Zahedan
Encyclopedia
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.
and Afghanistan
, only about 41 km south of the tripoint of the borders of the three countries, at an altitude of 1,352 meters above sea level and at a distance of 1,605 km from the Iranian capital of Tehran
.
Zahedan is the home of the Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences
and the University of Sistan and Baluchestan
.
and speak the Baluchi language. There are also smaller numbers of Pashtuns
, Sistanis
and Brahuis
.
Zahedan lies east of the Kavir-e Loot desert. The city was part of the historic region of Sistan (Persian: سیستان), situated today on the borders of southeastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan. One portion is part of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. The other portion is part of the Nimruz Province
of Afghanistan.
The name Sistan comes from 'Sakastan', which Sistan was once the westernmost part of. The Saka
s that were once native to Sistan were driven to the Punjab
during the Arsacid era (63 BCE-220 CE). The Saffarids (861-1003 CE), one of the early Iranian dynasties of the Islamic era, were originally rulers of Sistan. In the Shahnameh
, Sistan is also referred to as Zabulistan, after Zabol
, a city in the region. In Ferdowsi
's epic, Zabulistan is in turn described to be the homeland of the mythological hero-king Rostam
.
Zahedan and the area of Sistan has a very strong connection with Zoroastrianism
and during Sassanid times Lake Hamun
was one of two pilgrimage sites for followers of that religion. In Zoroastrian religion, the lake is the keeper of Zoroaster
's seed and just before the final renovation of the world, three maidens will enter the lake, each then giving birth to the saoshyants who will be the saviours of mankind at the final renovation of the world. The most famous archaeological site in Sistan is on Kuh-e Khwajeh, a hill rising up as an island in the middle of Lake Hamun
.
Zahedan is the main economic center of the region and home to many small- and medium-scale industries. Its main products include cotton textiles, woven and hand-knotted rugs, ceramics, processed foods, livestock feed, processed hides, milled rice, bricks, reed mats and baskets.
Zahedan is stronghold of Sunnism in Baluchistan. The Makki mosque and its madrasa play an important role in Baluchistan's society. Zahedan has also a Friday mosque
for shiye and Jame mosque, where many members of the community gather to worship on Fridays. The city also has a Sikh
gurdwara
. A colorful bazaar, Rasouli Bazaar, can also be found in the city, where Baluchi and Pashtun traders intermingle. About 100 km south of Zahedan is an intermittently active volcano, Taftan
, which rises abruptly 4,042 meters from the surrounding plain.
Although the surrounding area has many of ancient sites, Zahedan itself developed mainly in the 20th century. Before being chosen as the provincial administrative center in the 1930s, Zahedan was a small village. Its population reached 17,500 by 1956 and increased more than fivefold to 93,000 by 1976. After 1980 large numbers of refugees fleeing the invasion of Afghanistan by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) helped to triple the population of Zahedan to more than 281,000 by 1986, a number which has since doubled again.
in 1923, the city of Zahedan was known as Dozz-aap. That name was in turn derived from the Persian Dozd-aab, literarily meaning "water thief." This is the name given to a sandy land formation that quickly swallows up any water that falls on it, be it rain or irrigation water.
The name was changed to Zahedan by the Academy of Culture, set up during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in the 1930s, which changed a myriad of toponyms in Iran. This included the very name of the country, which was known to the Western World as Persia until 1935.
A popular theory claims that the current name, Zahedan ("Sages," or "pious people" in Persian) was given to the city upon its visit by Reza Shah
. The story maintains that upon arrival in the city, the Shah noticed many Sikhs among the inhabitants of the city. By their traditional appearances, the Shah misinterpreted the inhabitants as being devout Muslims. The Sikhs were not many, but occupied in the trade business and therefore highly visible in the city.
was built with a seated capacity of 15,000 people. It was inaugurated on 18 April 2008 with a friendly football game between Honarmandan (Actors) versus a local side.
link Zahedan to Tehran
and Mashhad
in the north and the port of Bandar Chabahar
on the Sea of Oman in the south, and Highway 84
to the Pakistani city of Quetta
in the east and Kerman in the west.
For many years, a broad gauge
railway line has extended from Zahedan to Quetta
in Pakistan.
More recently, a standard gauge
line was completed from Zahedan to Kerman
in central Iran, linking Zahedan with the rest of the Iranian rail network. This was the result of a May 18, 2007, MOU
for rail cooperation that was signed by Pakistan
and Iran under which the line was to be completed by December 2008. The line was officially completed with an opening ceremony on 19 June 2009. This makes Zahedan the location of the break of gauge between the Islamic Republic of Iran Railway
's standard gauge tracks and Pakistan Railway's broad gauge tracks.
Zahedan is also served by Zahedan International Airport.
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...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.
Geography
Zahedan is located near PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, only about 41 km south of the tripoint of the borders of the three countries, at an altitude of 1,352 meters above sea level and at a distance of 1,605 km from the Iranian capital of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
.
Education
and the University of Sistan and Baluchestan
University of Sistan and Baluchestan
University of Sistan and Baluchestan is a university in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan in Iran.-History:The University of Sistan and Baluchestan was founded in 1974 originally named University of Balochistan in Zahedan with initial opening of the Faculty of Engineering and enrolments in...
.
Demographics and Culture
The overwhelming majority of Zahedan's inhabitants are ethnic BaluchiBaloch people
The Baloch or Baluch are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Balochistan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia....
and speak the Baluchi language. There are also smaller numbers of Pashtuns
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...
, Sistanis
Sistani people
Sistani Persian people or Sistanis are a Persian speaking ethnic group who primarily inhabit Sistan in southeastern Iran.They live in the northern part of Sistan and Balouchistan province, where they form a minority after Baluchis...
and Brahuis
Brahui people
The Brahui or Brohi are ethnic Baloch group of about 2.2 million people with the majority found in Kalat, Baluchistan, Pakistan, but they are also found in smaller numbers in neighboring Afghanistan and Iran. The Brahuis are almost entirely Sunni Muslims.-Origins:The ethnonym "Brahui" is a very...
.
Zahedan lies east of the Kavir-e Loot desert. The city was part of the historic region of Sistan (Persian: سیستان), situated today on the borders of southeastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan. One portion is part of the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan. The other portion is part of the Nimruz Province
Nimruz Province
Nimruz is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the south-west of the country on the borders of Iran and Pakistan. The name Nimruz means "mid-day" or "half-day" in Persian. Nimruz covers 41,000 km² and has a population of 149,000...
of Afghanistan.
The name Sistan comes from 'Sakastan', which Sistan was once the westernmost part of. The Saka
Saka
The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....
s that were once native to Sistan were driven to the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
during the Arsacid era (63 BCE-220 CE). The Saffarids (861-1003 CE), one of the early Iranian dynasties of the Islamic era, were originally rulers of Sistan. In the Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
, Sistan is also referred to as Zabulistan, after Zabol
Zabol
Zabol is a city in and the capital of Zabol County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Zabol lies on the border with both Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the 2006 census, its population was 130,642, in 27,867 families....
, a city in the region. In Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran and related societies.The Shahnameh was originally composed by Ferdowsi for the princes of the Samanid dynasty, who were responsible for a revival of Persian cultural traditions after the...
's epic, Zabulistan is in turn described to be the homeland of the mythological hero-king Rostam
Rostam
Rostam is the national hero of Greater Iran from Zabulistan in Persian mythology and son of Zal and Rudaba. In some ways, the position of Rostam in the historical tradition is parallel to that of Surena, the hero of the Carrhae. His figure was endowed with many features of the historical...
.
Zahedan and the area of Sistan has a very strong connection with Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran.In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil...
and during Sassanid times Lake Hamun
Lake Hamun
Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term applied to wetlands in endorheic Sīstān Basin on the on the Irano-Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term applied to [[wetland]]s in [[Endorheic_basin|endorheic]] [[Sistan_Basin|Sīstān Basin]] on the on the [[Iran]]o-Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term...
was one of two pilgrimage sites for followers of that religion. In Zoroastrian religion, the lake is the keeper of Zoroaster
Zoroaster
Zoroaster , also known as Zarathustra , was a prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism who was either born in North Western or Eastern Iran. He is credited with the authorship of the Yasna Haptanghaiti as well as the Gathas, hymns which are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism...
's seed and just before the final renovation of the world, three maidens will enter the lake, each then giving birth to the saoshyants who will be the saviours of mankind at the final renovation of the world. The most famous archaeological site in Sistan is on Kuh-e Khwajeh, a hill rising up as an island in the middle of Lake Hamun
Lake Hamun
Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term applied to wetlands in endorheic Sīstān Basin on the on the Irano-Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term applied to [[wetland]]s in [[Endorheic_basin|endorheic]] [[Sistan_Basin|Sīstān Basin]] on the on the [[Iran]]o-Lake Hāmūn or Hamoun Oasis is a term...
.
Zahedan is the main economic center of the region and home to many small- and medium-scale industries. Its main products include cotton textiles, woven and hand-knotted rugs, ceramics, processed foods, livestock feed, processed hides, milled rice, bricks, reed mats and baskets.
Zahedan is stronghold of Sunnism in Baluchistan. The Makki mosque and its madrasa play an important role in Baluchistan's society. Zahedan has also a Friday mosque
Friday Mosque
Friday Mosque is the English translation of the Arabic term masjid al-jumʿa or Jama Masjid . This term is applied as a proper name to many mosques worldwide...
for shiye and Jame mosque, where many members of the community gather to worship on Fridays. The city also has a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
. A colorful bazaar, Rasouli Bazaar, can also be found in the city, where Baluchi and Pashtun traders intermingle. About 100 km south of Zahedan is an intermittently active volcano, Taftan
Taftan volcano
Taftan is an active stratovolcano in southeastern Iran situated in the Sistan and Baluchestan province. At nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, it is the highest mountain in southeastern Iran. The nearest city is Khash...
, which rises abruptly 4,042 meters from the surrounding plain.
Although the surrounding area has many of ancient sites, Zahedan itself developed mainly in the 20th century. Before being chosen as the provincial administrative center in the 1930s, Zahedan was a small village. Its population reached 17,500 by 1956 and increased more than fivefold to 93,000 by 1976. After 1980 large numbers of refugees fleeing the invasion of Afghanistan by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) helped to triple the population of Zahedan to more than 281,000 by 1986, a number which has since doubled again.
Etymology
Before the rise of Reza Shah PahlaviReza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
in 1923, the city of Zahedan was known as Dozz-aap. That name was in turn derived from the Persian Dozd-aab, literarily meaning "water thief." This is the name given to a sandy land formation that quickly swallows up any water that falls on it, be it rain or irrigation water.
The name was changed to Zahedan by the Academy of Culture, set up during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in the 1930s, which changed a myriad of toponyms in Iran. This included the very name of the country, which was known to the Western World as Persia until 1935.
A popular theory claims that the current name, Zahedan ("Sages," or "pious people" in Persian) was given to the city upon its visit by Reza Shah
Reza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
. The story maintains that upon arrival in the city, the Shah noticed many Sikhs among the inhabitants of the city. By their traditional appearances, the Shah misinterpreted the inhabitants as being devout Muslims. The Sikhs were not many, but occupied in the trade business and therefore highly visible in the city.
Sport
In April 2008 the 70 billion IRR Zahedan StadiumZahedan Stadium
Zahedan Stadium is a football stadium in Zahedan, Iran....
was built with a seated capacity of 15,000 people. It was inaugurated on 18 April 2008 with a friendly football game between Honarmandan (Actors) versus a local side.
Transport
Highway 95Road 95 (Iran)
Road 95 is the most important north-south road in eastern Iran. It connects Mashhad to Torbat e Heydariyeh, Birjand, Zahedan and then Chabahar....
link Zahedan to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
in the north and the port of Bandar Chabahar
Chabahar
Chah Bahar is a city in and capital of Chah Bahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. Chah Bahar is a free port on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. At the 2006 census, its population was 71,070, in 13,837 families...
on the Sea of Oman in the south, and Highway 84
Road 84 (Iran)
Road 84 is a road in southeastern Iran. It is the most important transit road in that area of Iran. It connects Pakistan to Kerman and Tehran Road 71....
to the Pakistani city of Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in the east and Kerman in the west.
For many years, a broad gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
railway line has extended from Zahedan to Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
in Pakistan.
More recently, a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line was completed from Zahedan to Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
in central Iran, linking Zahedan with the rest of the Iranian rail network. This was the result of a May 18, 2007, MOU
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
for rail cooperation that was signed by Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Iran under which the line was to be completed by December 2008. The line was officially completed with an opening ceremony on 19 June 2009. This makes Zahedan the location of the break of gauge between the Islamic Republic of Iran Railway
Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. is an associate of the IR and manages its passenger trains including international trains between Tehran and Istanbul and Tehran and Damascus...
's standard gauge tracks and Pakistan Railway's broad gauge tracks.
Zahedan is also served by Zahedan International Airport.
See also
- 2007 Zahedan bombings2007 Zahedan bombingsThe 2007 Zahedan bombings occurred from 14-17 February in Zahedan, Sistan-Baluchestan Province, Iran. While Jundallah claimed responsibility, the Iranian government has accused the governments of Pakistan and the United States of complicity. The first bombing occurred at 6:30 a.m...
- 2009 Zahedan bombings
- July 2010 Zahedan bombingsJuly 2010 Zahedan bombingsThe 2010 Zahedan bombings were two suicide bombings on 2010 that targeted Shia worshippers in Iran, including members of the Revolutionary Guards. The bombings targeted those celebrating the birthday of a Muslim saint at the Jamia mosque in Zahedan, Sistan-Baluchestan...
- List of Gurdwaras