General Information about Kerman

Kerman is the capital city of Kerman province. It is the largest and most developed city in the Kerman Province and the most important city in South-East Iran. Kerman is one of the five historical cities of Iran. From the industrial, political, cultural and scientific points of view, it is the most important city in the southeast of Iran. Kerman is very famous for its long history and strong cultural heritage.

History and Culture

Kerman was founded as a defensive outpost, with the name Behdesīr, by Ardeshir I, founder of the Sassanid Empire, in the 3rd century AD. After the Battle of Nahāvand in 642, the city came under Muslim rule. At first the city’s isolation allowed Kharijites and Zoroastrians to thrive there, but the Kharijites were wiped out in 698, and the population was mostly Muslim by 725. Already in the eighth century the city was famous for its manufacture of cashmere wool shawls and other textiles. The Abbasid Caliphate’s authority over the region was weak, and power passed in the tenth century to the Buyid dynasty, which maintained control even when the region and city fell to Mahmud of Ghazna in the late tenth century. The name Kerman was adopted at some point in the tenth century. Kerman was under the Seljuk Turks in the 11th and 12th centuries, but remained virtually independent, conquering Oman and Fars. When Marco Polo visited the city 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 captured Kerman. But soon, he was besieged in Kerman for six months by Agha Mohammad Khan. When the city fell to Agha Mohammad Khan, angered by the popular support that Lotf Ali Khan had received, all 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 Muhammad Khan. The women and children were sold into slavery, and the city was destroyed over ninety days. The present city of Kerman was rebuilt in the 19th century to the northwest of the old city, but the city did not recover to its former size until the 20th century.

Best Time To Go

With the coming of autumn, the best season for tourism desert, desert provinces of the country prepared for the reception of ecotourism. Kerman is a major part of the Lut desert wonders care. Mythical city of Clute, the world’s highest sand pyramids, 40 Quaternary volcanic cones, large areas of gravel and sand with light brown to gray and black color spectrum like “gunpowder Godard”, basaltic lava craters, such as “roasted wheat,” wavy sandy zones, world’s largest Nbkahay (dunes covered with vegetation), highest Rbdvha (large salt pots), Pashtry desert (of the type of ground it seems too wet after rainfall and a few camels walked on it) and Hamadan (plains of sand) Lout plain is salty and unique surprises.

Souvenir and Handicraft

The handicrafts and souvenirs of the province of Kerman are as follows: A traditional embroidery known as patteh, carpets, rugs, jajeems, Kilims (a coarse carpet), satchels, and other hand woven articles. Caraway seeds and pistachio of Rafsanjan and Kerman are best of the main items of this province.