,492 families.
Ghayen is a place of great antiquity and complex history. The present city, which lies in a broad valley, was founded in the 15th century on the site of an ancient city. Later, the Uzbeks (a Turkic people) took possession of the city and held it until Shah Abbas I
Abbas I of Persia
Shāh ‘Abbās the Great was Shah of Iran, and generally considered the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty. He was the third son of Shah Mohammad....
(1588-1629) expelled them. In the 18th century, Qaen fell under the control of Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s which is why some of locals, though they speak Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, still claim descent from Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s (rather than Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
s).
A mud wall surrounds the modern town. More affluent residential areas lie outside the wall. The city is a trading center, but it also has industries that produce felt and carpets. The surrounding area consists of hill ranges of 9,000 feet (2,750 m) running northwest-southeast and sinking to the Sistan
Sistan
Sīstān is a border region in eastern Iran , southwestern Afghanistan and northern tip of Southwestern Pakistan .-Etymology:...
depression in the south. The area is the main source of saffron in Iran, but it also produces grain, vegetables, and wood.
There are several ancient places around the town, such as the Tomb of Bozorgmehr Qaini, 5 km to the south.
At least 2,400 people in Ghayen and the surrounding region were killed in the Ardakul earthquake on May 10, 1997.