Nishapur (or Neyshâbûr; نیشابور in Persian) is a town in the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot of the Binalud Mountains, near the regional capital of Mashhad. Persian is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Khorasan (also spelled Khurasan and Khorassan; Xorasan or Xurasan in Kurdish; خراسان in Persian) is an area, located in eastern and northeastern Iran. ... Mashhad from space, January 2003 Goharshad mosque, built in 1418. ...

The region's economy is largely agricultural, based on grain and cotton,and also it is the second industrial city in Khorasan, and it is one of the most prosperous localities in Iran, although somewhat blighted by drug smuggling from nearby Afghanistan. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 215,940 people.[1] 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. Khorasan (also spelled Khurasan and Khorassan; Xorasan or Xurasan in Kurdish; خراسان in Persian) is an area, located in eastern and northeastern Iran. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the dynamic release of stored energy that radiates seismic waves. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

Tomb of Omar Khayyám, Neishabur

Nishapur occupies an important strategic position astride the old Silk Road that linked Anatolia and the Mediterranean 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 turquoises 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. 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 should have been held in Nishapur. It was cancelled due to the Ayatollah uprising against the Shah of Iran. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (550x754, 352 KB)Omar Khayams tomb, Neishapur, which is a city in Iran (Neishapur was a city of Eastern Seljuk Turkish Empire). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (550x754, 352 KB)Omar Khayams tomb, Neishapur, which is a city in Iran (Neishapur was a city of Eastern Seljuk Turkish Empire). ... For other uses, see Silk Road (disambiguation). ... Asia Minor lies east of the Bosporus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Head of king Shapur II (Sasanian dynasty A.D. 4th century). ... A coin of Shapur I Shapur I, son of Ardashir I, was king of Persia from 241 to 272. ... // Overview Events 212: Constitutio Antoniniana grants citizenship to all free Roman men 212-216: Baths of Caracalla 230-232: Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east 235-284: Crisis of the Third Century shakes Roman Empire 250-538: Kofun era, the first... This article is about the gem. ... As a means of recording the passage of time the 9th century was that century that lasted from 801 to 900. ... The Tahirid dynasty ruled the northeastern Persian region of Khorasan between AD 821-873. ... Ceramics can refer to: Ceramic, a type of material Ceramics (art), a fine art. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: ‎ translit: , Kurdish: Bexda, from Persian Baagh-daad or Bag-Da-Du meaning “Garden of God” [1]) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Modern Cairo Cairo (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... ToÄŸrül (TuÄŸril or Toghrïl Beg; c. ... The Seljuk coat of arms was a double headed eagle The Seljuk Turks (also Seldjuk, Seldjuq, Seljuq; in modern Turkish Selçuklular; in Persian سلجوقيان SaljÅ«qiyān; in Arabic سلجوق SaljÅ«q, or السلاجقة al-Salājiqa) were a major branch of the Oghuz Turks and a dynasty that ruled parts of... // Events Construction of the church of Saint Sophia Cathedral is started in Kyiv. ... Genghis Khan (c. ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China. ... The World Scout Jamboree (Jamboree Scout Mondial in French) is a gathering of Scouts (ages 14-17) from all over the world. ...

Culture

Tomb of Kamal-ol-Molk, Neishabur.

Nishapur is also home to many poets and cultural celebrities. The poet Omar Khayyám was born in Nishapur in 1048 and is buried a few miles outside the town, near the Imamzadeh Mahroq Mosque. The 12th century poet and mystic Farid al-Din Attar, another native of Nishapur, is also buried nearby. And Iran's greatest contemporary painter, Kamal-ol-molk is buried in the same place. ImageMetadata File history File links Kamal-al-molk-ghabr. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Kamal-al-molk-ghabr. ... Tomb of Omar Khayyám, Nishapur, Iran. ... Events The city of Oslo is founded by Harald Hardråde of Norway. ... Farid ad-Din Attar (farÄ«du-d-dÄ«n aṭṭār ; ca. ... Tomb of Kamal-ol-Molk in Neishabur, Iran. ...

Archaeology sites

Little archaeology has been done on this vast and complicated site. Lord 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. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech/discourse) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (January 11, 1859 – March 20, 1925), was a conservative British statesman who served as Viceroy of India. ... The central lobby of the museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums, located on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan, New York, United States. ... Reza Shah Pahlavi Reza Shah Pahlavi (Persian: رضا پهلوی) (b. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... Islam(Arabic: ; ) is a monotheistic religion based on the Quran. ...

Recent incident

On February 18, 2004, in the Nishapur train disaster, a train carrying flammable goods derailed and caught fire near the town. Five hours later, during fire fighting and rescue work, a massive explosion destroyed the train and many nearby buildings. Around 300 people were said to have been killed, mainly fire and rescue workers but also the local governor and mayor and the heads of the fire and rail services. [2] February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Nishapur train disaster was actually an immense explosion in the village of Khayyam near Nishapur in Iran on the 18 February 2004. ...

Possible Covert Nuclear Activity

At least one online article cites unnamed sources in Iran as saying Nishapur is the secret site of a so-called "Project B" which would eventually include 155,000 centrifuges for the purpose of creating weapons-grade uranium. [3]

External links

• Ceramics of Nishapur and other centers
• World Gazetteer on Nishapur