Razavi Khorasan province (Persian: استان خراسان رضوی)[a] is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, located in northeastern Iran. Its capital is the city of Mashhad, the second-most-populous city in Iran.[5]
Razavi Khorasan is one of the three provinces that were created after the division of Khorasan Province in 2004. In 2014, it was placed in Region 5[6] with Mashhad as the location of the region's secretariat.
The Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes of the Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Turkmens brought changes to the region time and time again.[7]
Ancient geographers of Iran divided Iran ("Ērānshahr") into eight segments of which the most flourishing and largest was the territory of Greater Khorasan. Esfarayen, among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for residence of the Aryan tribes after entering Iran.
The Parthian Empire was based near Merv in Khorasan for many years. During the Sassanid dynasty, the province was governed by a Spahbod (Lieutenant General) called "Padgošban" and four margraves, each commander of one of the four parts of the province.
Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on 29 September 2004. The provinces approved by the parliament of Iran (on 18 May 2004) and the Council of Guardians (on 29 May 2004) were Khorasan-e Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan.
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 5,515,980 in 1,426,187 households.[9] The following census in 2011 counted 5,994,402 people in 1,716,314 households.[10] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 6,434,501 in 1,938,703 households.[3]
Administrative divisions
The population history and structural changes of Razavi Khorasan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
The following sorted table lists the most populous cities in Razavi Khorasan according to 2016 Census results announced by Statistical Center of Iran.[3] After Mashhad, Nishapur, Sabzevar, and Torbat-e Heydarieh are the most populous cities of the province.
Most Populous Urban Areas in Razavi Khorasan Province[3]
The main archeological sites discovered in this province include:
Kohandezh hills
Excavations conducted by an American team between 1935 and 1940 in Nishapur discovered museum-worthy objects, which were shared with the government of the Shah. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's publications[citation needed] document its own Nishapur ceramics from those excavations. For half a century after 1945 the site of Nishapur was ransacked to feed the international market demand for early Islamic works of art. Nowadays, the Kohandezh hills reveal the remains from those excavations.[citation needed]
Shadiyakh
Shadiyakh was an important palace in old Nishapur up to the 7th century, and became more important and populated after that. The palace was completely ruined in the 13th century. It was the home of notables such as Farid al-Din Attar, whose tomb is found in Shadiyakh.
This province contains many historical and natural attractions, such as mineral water springs, small lakes, recreational areas, caves and protected regions, and various hiking areas.
Besides these, Khorasan encompasses numerous religious buildings and places of pilgrimage, including the shrine of Imam Reza, Goharshad mosque and many other mausoleums and Imamzadehs which attract visitors to this province.
The Cultural Heritage of Iran lists 1179 sites of historical and cultural significance in all three provinces of Khorasan.
Some of the popular attractions of Khorasan-e Razavi are:
^Davodi, Parviz (29 October 2019) [Approved 18 September 1386]. Approval letter regarding reforms of national divisions in Razavi Khorasan province, Gonabad County. rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Political-Defense Commission of the Government Board. Proposal 93023/42/4/1; Notification 161409/T38028K. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2023 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
^Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (14 August 2019) [Approved 5 March 1389]. Letter of approval regarding divisional reforms in Razavi Khorasan province. rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Board of Ministers. Proposal 203213/42/1/4/1; Notification 105111/T44362. Archived from the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2024 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center.
^Rahimi, Mohammadreza (28 February 2013) [Approved 28 June 1389]. Approval letter regarding definitions and national divisions in Sabzevar County. rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Board of Ministers. Proposal 29266/42/1/4/1; Notification 149133/T44704H. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2023 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center.
^Jahangiri, Ishaq (c. 2020) [Approved 21 February 2019]. Letter of approval regarding the national divisions of Razavi Khorasan province. rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Council of Ministers. Proposal 129353; Notification 17279/T55048H. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2023 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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