Birjand
Encyclopedia
Birjand is the east Iranian provincial capital of South Khorasan and the centre of the county Birjand resp. Quhestan, known for its saffron
, barberry, rug and handmade carpet
export
s.
http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Iran.html
The city of Birjand had a population of 157,848 people at the time of the last official census in 2006 .
Being close to the Afghanistan border, Birjand is located on the "Silk Road" of opium smuggled from Afghanistan on the way to Europe (also dubbed the "opium crescent").
The city has a dry climate with significant difference between day and night temperatures. It is a fast growing city, thus becoming one of the major centres in the East of Iran.
n.
Birjand has emerged as the centre of Quhestan, following the decline of historical city of Qaen in the Safavid period. Since then the Alam
clan had ruled the region till the end of Qajar dynasty. During the semi-autonomous ruling of Alam
clan, Great Britain
and Russia
established consular branches in Birjand, because of the important geographical location of the region in the vicinity of the Indian subcontinent. Amir Shokat Ul-Molk Alam, the father of the Asadollah Alam
(once prime minister of Iran) was still ruling the Quhestan's subprovince Qhaenat into the Pahlavi era. And the last tribal leader of Birjand Shah Seyyed Ali Kazemi was related with the Alam clan and the emperor Reza Shah Pahlavi. However Birjand lost its geopolitical importance following the emergence of Reza Shah Pahlavi and his policy of central government.
The entire Quhestan region then became a part of the modern Khorasan province. The local people, however, started a movement to become an independent province at the middle of the second Pahlavi period. The move resulted after about forty years and Quhestan and particularly Birjand regained its historical importance in 2004 after official division of Khorasan to three smaller provinces by the government of Islamic Republic of Iran.
were the first public schools in Iran in the mid-19th century. Ever since then, Birjand has amassed an abundance of institutions of higher education and become an important location for research and development.
The city contains such universities and academic institutions as:
(IATA: XBJ, ICAO: OIMB) is placed in suburban region of Birjand. Due to the geopolitical eminence of Birjand in the eastern parts of Iran, Birjand airport started operation in 1933 as the 3rd operational airport in Iran. Birjand airport offers non-stop daily flights to Tehran and Mashhad. It became an international airport after the first international flight to Medina, KSA in June 2008. In October 2009, runway 10/28 was closed for fundamental repair. The runway was strengthened, re-carpeted and extended to 4000 meters to accommodate wide-body aircraft. During the construction phase all flights were suspended while Aseman Airline utilized the older runway (08/26) and started daily flights to Tehran.
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...
, barberry, rug and handmade carpet
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
s.
http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Iran.html
The city of Birjand had a population of 157,848 people at the time of the last official census in 2006 .
Being close to the Afghanistan border, Birjand is located on the "Silk Road" of opium smuggled from Afghanistan on the way to Europe (also dubbed the "opium crescent").
The city has a dry climate with significant difference between day and night temperatures. It is a fast growing city, thus becoming one of the major centres in the East of Iran.
History
The first citation of the city in the historical literature returns to the famous book Mojem Alboldan, by the Yaqut Homavi (13th century) which introduces the Birjand as the most beautiful town in the Quhestan. Before this Birjand had been probably not as big and important as a municipality but a rural community. However, the Birjand geographical area has had its historical and political importance long before emergence of the city of Birjand. Many citations of the region are available in the original literature like Ehya -ol- Molook of the once important localities in the area. Apart from literature, the oldest evidence on the history of the region is the ancient Lakh-Mazar inscription in the Kooch village some 25 km south east of Birjand. Numerous fine drawings and inscriptions are carved on an igneous rock surface. The inscriptions include pictograms as well as Arsacid Pahlavi, Sasanian Pahlavi, Arabic and Persian scripts . The former tribe famous for the region of Birjand is called Sagarthian - historically in union with the ParthiaParthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n.
Asadollah Alam
Amir Asadollah Alam was an Iranian politician who was Prime Minister from 1962 to 1964. He was also Minister of Royal Court, President of Pahlavi University and Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.-Early life:...
clan had ruled the region till the end of Qajar dynasty. During the semi-autonomous ruling of Alam
Alam
For the organization ALAM, see Association of Licensed Automobile ManufacturersAlam can be an Arabic surname or it can also mean flag, sign, or world.-Al'am as flag or sign:...
clan, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
established consular branches in Birjand, because of the important geographical location of the region in the vicinity of the Indian subcontinent. Amir Shokat Ul-Molk Alam, the father of the Asadollah Alam
Asadollah Alam
Amir Asadollah Alam was an Iranian politician who was Prime Minister from 1962 to 1964. He was also Minister of Royal Court, President of Pahlavi University and Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.-Early life:...
(once prime minister of Iran) was still ruling the Quhestan's subprovince Qhaenat into the Pahlavi era. And the last tribal leader of Birjand Shah Seyyed Ali Kazemi was related with the Alam clan and the emperor Reza Shah Pahlavi. However Birjand lost its geopolitical importance following the emergence of Reza Shah Pahlavi and his policy of central government.
The entire Quhestan region then became a part of the modern Khorasan province. The local people, however, started a movement to become an independent province at the middle of the second Pahlavi period. The move resulted after about forty years and Quhestan and particularly Birjand regained its historical importance in 2004 after official division of Khorasan to three smaller provinces by the government of Islamic Republic of Iran.
Education
It is said that the Shokatiyeh School in Birjand together with Darolfonoon in TehranTehran
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...
were the first public schools in Iran in the mid-19th century. Ever since then, Birjand has amassed an abundance of institutions of higher education and become an important location for research and development.
The city contains such universities and academic institutions as:
- University of BirjandUniversity of BirjandThe University of Birjand is a university in Birjand, Iran. It was established in 1975.-History:The University of Birjand was established in 1975 as an institute of higher education after the ratification of the 102nd session of the Council for Expansion of Higher Education in the Ministry of...
http://www.birjand.ac.ir - Birjand University of Technology http://www.birjandut.ac.ir
- Birjand University of Medical SciencesBirjand University of Medical SciencesBirjand University of Medical Sciences is a medical school in Iran.Located in Birjand of South Khorasan Province, the school was founded in 1985 under the supervision of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, but was separated later as an independent institute.The university is state operated,...
http://www.bums.ac.ir/ - Payame Noor UniversityPayame Noor UniversityPayame Noor University is a state distance education university with the headquarters based in Tehran, 30 provincial centers, 485 local study centers and campuses all around the country and one International Study Center located in the headquarters...
http://www.skpnu.ac.ir - Islamic Azad University of Birjnad http://www.iau-birjand.ac.ir
- 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
Birjand Airport
Birjand AirportBirjand Airport
Birjand Airport is a small airport near Birjand, Iran. Due to the geopolitical eminence of Birjand in the eastern parts of Iran, Birjand airport started operation in 1933 as the 3rd operational airport in Iran. Birjand airport offers non-stop daily flights to Tehran and Mashhad.Birjand airport was...
(IATA: XBJ, ICAO: OIMB) is placed in suburban region of Birjand. Due to the geopolitical eminence of Birjand in the eastern parts of Iran, Birjand airport started operation in 1933 as the 3rd operational airport in Iran. Birjand airport offers non-stop daily flights to Tehran and Mashhad. It became an international airport after the first international flight to Medina, KSA in June 2008. In October 2009, runway 10/28 was closed for fundamental repair. The runway was strengthened, re-carpeted and extended to 4000 meters to accommodate wide-body aircraft. During the construction phase all flights were suspended while Aseman Airline utilized the older runway (08/26) and started daily flights to Tehran.
Notables from Birjand
- Abd al-Ali al-BirjandiAl-BirjandiAbd Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Husayn Birjandi was a prominent 16th century Persian astronomer, mathematician and physicist who lived in Birjand, Iran.- His works :...
, Prominent Astronomer of the 16th Century - Hakim Nezari Quhestani
- Ibn Hessam Khusfi
- Amir Shokat Ul-Molk Alam, Amir of Qaen County and Governor of Quhestan at the end of Qajar Dynasty
- Amir Ali Khan Sheibany, PhD , Founder and First CEO of Zob Ahan Esfahan (Esfahan Steel Company)Esfahan Steel CompanyEsfahan Steel Company is the first Iranian steel maker opened in late 1960s, based close to the cities of Fooladshahr and Zarrinshahr, Esfahan Province....
- Seyyed Mohammad Tadayyon
- Asadollah AlamAsadollah AlamAmir Asadollah Alam was an Iranian politician who was Prime Minister from 1962 to 1964. He was also Minister of Royal Court, President of Pahlavi University and Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.-Early life:...
, Prime Minister of Iran during Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi period - Seyyed Gholam Reza Saeidi, Writer
- Sima BinaSima BinaSimā Binā is notable Persian classical musician and Iran's researcher, composer, singer and song-writer of Iranian folk music...
, Singer of Iranian folk music - Morteza Hassanpour, The first man in nursing in Iran
- Mohammad Hassan GanjiMohammad Hassan GanjiMohammad Hassan Ganji Ph.D was a prominent Iranian meteorologist and academic. He is credited as being the father of geography in Iran....
, Scientist of Geography - Mohammad Ismail Rezvani, Scientist of Histor
- Mohammad Reza HafezniaMohammad Reza HafezniaMohammad Reza Hafeznia is a full professor of political geography in Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran. He obtained his Ph.D in political geography from Tarbiat Modares University in 1990....
- Gholam Hossein Shokouei
- Kazem Motamadnejad
- Shah Seyyed Ali KazemiShah Seyyed Ali KazemiAli Kazemi, born in Moud, was crown prince Marcel's grandfather, and the last tribal leader of Birjand at the beginning of the Pahlavi Dynasty of Reza Shah Pahlavi...
, Last tribal leader in MoodMood (city)Mud is a city in and the capital of Mud District, in Sarbisheh County, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Formerly up to the division of the Province from Khorasan it was a borough of today South Khorasan's provincial capital Birjand...
and Birjand at the beginning of Pahlavi Dynasty - Mohammad Hossain Ayati
- Mohammad Ibrahim Ayati
- Seyyed Hassan Tahami