Kashan is a city in the
provinceIran is subdivided into thirty provinces , each governed from a local center, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital of that province...
of Isfahan,
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
. It had an estimated population of 272,359 in 2005.
The etymology of the city name comes from Kasian, the original inhabitants of the city, whose remains are found at Tapeh Sialk dating back 9,000 years; later this changed to Kashian, whence the town name. The Persian word
Kashi, which translates into the English word "tile".
Kashan is a city in the
provinceIran is subdivided into thirty provinces , each governed from a local center, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital of that province...
of Isfahan,
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
. It had an estimated population of 272,359 in 2005.
The etymology of the city name comes from Kasian, the original inhabitants of the city, whose remains are found at Tapeh Sialk dating back 9,000 years; later this changed to Kashian, whence the town name. The Persian word
Kashi, which translates into the English word "tile". Kashan is the first of the large oases along the
QomQom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. It has an estimated population of 1,042,309 in 2005...
-
KermanKerman is a city in Iran. It is the center of Kerman province. Located in a large and flat plain, this city is located 1,076 km south of Tehran, capital of Iran.Kerman city had an estimated population of 533,799 in 2005.-History:...
road which runs along the edge of the central
desertA desert is a landscape or region that receives almost no precipitation. Deserts are defined as areas with an average annual precipitation of less than per year, or as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. In the Köppen climate classification system,...
s of Iran. Its charm is thus mainly due to the contrast between the parched immensities of the deserts and the greenery of the well-tended oasis.
History
Archeological discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks which lie 4 km west of Kashan reveal that this region was one of the primary centers of
civilizationA civilization is a complex society or culture group characterized by dependence upon agriculture, long-distance trade, state form of government, occupational specialization, population, and class stratification.-Definition:...
in pre-historic ages. Hence Kashan dates back to the Elamite period of Iran. The Sialk
zigguratZiggurats were massive pyramidal temples built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, having the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels. There are 32 ziggurats known at, and near, Mesopotamia...
still stands today in the suburbs of Kashan after 7000 years.
The artifacts uncovered at Sialk reside in the Louvre in Paris and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and
Iran's National MuseumThe National Museum of Iran is an archeological and historical museum located in Tehran. It preserves ancient Persian antiquities including pottery vessels, metal objects, books, coins etc. It was inaugurated in 1937.The museum consists of two buildings...
.
By some accounts - though not all - Kashan was the origin of the three wise men who followed the star that guided them to Bethlehem to witness the
nativity of JesusThe Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
, as recounted in the
BibleThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
. Whatever the historical validity of this story, the attribution of Kashan as their original home testifies to the city prestige at the time the story was set down.
Abu-Lu'lu'ahAbu-Lu'lu'ah Al-Majose ; was a Persian slave who assassinated the Muslim ruler, or caliph, Umar al-Khattab in CE. His original name was Pīrūz...
/Pirouz Nahāvandi, the Persian soldier who was
enslavedMa malakat aymanukum is a reference in the Qur'an to slaves.-Overview:The term itself is normally considered to refer to prisoners of war, or more broadly to slaves in general, according to the classic tafsirs...
by the Islamic conquerors and eventually assassinated the
caliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transliterated version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
Umar al-Khattab in CE, reportedly fled to Kashan after the assassination and lived there some years before being finally caught and executed. His tomb is one of Kashan's conspicuous landmarks (see gallery below).
SultanSultan is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. Originally it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", or "rulership", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power"...
Malik Shah IJalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh or simply Malik Shāh was the Seljuk sultan from 1072 to 1092....
of the Seljukid
dynastyA dynasty is a succession of people belonging to the same family, who, through various means and forms maintain power, influence or authority over the course of generations. Most commonly the term is used specifically in reference to royal houses and imperial dynasties — their authority manifests...
ordered the building of a fortress in the middle of Kashan in the 11th century. The fortress walls, called
Ghal'eh Jalali still stand today in central Kashan.
Kashan was also a leisure vacation spot for
SafaviSafavi is a Persian surname, best known as the surname of the royal family of the Safavid Dynasty.-Etymology:Some have argued that Safavi is a cognate of the word "Safaviyeh". And that "Safa" is a cognate of the word Sufi....
KingA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
s.
Bagh-e Fin (
Fin GardenFin Garden, or Bagh-e Fin, located in Kashan, Iran, is a historical Persian garden. It contains Kashan's Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir, the Qajarid chancellor, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah in 1852.-History:...
), specifically, is one of the most famous gardens of Iran. This beautiful garden with its pool and orchards was designed for Shah Abbas I as a classical
PersianPersian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
vision of paradise. The original Safavid buildings have been substantially replaced and rebuilt by the Qajar dynasty although the layout of trees and marble basins is close to the original. The garden itself however, was first founded 7000 years ago alongside the
Cheshmeh-ye-Soleiman. The garden is also notorious as the sight of the murder of Mirza Taghi Khan known as
Amir KabirAmir Kabir , also known as Mirza Taqi Khan Amir-Nezam , also known by the titles of Atābak and Amīr-e Neẓām; chief minister to Nāṣer-al-dīn Shah for the first four years of his reign and one of the most capable and innovative figures to appear in the whole Qajar period.Amir Kabir served as Prime...
, chancellor of Nasser-al-Din Shah, Iran's King in 1852.
The earthquake of 1778 leveled the city of Kashan and all the edifices of
ShahShah is a Persian term for a king that has been adopted in many other languages.-Word history:"Shāh" was the title of Iranian kings including the Achaemenid dynasty which unified Persia and created a vast intercontinental empire...
Abbas Safavi, leaving 8000 casualties. But the city started afresh and has today become a focal tourist attraction via the numerous large
houseA house is generally a shelter, building or structure that is a dwelling or place for habitation by human beings. The term includes many kinds of dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to high-rise apartment buildings...
s from the 18th and 19th centuries, illustrating the finest examples of Qajari aesthetics.
Today
Although there are many sites in Kashan of potential interest to tourists, the city remains largely undeveloped in this sector, with fewer than a thousand foreign tourists per year.
QamsarQamsar is a city in the Esfahan province, Iran, near the city of Kashan. Qamsar is the biggest center in the Middle East in production of rose water. The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by Qamsar rose water. Qamsar include several villages...
and
AbyanehAbyaneh is a famous historic Iranian village near the city of Kashan in Isfahan Province.With a unique reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, attracting numerous native and foreign tourists year-round, especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies.Abyaneh has been called an...
are notable towns around Kashan, which attract tourists year around. The nearby town of
NiasarNiasar is a city located in Isfahan province of Iran.It is a part of the Kashan Township and has a population of 2,343 persons.It is famous for its historical buildings from the Sassanid period.-Source:*http://www.niasar.com/index.php...
features a man-made cave and fireplace of historical interest.
Kashan is internationally famous for manufacturing
carpetA 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, and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their structure.- Etymology :The...
s,
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and other textiles. Kashan today houses most of Iran's mechanized carpet-weaving factories, and has an active marble and copper mining industry.
Kashan and suburbs have a population of 400,000.
Main sights
Kashan's architectural sights include:
- Agha Bozorg Mosque.
- Boroujerdi ha Residence
Khāné-ye Borūjerdīhā or "Borujerdis' House" is a famous historic house in Kashan, Iran.The house was built in 1857 for the bride of Haji Mehdi Borujerdui, a wealthy merchant...
.
- Tabatabaie Residence
Khaneh Tabatabaei-ha or "The Tabatabaeis' House" is a famous historic house in Kashan, Iran.The house was built in the 1840s for the affluent Tabatabaei family....
- Ameri-Ha (Amerian) House
The Āmeris' House, or House of the Āmeri family , is a traditional house in Kashan, in Isfahan Province, in Iran.Built in the mid 19th century during the Qajar era, the house is one of several large spectacular old houses in the central district of Kashan...
- Abbasian House
Khāné-ye Abbāsīhā or "Abbasis' House" is a large traditional historical house located in Kashan, Isfahan Province, Iran.Built during the late 18th century, the house is a beautiful example of Kashani residential architecture. It is said to have been the property of a famous cleric...
- Sharifian House
- Al-e-Yaseen House
- Sultan Amir shrine and bath
Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse , also known as the Qasemi Bathhouse, is a traditional Iranian public bathhouse in Kashan, Iran. It was constructed in 16th century, during the Safavid era; however, the bathhouse was damaged in 1778 as a result of an earthquake and was renovated during the Qajar era...
- 40 Dokhtaran Fortress
- Pirouz Nahavandi
Pirouz Nahavandi was a Persian soldier who served under the Great Persian commander Rostam Farrokhzad, but was captured in the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah in 636 CE when the Persians were defeated by the Arab-Muslim army of Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khattâb on the western bank of the Euphrates River...
/Abu-Lu'lu'ahAbu-Lu'lu'ah Al-Majose ; was a Persian slave who assassinated the Muslim ruler, or caliph, Umar al-Khattab in CE. His original name was Pīrūz...
Shrine (the assassin of IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
's second CaliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transliterated version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
)
- Fin Garden
Fin Garden, or Bagh-e Fin, located in Kashan, Iran, is a historical Persian garden. It contains Kashan's Fin Bath, where Amir Kabir, the Qajarid chancellor, was murdered by an assassin sent by King Nasereddin Shah in 1852.-History:...
- Sialk ziggurat
- Ghal'eh jalali
- Kashan Bazaar
Kashan Bazaar is an old bazaar in the center of the city of Kashan, Iran. It is thought to have been built in the Seljuk era with renovations during the Safavid period....
- Timcheh Amin-o-dowleh
Education
Colleges and universities in Kashan include:
Roads
- Road 71
This important road connects Tehran to Persian gulf....
- Freeway 7
This new freeway has three different parts.
1. Tehran-Qom
2. Qom-Road 65
3. Road 65-Zarrinshahr...
, located near the city
Kashan is connected via freeways to
IsfahanIsfahan or Esfahan , historically also rendered in English as Ispahan or Hispahan, is located about 340 km south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city...
and
NatanzNatanz is the centre of a township of the same name in the Isfahan province of Iran. It is located 70km south-east of Kashan. The population of the township as of 1999 was 39,964....
to the South, and
QomQom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. It has an estimated population of 1,042,309 in 2005...
, which is an hour drive away to the north.
Famous Kashanis
- Sohrab Sepehri
Sohrab Sepehri was a notable modern Persian poet and a painter.He was born in Kashan in Isfahan province....
- Ghyath ad-Din Jamshid Kashani
' was a Persian astronomer and mathematician.-Biography:...
- Kamal-ol-Molk
Mohammad Ghaffari better known as Kamal-ol-Molk was a famous Iranian painter.Born in 1847 in Kashan, Iran, he went to Tehran and studied at Dar-ol-Fonoon...
- Akram Pedramnia
Akram Pedramnia is an Iranian-Canadian freelance journalist, writer, translator, researcher, activist, and Medical Doctor. She has resided in Canada since 1998 when she had emigrated from Iran...
- Mohammad-Nabi Sarbolouki
thumb|right|Mohammad Nabi Sarbolouki, prominent scientist and educatorMohammad-Nabi Sarbolouki was a distinguished Iranian biophysicist and polymer chemist and one of the most influential individuals behind modern scientific movement in Iran. . He was known as the inventor of a DNA vehicle called...
- Ustad Ali Maryam
Ustad Ali Maryam was a famous architect of 19th century Persia.He is famous for designing three edifices in particular, all in Kashan:*The Borujerdi-ha House *The Tabatabaei House *Timcheh Amin-al Dowleh...
- Muhsen Feyz Kashani
Muhsen Feyz Kashani is an Iranian Muslim philosopher and Muhaddith . He is the son in-law and pupil of Mulla Sadra. He was a prolific writer in both Persian and Arabic, with a bibliography of more than a hundred and twenty titles...
- Mohammad Alavi (footballer)
- Javad Kazemian
Javad Kazemian is an Iranian football right winger who plays for Ajman Club in the UAE League and the Iran national football team...
(Footballer)
- Ehsan Hajysafi
Ehsan Hajysafi is an Iranian football midfielder who currently plays for Sepahan F.C. in the Iran Pro League....
(Footballer)
- Mostafa Chatrabgoon
Mostafa Chatrabgoon is an Iranian football player. He currently plays for the IPL club PAS Hamedan as a Striker.-Club career:...
(Footballer)
- Hosein-Shirazi
- Yedidia Shofet
Yedidia Shofet was the former chief rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry.-Early Life and Biography:...
the former chief rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry.
- Leghāi-e Kāshāni, poet
- Amir Ghiāss od-Din, one of the Generals of the Safavid King Shah Abbas II who accompanied Shah Abbas in the wars leading to the conquest of Kandahar
Kandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
in 1648. He is the patriarch of the Zarrābi family in Kashan and one of the ancestors of the renown Iranian poet Mohammad-Taqí BahārMohammad-Taqí Bahār , widely known as Malek o-Sho'arā and Malek o-Sho'arā Bahār, is a renowned Iranian poet and scholar, who was also a politician, journalist, historian and Professor of Literature...
.
- Isaac Larian
Isaac Larian is the Chief Executive Officer of MGA Entertainment, the biggest privately owned toy company in the world...
is the Chief Executive Officer of MGA Entertainment, the biggest privately owned toy company in the world.
- David Alliance, Baron Alliance
David Alliance, Baron Alliance, GBE is a British businessman and Liberal Democrat politician of Iranian origin.-Career:David Alliance was born in Kashan, Iran and was educated at the Etahad School, Iran....
Businessman and a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom.
Famous families
- Borujerdi
- Tabatabaei
Tabātabā'ī also spelled Tabataba'i, Tabatabaee, Tabatabaei, Tabataba, is a surname of Arabic origin, but also prevalent in Persian...
- Nezam Kashani
- Esfahanian
- Ghaffāri
Ghaffari is an Iranian family name denoting descent from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari. The Ghaffari clan of Kashan has been the most prominent branch and has spawned numerous politicians, artists, and intellectuals. The Ghaffari clan of Rezayeh has also been a very prominent branch and has spawned...
- Sharifian
- Zarrābi
- Mohagheghi Baadi
See also
- Kashan Rug
A Kashan Rug is a type of Persian rug from the area of Kashan. Kashan is a city in Isfahan Province in North Central Iran. There was production of Persian Carpet at Royal workshops in the 17th and early 18th century. Many authors attribute Persian Rugs and Carpet to Kashan in the 16th century...
- Iranian Architecture
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture is the architecture of Greater Iran that has a continuous history from at least 5000 BCE to the present, with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Syria to North India and the borders of China, from the Caucasus to Zanzibar...
- Sialk - Kashan's ancient architecture.
- Traditional Persian residential architecture
Tradonal Persian residential architecture, is the architecture employed by builders and craftsmen in the cultural Greater Iran and the surrounding regions to construct vernacular houses...
External links
---------------------
- About Kashan
- "Humble Earth": Kashani residential architecture (if link does not work, refresh)
- Photos from Kashan
- Shapour Bahrami, Kashan, Iran, Photo Set, flickr.
- The Ghaffari Clan of Kashan.
- Great information and pictures of Kashan.
- Kashan Carpets and Rugs
- Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Kashan's Houses (Kāshāneh-hā-ye Kāshān), in Persian, Jadid Online, 24 February 2009, http://www.jadidonline.com/story/24022009/frnk/kashan_heritage_houses1.
Audio slideshows, Jadid Online: (1) (5 min 43 sec), (2) (1 min 36 sec).
- Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Earthbound Paradises (Behesht-hā-ye Zamini), in Persian, Jadid Online, 25 February 2009, http://www.jadidonline.com/story/25022009/frnk/kashan_heritage_houses3.
Audio slideshow, Jadid Online, http://www.jadidonline.com/images/stories/flash_multimedia/Kashan_heritage_houses3_test/kashan3_high.html (6 min).