Gonabad

Gonabad

گناباد
Gonabad گناباد
City
	Qanats of Gonabad
	Gonabad
	Coordinates: 34°21′10″N 58°41′01″E / 34.35278°N 58.68361°ECoordinates: 34°21′10″N 58°41′01″E / 34.35278°N 58.68361°E
Country	Iran
Province	Razavi Khorasan
County	Gonabad
Bakhsh	Central
Population (2016 Census)
• Total	40,773
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+4:30 (IRDT)
	Gonabad at GEOnet Names Server

Gonabad (Persian: گناباد‎, also Romanized as Gonābād; also known as Gūnābād; formerly Janābaz)^[2] is a city and capital of Gonabad County, in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 36,367, in 10,389 families.^[3] It is mostly well known because of the Gonabadi Dervishes and for its qanats, also known as kareez. It is one of the most important producers of saffron in Iran. Other agricultural products include: Grape, Pistachio and pomegranate. The city contains the cemetery for the Ni'matullāhī Gonabadi dervish order located in Beydokht.^[4]

History[]

Kūh-Zibad

The famous ancient war of Davazdah Rokh had happened between Iran and Turan (Central Asia) in this city on the Zibad Castle.

The construction of this city is attributed to the Achaemenid kings and during the Seljuk Empire and Khwarazmian dynasty periods (fifth to seventh centuries AH) it was Shahrabadi.^[5]

Historical sites, ancient artifacts and tourism[]

Forud Castle[]

Forud Castle is a historical castle located in Gonabad County in Razavi Khorasan Province, The longevity of this fortress dates back to the Parthian Empire.

Zibad Castle[]

Zibad Castle is one of the four historical monuments of Zibad, Iran. In 2001, the castle was registered as a national property in Iran, which is related to the history of pre-Islamic Iran, and is located in Gonabad city, Kakhk district, in the residential area of Zibad. It has been registered as national heritage. In addition to the castle of Zibad, there are also the royal castle of Zibad nationally registered under the name of Shahab Castle in 2002.

Jameh Mosque of Gonabad[]

The Jameh Mosque of Gonabad is related to Khwarazmian dynasty and is located in Gonabad.^[6]^[7]

Qanats of Gonabad[]

The Qanats of Ghasabeh, also called Kariz Kai Khosrow, is one of the world's oldest and largest networks of qanats (underground aqueducts). Built between 700 and 500 BCE by the Achaemenid Empire in what is now Gonabad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, the complex contains 427 water wells with a total length of 33,113 metres (20.575 mi).^[8] The site was first added to UNESCO's list of tentative World Heritage Sites in 2007, then officially inscribed in 2016, collectively with several other qanats, as "The Persian Qanat".^[9]