Esfarayen

Esfarayen اسفراین
city
Esfarayen Location of Esfarayen in Iran
Coordinates: 37°04′35″N 57°30′36″E / 37.07639°N 57.51000°E / 37.07639; 57.51000Coordinates: 37°04′35″N 57°30′36″E / 37.07639°N 57.51000°E / 37.07639; 57.51000
Country	Iran
Province	North Khorasan
County	Esfarayen County
Bakhsh	Central
Population (2006)
• Total	60,372[1]
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Website	esfarayennews
Esfarayen at GEOnet Names Server

Esfarayen (Persian: اسفراین‎‎, also Romanized as Esfarāyen; formerly, Meyanābād, Mīānābād, and Mīyānābād)^[2] is a city in and the capital of Esfarayen County, North Khorasan Province in Iran. At the 2006 census its population was 60,372, in 17,334 families.^[3]

The largest ethnic groups of the Esfarayen city are Kurmanjs and Tats.^[4][5]

Esfarayen is one of the focal points for residence of Aryan tribes after entering Iran.

Etymology

According to the medieval Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi, the original name of Esfarayen was Asbarayin, which meant "the shield-bearers".

History

After the Islamic conquest of Persia, Esfarayen enjoyed a period of great prosperity,which came to an end with the fall of the Abbasid caliphate, when it fell victim to attacks and eventual destruction, although it was, eventually, rebuilt.

The town was in a completely ruinous state at the time of the ruler Ebrahim Afshar.

Sport

Esfarayen is home to a Koshti Pahlevani (traditional Iranian wrestling) tournament called Bachokheh or Koshti Bachokheh. This tournament is held in the open air.

References

Sources

• Le Strange, Guy (1905). The Lands of the Eastern Caliphate: Mesopotamia, Persia, and Central Asia, from the Moslem Conquest to the Time of Timur. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc. p. 202.