Merv, also known as the Merve Oasis, formerly known as Alexandria, Antiochia in Margiana and Marw al-Shāhijān, was a major Iranian city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, near today's Mary, Turkmenistan. Human settlements on the site of Merv existed from the 3rd millennium BC until the 18th century AD. It changed hands repeatedly throughout history. Under the Achaemenid Empire, it was the center of the satrapy of Margiana. It was subsequently ruled by the ancient Macedonians, Seleucids, Parthians, Sasanians, Arabs, Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Khwarazmians and Timurids, among others.
The Golestan Palace, also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th century and finally rebuilt in 1865. It is the former official royal Qajar complex in Tehran.
The Arg-e Bam, located in the city of Bam, Kerman Province of southeastern Iran, is the largest adobe building in the world. The entire building was a large fortress containing the citadel, but because the citadel dominates the ruins, the entire fortress is now named Bam Citadel.
Qazvin ProvinceIPA:[ɢæzˈviːn] is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the northwest of the country, with the city of Qazvin as its capital. The province was carved out of Tehran province in 1993. At the time of the National Census of 2006, the population of the province was 1,127,734 in 294,305 households. The following census in 2011 counted 1,201,565 inhabitants living in 352,472 households, of whom 68.05% lived in cities and 31.95% in villages. By the time of the most recent census in 2016, the population had risen to 1,273,761 people in 397,165 households.
Qom province, pre-Islamic Komishan/Qomishan, is one of the 31 provinces of Iran with 11,237 km², covering 0.89% of the total area of the country. It is in the central part of the country, and its capital is the city of Qom. It was formed from part of Tehran province in 1995. At the time of the National Census in 2006 census, the province's population was 1,036,714, in 262,313 households. The following census in 2011 counted 1,151,672 people in 320,977 households, of whom 95.2% resided in urban areas of the province. At the 2016 census, the province's population had risen to 1,292,283 in 383,532 households.
Falak-ol-Aflak or Shapur Khast Castle is a castle situated on the top of a large hill with the same name within the city of Khorramabad, the regional capital of Lorestan province, Iran. This gigantic structure was built during the Sassanid era (224–651).
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Turkey and Iraq to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and from the Caucasus to Zanzibar. Persian buildings vary greatly in scale and function, from vernacular architecture to monumental complexes. In addition to historic gates, palaces, and mosques, the rapid growth of cities such as the capital Tehran has brought about a wave of demolition and new construction.
The Rayen Castle is a historic adobe fortress situated on the outskirts of the Hezar Masjed Mountains, about 100 kilometers south of Kerman province, Iran. The castle and the mudbrick city it protects display numerous architectural elements and design strategies recognized as hallmarks of Iranian citadels. The complex is well preserved despite numerous natural disasters that have destroyed similar structures nearby, including Arg-e Bam, which was destroyed in an earthquake in December 2003.
Arg of Tabriz, is the remnants of a large acropolis fortification and city wall in downtown Tabriz, Iran. Its structure is visible from far distances in downtown Tabriz, if not blocked by the newly erected highrise buildings.
The Arg of Karim Khan or Karim Khan Citadel, is a citadel located in downtown Shiraz, Iran. It was built as part of a complex during the Zand dynasty. It is named after Karim Khan, and served as his living quarters. It is rectangular in shape and resembles a medieval fortress. In the past, the citadel was sometimes used as a prison. Today, it is a museum operated by Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization.
Oshida or Mount Khwaja or Mount Khwajeh is a flat-topped black basalt hill rising up as an island in the middle of Lake Hamun, in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
Paykend or Poykent, an ancient city in Uzbekistan, is located in the lower stream of Zarafshan River and was one of the largest cities of the Bukhara oasis. The city consisted of a citadel, two settlements, and a rabod (suburb). Paykend is currently under consideration for inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The site of ancient settlement at Kanka, Uzbekistan, is located in 80 km southeast of Tashkent, in the southeastern outskirts of the Eltamgali settlement. It is one of the large, ancient city centers of the Tashkent oasis. Kanka is the first capital of the Chach state, a small estate of Kanguy.
Izadkhast is a city in the Central District of Abadeh County, Fars province, Iran, and serves as the administrative center for Izadkhast Rural District. It is the first city in Fars on the Isfahan-Shiraz Highway.
The Ganjali Khan Complex is a Safavid-era building complex, located in the old center of city of Kerman, Iran. The complex is composed of a school, a square, a caravanserai, a bathhouse (hammam), an Ab Anbar, a mint, a mosque and a bazaar.
Deir-e Gachin Caravansarai is a historic caravansarai in Iran, located in the center of Kavir National Park. Because of its history and unique qualities, it is sometimes called the "Mother of Iranian Caravansarais". It is located in the Central District of Qom County, 80 kilometers north-east of Qom and 35 kilometers south-west of Varamin. This monument was registered in Iran's National Heritage List on September 23, 2003. The caravanserai was originally built in the Sasanian era and underwent restorations and reconstructions in the Seljuk, Safavid and Qajar eras. Its current form belongs to Safavid era. This caravanserai is situated on the ancient rout from Ray to Isfahan.
Navekat or Nevkat was an ancient Silk Road city that flourished between the 6th and 12th centuries. It lies near the modern village of Krasnaya Rechka, in the Chüy Valley, present-day Kyrgyzstan, about 30 kilometers east of Bishkek. It was one of the most important trading centres of the region. Navekat was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 as a part of the site "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor".
The Complex of Izadkhast is located in Izadkhast in the Fars Province of Iran, roughly 135km south of Isfahan. It is a historical complex listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The complex consists of the Izad-khast Castle and old ruined town, the Izadkhast Caravanserai roadside inn, and a Safavid-period bridge. The complex is located on a natural base with the castle built on a bedrock to protect it from foreign attacks. The architecture of the complex displays unique characteristics to Izadkhast.
The Izadkhast Caravanserai is a historic site located in Izadkhast in Fars Province, central Iran. It was a caravanserai or roadside inn on the ancient Silk Road, serving caravaners and travelers as a place for rest and recovery during long journeys. It is situated in the historical complex of Izadkhast, lying in a natural low basin looking onto the Izadkhast Castle situated in the nearby high bedrock. Its construction dates to the early 17th century during the reign of Shah Abbas.
