"Masjid-i Jami" Mosque in Herat, Afghanistan, a city which was known in the past as the Pearl of Khorasan. Friday Mosque is the English translation of the Arabic term al-jumʿa (Arabic الجمعه) al-masjid. area3018 sq mi Herāt ( classically called the Aria, is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

Greater Khorasan (Persian: خراسان بزرگ) (also written Khorasaan, Khurasan and Khurasaan) is a modern term for eastern territories of ancient Persia since the 3. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia century A. D. . Khorasan is a Pahlavi and Avestan (Khurshid; -sân) word which means "the land of sunrise". Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the Zoroastrian Avesta. Greater Khorasan included territories that presently are part of Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان‎ taajikestaan officially the Republic of Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly

Greater Khorasan contained mostly Nishapur, Mashad and Tus (now in Iran), Herat, Balkh, Kabul and Ghazni (now in Afghanistan), Merv and Sanjan (now in Turkmenistan), Samarqand, Bukhara and Murghab (all now in Uzbekistan), Khujand and Panjakent (now in Tajikistan). Nishapur, or Neyshābūr ( is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot Mashhad ( literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Toos (توس or طوس in Persian) also known as Tous or Tus, is an ancient city in the Iranian province of Razavi Khorasan area3018 sq mi Herāt ( classically called the Aria, is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. Balkh ( - Balḫ) also known as Bactra, was once a major world city but was destroyed entirely by the Mongols. } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with Ghazni City ( - Ğaznī; Ghazna and Ghaznīn are the old names for Ghazni Merv ( Russian: Мерв from Persian: مرو Marv, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf Sanjan is an ancient city on the southern edge of the Kara-kum Desert, in the vicinity of the historically eminent oasis-city of Merv. Samarkand (Samarqand Самарқанд سمرقند UniPers: "Samarqand" is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Bukhara (Buxoro Бухоро بُخارا Бухара also spelled as Bukhoro and Bokhara, from the Soghdian βuxārak ("lucky Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Panjakent (Панҷакент/پنجکنت also spelled Panjikent or Panjekent Пенджикент in Russian is a city in the Sughd province of Tajikistan

These days, the adjective greater is partly used to distinguish it from Khorasan province, in modern-day Iran, that forms western parts of these territories, roughly half in area ^[1]. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. It is also used to indicate that Greater Khorasan encompasses territories that were perhaps called by some other popular name when they were individually referred to. For example Transoxiana (covered Uzbekistan and Tajikistan), Bactria, Kabulistan ^[2] , Khwarezm (containing Samarkand and Bukhara) ^[3] . Transoxiana (sometimes spelled Transoxania "河中“Chinese / Ma Wara'un-Nahr ( Arabic: ما وراء النهر / Farārood (فرارود "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. Kabulistan ( is a historical term referring to the eastern territories of Khorasan that is centered around present-day Kabul, Afghanistan. Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the

Until the devastating Mongol invasion of the thirteenth century, Khorasan was considered the cultural capital of Persia. (Lorentz 1995)

Geographical Distribution

Names of territories during the Caliphate, Khorasan was part of Persia (in yellow). A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history

According to Mir Ghulam Mohammad, Afghanistan's current territories formed the major part of Khorasan^[4] while other sources say otherwise. According to these latter sources, Khorasan province of Iran roughly comprises half of Greater Khorasan. ^[5] Khorasan's boundaries have varied greatly during ages. The term was loosely applied to all territories of Persia that lay east and north east of Dasht-e Kavir and therefore were subjected to change as the size of empire changed. Dasht-e Kavir (دشت كوير in Persian) also known as Kavir-e Namak or Great Salt Desert is a large desert lying in the middle

In the Middle Ages, Persian Iraq and Khorasan were the two most important parts of the territory of Greater Iran. Persian Iraq or Iraq-i Ajam ( is an obsolete term for the central region of Iran, including cities such as Isfahan, Ray, Qazvin, Greater Iran (in Irān-e Bozorg, or fa ایران‌زمین Irān-zamīn; the Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term The dividing region between these two was mostly along with Gurgan and Damaghan cities. Gorgan ( Persian: گرگان Caspian: Vergen is the capital of the Golestan Province, Iran. Dāmghān (Persian دامغان is a city in Semnan Province, Iran, from Tehran on the high-road to Meshed, at an elevation of. Especially the Ghaznavids, Seljuqs and Timurids, divided their Empire to Iraqi and Khorasani regions. The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorāṣānian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk. The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty This point can be observed in many books such as "Tārīkhi Bayhaqī" of Abul Fazl Bayhqi, Faza'ilul al-anam min rasa'ili hujjat al-Islam (a collection of letters of Al-Ghazali) and other books. TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Abolfazl Beyhaghi (995-1077 Ibn Zeyd ibn Muhammad Abul-Fazl Mohammad ibn Hossein Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī (1058-1111 ( ابو حامد محمد ابن محمد الغزالی or امام محمد غزالی was born and died

Ghulam Mohammad Ghubar, a historian from Afghanistan, talks of Proper Khorasan and Improper Khorasan in his book titled "Khorasan"^[6]. According to him, Proper Khorasan contained regions lying between Balkh (in the East), Merv (in the North), Sijistan (in the South), Nishapur (in the West) and Herat, known as The Pearl of Khorasan, in the center. Modern Sistan ( is a border region in southeastern Iran (see Sistan and Baluchestan Province) and southwestern Afghanistan (see Nimruz Province While Improper Khorasan's boundaries extended to Kabul and Ghazni in the East, Sistan and Zabulistan in the South, Transoxiana and Khwarezm in the North and Damaghan and Gurgan in the West. Modern Sistan ( is a border region in southeastern Iran (see Sistan and Baluchestan Province) and southwestern Afghanistan (see Nimruz Province Zabulistan ( also spelled Zabolestan, is a historical region in the border area of today's Iran and Afghanistan, around the province of Zabul Dāmghān (Persian دامغان is a city in Semnan Province, Iran, from Tehran on the high-road to Meshed, at an elevation of. Gorgan ( Persian: گرگان Caspian: Vergen is the capital of the Golestan Province, Iran.

In Memoirs of Babur, it is mentioned that Indians called non-Hindustanis (non-Indians) as Khorasanis. Bāburnāma ( Chagatai / literally "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur") are the memoirs of Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad Bābur Regarding the boundary of Hindustan and Khorasan, it is written: "On the road between Hindustān and Khorasān, there are two great marts: the one Kābul, the other Kandahār. Hindustan (हिन्दुस्तान, ہندوستان,) is one of the popular Names of India. " 1 Thus, Improper Khorasan bordered Hindustan (old India). India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Historical overview

An early turquoise mine in the Madan village of Khorasan. Turquoise is an opaque blue-to-green Mineral that is a hydrous Phosphate of Copper and Aluminium, with the Chemical

Greater Khorasan is one of the regions of Greater Iran. Greater Iran (in Irān-e Bozorg, or fa ایران‌زمین Irān-zamīn; the Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term Before being conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, it was part of the Achaemenid and Median Persian Empire. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Persian Empire ( haχɒmaneʃijɒn (558–330 BC was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of In Probability theory and Statistics, a median is described as the number separating the higher half of a sample a population or a Probability distribution The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia In 1st century AD, the eastern regions of Greater Khorasan fell into the hands of the Kushan empire. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Kushans introduced to a high grade Buddhist culture (tough they were also Zoroastrians) to these regions and from where Buddhism began to spread by Khorasanian monks to China and even to Japan. Numerous Kushanian fire temples and buddhist temples and buried cities with treasures in the northern and central areas of Khurasan (nowadays mainly Afghanistan) have been found. However the western parts of Greater Khorasan remained predominantly Zoroastrian as one of the three great fire-temples of the Sassanids "Azar-burzin Mehr" is situated in the western regions of Khorasan, near Sabzevar in Iran. The boundary was pushed to the west towards the Persian Empire by the emigrating Kushans. The boundary kept changing until the demise of the Kushan Empire where Sassanids took control of the entire region by conquering and merging with the Kushans (Kushano-Sassanian civilization). The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire In Sassanid era, Persian empire was divided into four quarters, "Xwawaran" meaning west, apAxtar meaning north, Nīmrūz meaning south and Xurasan (Khorasan) meaning east. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Eastern regions saw again some conflict with Hephthalites who became new ruler of entire Khorasan but also for a short time of the entire iranian plateau, but the borders remained much stable afterwards until the Muslim invasion. The Hephthalites or White Huns were a Central Asian Nomadic confederation whose precise origins and composition remain obscure

Being the eastern parts of the Sassanid empire and further away from Arabia, Khorasan quarter was conquered in the later stages of Muslim invasions. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire In fact the last Sassanid king of Persia, Yazdgerd III, moved the throne to Khorasan following the Arab invasion in the western parts of the empire. After the assassination of the king, Khorasan was conquered by the Islamic troops in 647. Like other provinces of Persia it became one of the provinces of Umayad dynasty.

The village of Meyamei.

The first liberal movement against the Arab invasions was led by Abu Muslim Khorasani between 747 and 750. Abu Muslim Abd al-Rahman ibn Muslim al-Khorasani (, c 700 - 755 was an Abbasid general of Persian ( ''Tājīk'') origin born in city of Balkh He helped the Abbasids come to power but was later killed by Al-Mansur, an Abbasid Caliph. The first independent kingdom from Arab rule was established in Khorasan by Tahir Phoshanji in 821. Tahir ibn Husayn (Arabic Persian طاهر بن حسين)(d 822 was a general and governor during the Abbasid Caliphate. But it seems that it was more a matter of political and territorial gain. In fact Tahir had helped the Caliph subdue other nationalistic movements in other parts of Persia such as Maziar's movement in Tabaristan. Maziar ( مازیار) was an Iranian aristocrat of the House of Karen and feudal ruler of the mountainous region of Tabaristan

The first dynasty in Khorasan, after the introduction of Islam, was the Saffarid dynasty (861-1003)^[7]. The Saffarid dynasty ( Persian: سلسله صفاریان ruled a empire in Sistan, which is a historical region now in southeastern Iran and southwestern Other major dynasties in Khorasan were Samanids^[8] (875-999), Ghaznavids^[9] (962-1187), Ghurids (1149-1212), Seljukids (1037-1194), Khwarezmids (1077-1231) and Timurids (1370-1506). The Samanids (819–999 ( Sāmāniyān) were a Persian dynasty in Central Asia and Greater Khorasan, named after its founder Saman The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorāṣānian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk. The Ghurids (or Ghorids; self-designation Shansabānī) ( were a Persian Sunni - Ismaili Muslim dynasty in Khorasan The Seljuq (also Seljuq Turks, Seldjuks, Seldjuqs, Seljuks; in Turkish Selçuklular; in Ṣaljūqīyān; in The Khwarezmian Empire, more commonly known as the empire of the Khwarezm Shahs ( Khwārezmšhāḥīān, "Kings of Khwarezmia " The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty It should be mentioned that some of these dynasties were not Persian by ethnicity, nonetheless they were the advocates of Persian language and were praised by the poets as the kings of Iran. Greater Iran (in Irān-e Bozorg, or fa ایران‌زمین Irān-zamīn; the Encyclopedia Iranica uses the term

Among them, the periods of Ghaznavids of Ghazni and Timurids of Herat are considered as one of the most brilliant eras of Khorasan's history. The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorāṣānian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk. Ghazni City ( - Ğaznī; Ghazna and Ghaznīn are the old names for Ghazni The Timurids, self-designated Gurkānī ( were a Persianate Central Asian Sunni Muslim dynasty During these periods, there was a great cultural awakening. Many famous Persian poets, scientists and scholars lived in this period. Numerous valuable works in Persian literature were written. Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost Nishapur, Herat, Ghazni and Merv were the centers of all these cultural developments. Nishapur, or Neyshābūr ( is a city in the Razavi Khorasan province in northeastern Iran, situated in a fertile plain at the foot area3018 sq mi Herāt ( classically called the Aria, is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herāt. Ghazni City ( - Ğaznī; Ghazna and Ghaznīn are the old names for Ghazni Merv ( Russian: Мерв from Persian: مرو Marv, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf Some eastern Khorasani regions were then parts of the Moghul Empire, while the Safavids conquered the western regions. The Mughal Empire ( Persian and self-designation گورکانی; مغلیہ سلطنت) was an Islamic imperial power which ruled most The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz For Moghuls, Khorasan was always a region with great economic and cultural importance.

Population of (Greater) Khurasan

Originally the region of Khorasan was inhabitet only by Eastern-Iranians such as Bactrians, Soghdians, Parthians, Sakas etc. who called themself Aryans and their country as Aryanam-Vaej (Land of Aryans). But during all periodes Khorasan became a new home for different people with different origine or was conquered, tough most of these people were Indo-Europeans. In pre-islamic times the Iranian tribes became mixed with eachother, specially with the Persians. Because of it´s popularity, wealth and legends that was made about Khorasan many western Iranians, particularly Persians, were seeking for a new home and a better future, specially after civil wars. They moved to Bactria, Kabul, Sogdhiana, Gandhara and even to India (Gujjarat and Bombey, f. exp. ) and to other regions. Also some Achemenids and Sassanians were resettling Persians from western Iran to eastern Iran when the population was overspilling and the pollution was increasing. Before the islamic invasion began, the Eastern-Iranians were already merged with the West-Iranians, mostly Persians. Modern Persians has a very important Sogdian and Parthian (and also Bactrian) ancestory. After the islamic conquest central Asia became a home for some Arabs that settled there toward the Persian population, known as Tajiks. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding Tajik ( - Tādjīk; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: Тоҷик is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking people of A very small part of them became assimilated and another part was able to remaining ethnically unchanged till the conquest of the nomadic Turko-Mongolians (and untill today). These altaic wave brought new people to Transoxania and Greater Khorasan from the north and east of Asia. Some of these Turks and Mongols became islamized by the urban and educated population so they were able to establish with their help and bureucracy powerfull persianated empires and become to a certain grade also settlers or in some regions of central Asia (like in Uzbekistan, Aserbaidjan, Turkey) turkificating the Iranian and other Indo-European population either by language or traditions and culture. Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Sometimes, as their Iranian precursor, their empires reached also India and indian merchants, craftsmen, historians, teachers, scholars etc. were moving to Greater Khorasan. The turbulent history of Khorasan is still reflected by it´s population. Nearly every ethnic of Indo-European and Non-Indo-European origine can be found in Khorasan. From Turks like Uzbeks, Kasakhs, Afsharis and Mongols like Arghunes, Persian-Speaking Hazaras etc. The Hazāra ( are a Persian-speaking people residing in the central region of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. to Iranians like Tajiks (Persians), Pashais, Pashtuns and Indians. Tajik ( - Tādjīk; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: Тоҷик is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking people of Pashtuns ( Pashto: پښتون Paṣtūn, Paxtūn, also rendered as Pushtuns, Pakhtuns, Pukhtuns) also called India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country But the majority of Khorasan´s population is made by Indo-European-Speaking people with more than 80%. Concerned to the turkic states of central Asia, genetical evidances proves by far more an iranic origine than a turkic one which means that most so-called turkic states in central Asia (Greater Khorasan) are originally descandants of Iranian people that became turkificated by small but military powerful tribes.

Khurasan in the Hadiths and prophecies of Mohammad

The prophet of Islam, Muhammad, mentioned the country Khurasan many times concerned to the Islamic/divine prophecies over the future. Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics

In the country Khurasan in Taluqan (northern Afghanistan) that at that place are treasures of Allah, but these are not of gold and silver but consist of people who have recognised Allah as they should have. Taleqan (or Taloqan) ( is the capital of Takhar Province, in northern Afghanistan. Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-zaman, p. 59)

Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Juz al-Zubaydi said, The Prophet said: "A people will come out of the East who will pave the way for the Mahdi. " (Ibn Majah) From Khurasan will emerge black flags, whom none will be able to turn back (and they, the flag bearers, will continue moving forward) till they reach Illya (Jerusalem) and embed their flags into its earth. (Tirmizi) In the era preceding Qyamah the Christians will control/govern the whole world. The Christians will reach Khaybar (Place in present day Saudi close to Madina. Khaybar ( Arabic,خيبر is the name of an Oasis some 95 miles to the north of Medina (ancient Yathrib) Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Madina may refer to Madina Armenia Medina (Hadith quoted in Bab-al-Qeyamah by Muhaddith Shah Rafee-ud-din)".

Prophet Mohammad: "Before your treasure, three will kill each other -- all of them are sons of a different caliph but none will be the recipient. Then the Black Banners will appear from the East and they will kill you in a way that has never before been done by a nation. " Thawban, a companion said: 'Then he said something that I do not remember by heart' then continued to say that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said: "If you see him give him your allegiance, even if you have to crawl over ice, because surely he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi. If you see the black flags coming from Khurasan, join that army, even if you have to crawl over ice, for this is the army of the Caliph, the Mahdi and no one can stop that army until it reaches Jerusalem". Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the

Īsā b. Saura as-Sulamī at-Tirmiḏī, Abū ʿĪsā said: "The Mahdi will be descended from eastern Khorasan"

Related by Abu Hurayrah: Prophet Mohammad said: "(Armies carrying) black flags will come from Khurasan. No power will be able to stop them and they will finally reach Jerusalem where they will erect their flags. " (Tirmidhi)

On the authority of Thawbaan, the Messenger of Allah said: "If you see the Black Banners coming from Khurasan go to them immediately, even if you must crawl over ice, because indeed amongst them is the Caliph, Al Mahdi. " [Narrated on authority of Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, Ahmad]

Amr ibn Hurayth quoted AbuBakr as-Siddiq as saying that Allah's Messenger told them the Dajjal would come forth from a land in the East called Khurasan, followed by people whose faces resembled shields covered with skin. Masih ad-Dajjal ( Arabic: الدّجّال literally "The Impostor" is an evil figure in Islamic eschatology.

References and footnotes

• Lorentz, J. Historical Dictionary of Iran. 1995 ISBN 0-8108-2994-0

External links

• Khorasan.nl (Persian)