Nishapur
نیشابور
Neyshabur
Plaster tile from Old city of Nishapur
Attar of Nishapur Mausoleum
Nature of North Nishapur Nature of North Nishapur
Mausoleum of Kamal-ol-Molk Wooden Mosque of Nishapur
Cornice plaster from Old city of Nishapur
Nickname(s): 
Nishapur is located in Iran
Nishapur
Nishapur
Coordinates: 36°12′48″N 58°47′45″E / 36.21333°N 58.79583°E / 36.21333; 58.79583
Country Iran
Province Khorasan
CountyNishapur County
Foundation3rd century
Municipality of Nishapur1931
Government
 • MayorMohammad-Hassan Zarandi
 • Governor of CountyEsfandiar Jalayeri
Elevation
1,250 m (4,100 ft)
Population
 (2011)
 • TotalCity of Nishapur : 239,185 [2] Nishapur County : 433,105 [3] Urban areas of Nishapur County : 270,301
 2 Census
DemonymNishapuri
Time zoneUTC+03:30 (IRST)
WebsiteNeyshaboor, Rowzaneh,511

Nishapur or Nishabur pronunciation (Persian: نیشابور,Arabic: نيسابور, also Romanized as Nīshāpūr, Nīshābūr, and Neyshābūr from Middle Persian : " New City of Shapur" or "Perfect built of Shapur"),[4] is a city in the Khorasan Province,Capital of Nishapur County and former capital of Khorasan, in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Mount Binalud. It had an estimated population of 239,185 as of 2011 and its county 433,105.Nearby are the turquoise mines that supplied the world with turquoise for at least two millennia.

The city was founded in the 3th century by Shapur I as a Sassanid satrapy capital.Became the capital of Tahirid dynasty and reformed by Abdullah Tahir in 830 , selected first capital of Seljuq dynasty by Tughril in 1037. From Abbasid era to Mongol invasion of Khwarezmia and Eastern Iran, evolved into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. With Merv , Herat and Balkh was one of the four great cities of the province of Khorasan and one of the greatest cities in middle ages,a seat of governmental power in eastern of caliphate, a dwelling place for diverse ethnic and religious groups, a trading stop on commercial routes from Transoxiana and China, Iraq and Egypt , Reached the height of its prosperity under the Samanids in the 10th century,attacked by Mongols in 1221,ruined by invasions and earthquakes in the thirteenth century. After that time, a much smaller settlement was established just north of the ancient town, and the once bustling metropolis lay underground—until a team of excavators from the Metropolitan Museum of New York arrived in the mid-twentieth century. They worked at Nishapur between 1935 and 1940, returning for a final season in the winter of 1947–48.[5] What remains of old Nishapur region is a 3500 hectares "Kohandejh" area, south of the current city of Nishapur.

The region's economy is largely agricultural, based on grain and cotton, and it is also the second industrial city in Khorasan Province, and it is one of the most prosperous localities in Iran, although somewhat blighted by drug smuggling from nearby Afghanistan. It had a population of 205,972 people according to 2006 census.[6] The main east-west railway line through Iran passes through the town. The region is very prone to earthquakes, with the most recent significant ones occurring in 1986 and 1997.


History

edit

Nishapur occupies an important strategic position astride the old Silk Road that linked Anatolia and the Mediterranean Sea with China. On the Silk Road, Nishapur has often defined the flexible frontier between the Iranian plateau and Central Asia. The town derived its name from its reputed founder, the Sassanian king Shapur I, who is said to have established it in the 3rd century CE. Nearby are the turquoise mines that supplied the world with turquoise for at least two millennia. It became an important town in the Khorasan region but subsequently declined in significance until a revival in its fortunes in 9th century under the Tahirid dynasty, when the glazed ceramics of Nishapur formed an important item of trade to the west. For a time Nishapur rivaled Baghdad or Cairo: Toghrül, the first ruler of the Seljuk dynasty, made Nishapur his residence in 1037 and proclaimed himself sultan there, but it declined thereafter, as Seljuk fortunes were concentrated in the west. In the year 1000CE, it was among the 10 largest cities on earth.[7] After the husband of Genghis Khan's daughter was killed at Nishapur in 1221, she ordered the death of all in the city (~1.7 million), and the skulls of men, women, and children were piled in pyramids by the Mongols. This invasion and earthquakes destroyed the pottery kilns. In 1979, the 15th World Scout Jamboree was scheduled to be held in Nishapur, but it was cancelled because of the uprising against the Shah of Iran led by Khomeini Ayatollah.

Origin of Name: It seems to have been founded by the Sasanian Shapur I in the 3rd century CE, and possibly rebuilt by Shapur II in the following century. The name presumably stems from *nēv-šāpūr "fair, good city of Shapur."

Toponymy

edit
 
Most historians believe The name Nishapur may derive from the name of Shapur I

Prehistory and antiquity

edit

Sassanid Nishapur

edit

Middle Ages

edit

Chronicle

edit

Archaeology

edit

Little archaeology has been done on this vast and complicated site. George Curzon remarked that Nishapur had been destroyed and rebuilt more times than any other city in history, an evocative statement whether or not it is statistically true. The Metropolitan Museum of Art undertook excavations from 1935 that were interrupted in 1940. Searching largely for museum-worthy trophies that they shared with the government of the Shah, the Metropolitan's publications were limited to its own Nishapur ceramics. The site of Nishapur has been ransacked for half a century since World War II, to feed the international market demand for early Islamic works of art.

People

edit

Language

edit
 
A hawza in Nishapur,a school that taught Arabic language as religious studies courses.Other schools in Nishapur taught Arabic as historical and religious language

Most people speak Farsi in Nishapur. Nishapuri Farsi accent near to Dari.

Khorasani Turkic,Kurdish and Arabic also spoken.

Religion

edit

Islam is first religion and Twelever Mahdist Shia is first Madhab in Nishapur.

Population

edit

Scholars and famous people

edit

Sorted by date

Geography

edit

Weather

edit

Geology

edit

Seismicity

edit

Culture

edit

in UNESCO

edit

Anthem

edit

The special Anthem of Nishapur was unveiled for the first time on April 14,2011[8],an introduction and three parts,Frightening sound of bells,noted on three invasive and destructive in the history of Nishapur,and sound of percussion and wailing women represent the miseries caused by these attacks.[9] [10]

Persian original UniPers alphabet English translation
ای پایتخت اول ایرانی من
ای آسمانت فرصتِ بارانی من
«فیروزه» ات نقش نگین مهربانی
اندیشه های مردمانت آسمانی
روییده در هر گوشه ات گل‌های احساس
خرداد «بینالود» تو سرشار «ریواس»
شرمنده از کردار خود «تاتار» و «چنگیز»
پاینده باشی ای «برشهر» هنرخیز
در کوچه باغت مانده رد پایی از ماه
گل کرده در چشمان تو نام «قدمگاه»
ey payetâkhte avvâle irânie mân
ey asemânat forsate bâaranie mâan
firuzeh at naghshe negine mehrabâni
andishe hâye mardomânat asemâni
rooiyedeh dar har gushe at gol hâye ehsâs
Khordade binalude to sarshare rivas
sharmande az kerdâre khod tatar o changiz
pâyandeh bâshi ey barshâhre honar khiz
dar kuche bâghat mande radde payy az mah
gol kardeh dar cheshmane to nâmeh ghadam gah
Oh! My Iranian first capital
Oh! your sky my rainy time
your Turquoise, pattern of kindness ring
Your People's thoughts Heavenly
Sprouting in every your corner Emotional flowers:
Khordad of your Binalud ful of rhubarb,
Tartar and Genghis ashamed of their actions

Museums

edit
edit
  • US band Santana released an instrumental track entitled "Incident at Neshabur" on their 1970 LP release, Abraxas.

Local and Cultural days

edit
Local and Cultural days in Nishapur
Name Day Calendar
Farvardin (Hamal) 1 Nowruz Solar Hijri
Farvardin (Hamal) 13 Sizdah Be-dar,Day of Nature Solar Hijri
Farvardin (Hamal) 25 Respect day for Attar of Nishapur Solar Hijri
Ordibehesht(Thawr) 28 Respect day for Omar Khayyam Solar Hijri
Tir (Saratan) 10 Remembrance day for Imam Ali al-Ridha Solar Hijri
Mordad 2 Sympathy day for Victims of Boozhan flood Solar Hijri
Azar 30 Night of Yalda Solar Hijri
Bahman 29 Sympathy day for Victims of Nishapur train disaster Solar Hijri
Last wednesday of Esfand Chaharshanbe Suri Festival Solar Hijri
Esfand 29 Celebrate the end of winter Solar Hijri
Muharram 10 Remembrance of Muharram Lular Hijri
Safar 20 Arba'een Lular Hijri
Rabi' al-awwal 17 Mawlid Lular Hijri
Rajab 25 Respect day for Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj , death of Musa al-Kadhim Lular Hijri
Sha'aban 14 Borat Nights (3 nights) Lular Hijri
Shawwal 1 Eid al-Fitr Lular Hijri
Dhu al-Hijjah 18 Eid of Ghadir,Day of Visiting Sadaat Lular Hijri

Pottery

edit
 
Bowl painted on slip under transparent glaze (Polychrome), Nishabur, IX-X century. National Museum of Iran, Tehran.

Nishapur during Islamic Golden Age , especially 9th and 10th century was one of the great centers of pottery and related arts [11].Most of Ceramic artifacts discovered in Nishapur preserve in Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museums inTehran and Mashhad.Ceramics produced at Nishapur showed links with Sassanid art and Central Asian.[12] Nowadays there are 4 Pottery workshop in Nishapur.[13]

Carpet-weaving

edit

Weaving carpets and rugs common in the more than 470 villages in Nishapur County,the most important carpet Workshop located in the villages of : Shafi' Abad,Garineh Darrud Baghshan Kharv Bozghan Sayyed Abad Sar Chah Suleymani Sultan Abad and Eshgh Abad. Nishapur Carpet workshops weaved the biggest Carpets in the world ,like carpets of : Sheikh Zayed Mosque [14], Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque [15], Armenian Presidential Palace ,Embassy of Finland in Tehran , Mohammed Al-Ameen Mosque in Oman [16].

Modern art of carpet in Nishapur began in 1946 after inauguration of a carpet-weaving workshop in a caravansary.

Turquoise Masonry

edit
 
Cutting and grinding turquoise in Nishapur, Iran, 1973

For at least 2,000 years, Iran( known before as Persia) has remained an important source of turquoise which was named by Iranians initially "pirouzeh" meaning "victory" and later after Arab invasion "firouzeh".[citation needed] In Iranian architecture, the blue turquoise was used to cover the domes of the Iranian palaces because its intense blue colour was also a symbol of heaven on earth.[citation needed]

This deposit, which is blue naturally, and turns green when heated due to dehydration, is restricted to a mine-riddled region in Nishapur, the 2,012-metre (6,601 ft) mountain peak of Ali-mersai, which is tens of kilometers from Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan province, Iran. A weathered and broken trachyte is host to the turquoise, which is found both in situ between layers of limonite and sandstone, and amongst the scree at the mountain's base. These workings, together with those of the Sinai Peninsula, are the oldest known.[17]

Tile

edit
 
Tile working in Muhammad al-Mahruq Mosque,Nishapur

In many important historical or modern monuments and buildings the Art of Tiles are widely used in Nishapur,

Production of Textiles

edit

Traditional Cloth Weaving

edit

Wooden Arts

edit
 
Wooden Mosque of Nishapur.


Felt-weaving

edit

Painting

edit

Calligraphy

edit

Statuary

edit
 
Statue of Kamal-ol-molk on his grave

Wall Painting

edit
 
Members of Red Crescent in village of Shur Rud,painting walls

Carving

edit

Education

edit

Schools , Universities and colleges

edit

Libraries

edit

Sport

edit

Sport centers

edit

Famous athletes

edit

Transportation

edit

Train

edit

Road 44

edit

Industry and Economy

edit

Tourism

edit

Power stations

edit

Industrial Estates

edit

Companies and factories

edit

Agriculture

edit

Souvenir

edit

Mass media

edit

Newspaper publishing

edit

Broadcasting

edit

Printing

edit

Administration

edit
Left: Mohammad-Hassan Zarandi,Currently Mayor of Nishapur since March 9 ,2013 ; right: Current Governor of Nishapur County since May 11,2013.

Relations

edit

Twin towns and sister cities

edit
  1.   Ghazni, Afghanistan
  2.   Khuy, Iran
  3.   Kunia, Turkey
  4.   Karbala, Iraq

Quotes

edit

See also

edit

Notes

edit

References

edit

Bibliography

edit
edit
  • The mediaeval city of Nishapur is impressive even as a ruin.
    • C Melville
  1. ^ The Cambridge History of Iran - Volume 1 - Page 68
  2. ^ www.sko.ir/Sarshomari1390/Shahrhaye_IRAN.xls
  3. ^ http://www.khorasan.ir/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=lrFSbp8Zxwk%3d&tabid=8771&mid=14529
  4. ^ Chyah/Nishapur can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3076915" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  5. ^ http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nish/hd_nish.htm
  6. ^ "Iran Census" (in Persian).
  7. ^ geography.about.com
  8. ^ http://www.magiran.com/npview.asp?ID=2270609
  9. ^ http://www.rovzane.com/blog/show/%D9%BE%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AF-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%B1.html
  10. ^ http://551.ir/en/about-neyshabur/song-of-neyshabur
  11. ^ Nishapur: Pottery of the Early Islamic Period,Wilkinson, Charles K. (1973)
  12. ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/415980/Nishapur-pottery
  13. ^ http://incc.ir/fa/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=2589
  14. ^ http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/World/20070728/726654.html
  15. ^ http://www.omanet.om/english/Relegious/grandmosq.asp
  16. ^ Muscat
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference USGS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).