The Historical City of Zahedan-e Kohneh: A Thousand-Year-Old Masterpiece of Iranian Urban Planning

Sistan, situated between southeastern Iran and western Afghanistan, mainly falls within Afghanistan’s present province of Nimroz. Iranian Sistan, or Western Sistan, lies in the northern part of Sistan and Baluchistan province, characterized by its flat terrain formed by Hirmand River sediments. Historical and archaeological studies reveal different cities throughout Sistan's history. Zaranka, Proftazia, and Ram Shahristan served as hubs in the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods, respectively. In Islamic times (۷th to ۱۸th century), Zarang, Shahr-e Sistan, and Shahr-e Nou Sistan emerged as significant centers. Except for Zahedan-e Kohneh, which preserves the remnants of Shahr-e Sistan, the second capital of Sistan in the Islamic era, little information is available about the location of other central cities from this period. Zahedan-e Kohneh has earned the moniker "London of the East" due to its grand ruins, showcasing meticulous craftsmanship. The aim of this article is to study the architectural features and urban structure of the historical city of Zahedan-e Kohneh, which was the second capital (Dar alHukuma) of Sistan during the Islamic era (۵th to ۹th centuries AH). The results of studies show that engineers from Sistan a thousand years ago were very successful in designing and building this city, and in order to build a good and flawless city, they applied various sciences such as geometry, geography, geology, climatology, and ecology

کلیدواژه ها:

Iran ، Sistan ، Zarang ، Zahedan-e Kohneh ، Islamic Architecture ، Islamic and Iranian Urban Planning.