Kerman

Kerman (; ) is a city in the Central District of Kerman County, Kerman province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district.

History

Kerman was founded as a defensive outpost, with the name Veh-Ardashir, by Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire, in the 3rd century AD.

After the Battle of Nahāvand in 642, the city came under Muslim rule.

The Abbasid Caliphate's authority over the region was weak, and power passed in the tenth century to the Buyid emirs. The region and city fell to Mahmud of Ghazni in the late tenth century. The name Kerman was adopted at some point in the tenth century.

220x220px|thumb|left|[[Dirham of Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi ibn al-Mansur, 8th century. Silver 2.95 g]]

thumb|left|220x220px|The [[Rayen Castle, the second largest brick building in the world]]

Under Seljuk Turkish rule in the 11th and 12th centuries, Kerman remained virtually independent, conquering Oman and Fars. When Marco Polo visited Kerman in 1271, it had become a major trade emporium linking the Persian Gulf with Khorasan and Central Asia. Subsequently, however, the city was sacked many times by various invaders. Kerman expanded rapidly during the Safavid dynasty. Carpets and rugs were exported to England and Germany during this period.

In 1793 Lotf Ali Khan defeated the Qajars, and in 1794 he captured Kerman. But soon after he was besieged in Kerman for six months by Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. When the city fell to Agha Mohammad Khan, angered by the popular support that Lotf Ali Khan had received, many of the male inhabitants were killed or blinded, and a pile was made out of 20,000 detached eyeballs and poured in front of the victorious Agha Mohammad Khan.

Demographics

Ethnicity and religion

The people of Kerman are Persians, and are mostly Muslim, with a small Zoroastrian minority.

Population

The population of the city in 1996 was 385,000. At the time of the 2006 national census, the city's population was 496,684 in 127,806 households. The following census in 2011 counted 534,441 people in 147,922 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 537,718 people in 162,677 households.

It is the largest and most developed city in the province and one of the most important cities in southeastern Iran. It is also one of the largest cities of Iran in terms of area. Kerman is famous for its long history and strong cultural heritage. The city is home to many historic mosques and Zoroastrian fire temples. Kerman has been the capital city of Iranian dynasties several times during its history. It is located on a large, flat plain, 800 km (500 mi) south-east of Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Population development

Some of these figures are estimates only, official census results are indicated with (¹).

| valign="top" |

{|class = wikitable

!Year

!Population

| 1896 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 40,228

| 1906 || style="text-align:right;"| 55,000

| 1916 ¹|| style="text-align:right;" | 52,154

| 1926 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 55,048

| 1936 || style="text-align:right;"| 75,000

| 1946 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 97,363

| 1956 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 101,716

| 1966 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 140,761

| 1976 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 254,786

| 1986 || style="text-align:right;"| 310,000

| 1991 || style="text-align:right;"| 350,000

| 1996 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 384,991

| valign="top" |

{| class=wikitable

! Year

! Population

| 2001 || style="text-align:right;"| 450,000

| 2006 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 515,414

| 2011 ¹|| style="text-align:right;"| 734,442

¹ official census results

Geography

Surrounding municipalities

Kerman is surrounded by the following cities: Anar to the northwest; Ravar to the north; Shahdad to the northeast; Rafsanjan to the west; Jiroft to the south; Sirjan to the southwest; Mahan to the southeast; and Bam to the east.

Location

Kerman is located on a high margin of the Lut Desert (Kavir-e Lut) in the south-central part of Iran. The city is surrounded by mountains. Kerman is also located along the mountain Saheb al-Zaman.

The city is 1,755 m (5,758 ft) above sea level, making it third in elevation among provincial capitals in Iran. Winter brings very cold nights to Kerman. The mountains in the south and southeast are snow-capped all year round.

Kerman is located at latitude 30.29 and longitude 57.06.

Climate

Kerman has a cold desert climate (BWk, according to the Köppen climate classification), with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is scarce throughout the year.

The city's many districts are surrounded by mountains. The northern part of the city is located in an arid desert area, while the highland of the southern part of the city enjoys a more moderate climate.

The city of Kerman has a moderate climate. The average annual rainfall is 148 mm. Otherwise, its climate is relatively cool (by Iranian standards).

|source 2 = IRIMO (records), (snowfall and snow days 1981-2010)

Geological characteristics

For Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. The discovery of new dinosaur footprints in 2005 renewed hopes for a better understanding the history of this area.

Economy

thumb|120px|A Kerman carpet

Carpet weaving is one of the main industries of the city, and the carpets produced there are renowned internationally. Cotton textiles and goatwool shawls are also manufactured.

A number of modern establishments such as textile mills and brickworks also have been constructed. The province's mineral wealth includes copper and coal.

Sport

thumb|240px|[[Sanat Mes Kerman F.C.|Mes Arena]]

Mes Kerman is the major football team of the city.

The Shahid Bahonar Stadium has 15,000 seats.

Transportation

thumb|right|200px|Kerman's Adineh bus terminus

thumb|right|200px|Boeing 747-400 of Iranian airline, [[Mahan Air]]

Kerman is on the Tehran, Bandar Abbas and Zahedan route. Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani Airport is considered one of Iran's main airports. It has daily and weekly flights to Tehran, Ahwaz, Yazd, Esfahan, Bandar Abbas, Mashhad and Shiraz.

Colleges and universities

Kerman Azad University
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman is one of technological institutions of Kerman province
Kerman University of Medical Sciences is the a medical university
Kerman Graduate University of Technology is a graduate-level degree-granting institution.
Shahid Chamran Technical College of Kerman
Payam Noor University of Kerman
Kerman Khaje-Nasir Higher Education Center

Notable people

Al-Mahani (9th century mathematician and astronomer)
Khwaju Kermani (14th century poet from the 14th century)
Shah Nimatullah Wali (14th century Sufi Master and poet)
Ganj Ali Khan (16th century Kurdish governor of Kerman.
Mirza Reza Kermani (Iranian revolutionary who assassinated the Shah of Persia)
Qasem Soleimani (Commander of the Qods Force, a division of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)
Mohammad Javad Bahonar (the Prime minister of Iran from 15 to 30 August 1981 when he was assassinated by Mujahideen-e Khalq)
Mohammad-Reza Bahonar (the conservative First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Iran)
Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi (the former Iranian minister of Science and Technology and Mathematics full professor)
Majid Namjoo (Iranian politician who was the Minister of Energy in the 9th government)
Mohammad Ebrahim Bastani Parizi, historian, translator, and writer
Houshang Moradi Kermani (writer)
Keikhosrow Shahrokh
Peyman Soltani, conductor of Melal Orchestra
Saeed Nafisi (writer)
Arash Borhani (soccer player)
Zahra Nemati (Paralympic archery gold medalist at the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2016 Summer Paralympics, 2020 Summer Paralympics)
Roohollah Khaleghi
Ali Movahedi-Kermani
Mahnaz Afkhami (born 1941), Iranian-American politician and human rights and women's rights activist, served in the Cabinet of Iran (1976–78)
Ahmad Madani (Iranian politician, Commander of Iranian Navy (1979))
Javad Nurbakhsh, previous Master of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order
Ahmadreza Ahmadi, poet and screenwriter
Mozzafar Baghai, political figure
Ali Akbar Abdolrashidi
Parviz Shahriari (mathematician, author, translator and political activist)
Tahereh Saffarzadeh, poet and writer

Twin towns – sister cities

Armavir, Armenia

Gallery

File:Ganjali Khan Mosque.JPG|Ganjali Khan Mosque

File:Ganjali Khan Caravanserai 01.jpg|Ganjali Khan Caravanserai

File:Ganjali Khan Complex, Kerman 01.jpg|Ganjali Khan square

File:Shazdeh Garden Mahan Iran.jpg|Shazdeh Garden (Prince's Garden)

File:Jardín del Príncipe, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 21.jpg|Shazdeh Garden

File:Jabalieh, Kerman, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 02.jpg|Jabalieh Dome

File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 07.jpg|Shah Nimatullah Wali holy shrine

File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 06.jpg|Shah Nimatullah Wali holy shrine (praying hall)

File:Mezquita de Malek, Kerman, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 27.jpg|Entrance to Kerman's Jameh Mosque (also known as Friday Mosque)

File:Bazaar de Kerman, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 38.jpg|Kerman's Grand Bazaar

File:Museum of Zoroastrians - Kerman.jpg|Museum of Zoroastrians

File:Patteh-Kerman.png|Kerman's Patteh

File:Pars Hotel.jpg|Kerman Pars Hotel

File:Kerman Railway Station 2.jpg|Kerman Railway Station

</gallery>