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Elham Shirzadi Ahoodashti, Hasan Hashemi Zarj Abad, Abed Taghavi, Mehdi Abedini-Araghi,
year 7, Issue 26 (2-2024)
Abstract

Abstract
Ferim, of the outskirts of Dodangeh district, is located south of Sari. Ferim had a political and military importance in the early Islamic era. Geopolitical factors, military and political capabilities should be counted among the causes of Ferim positioning. The existence of government and memorial buildings, structures and urban areas show the prevalence of the triple urban system in Ferim. No focused research has been performed on Tabaristans old cities. The historical sources not matching with the archaeological findings, has motivated the present study to be done. The following questions are posed in this article: What factors have involved in the formation, development and fall of the Ferim? What role did Ferim play in the political developments of the region? The following assumptions can be raised: A geographic location, being central to the surrounding villages and equipped with the due productive and economic capacities have been among the influential factors in the formation and development of the Ferim. The political and natural factors are counted in Ferims waning.  he political capital of Ferim as the ruling hub and the existence of defense and military structures indicate the strategic political and military status of Ferim. Natural and geopolitical boundary, strategic status and political-military position are the most effective factors in the formation and development of the city. The location of Resket Tower and the Shahneshin site covering an area of 1000 m2 and the discovery of surface cultural evidence demonstrates that the dynamism and urban life of the old city should be searched in the mentioned site. Comparing the plan of the Shahneshin with some contemporary and more ancient constructions implies that this state building played a dual role, that is called “mosque-house” in the architecture of early Islam in Iran. The political and natural factors are the reasons behind Ferims fall in the end of the 5th and 10th century of Hijri calendar.
Keywords: Ferim, Gharan-Kooh, Espahbadan, Capital, Resket Tower, Shahneshin.

Introduction
In different historical periods, the formation of cities was under the influence of diverse factors, among the most important of which suitable natural location, political, military and defense factors, economic, commercial and religious factors can be denoted (see: Orooji & Alipour, 2013: 21). Islamic cities were viewed as the direct inhibitors of Sassanid methods of urban development (Mehr-Afarin, 2014: 81). On the other hand, despite the spread of Islam in Tabarestan, the presence of native clans following the suit of the interactions and mechanisms of the Sassanid period led to the social relations and policy-making practices in this region to be a combination of Sassanid approaches and Islamic traditions.
In Tabarestan, besides the aforementioned sites and contexts, the natural and defensive fortifying factors were critical in the cities being built and located. Thus, in the feudalism era, due to the distinctive strategic and military capabilities of foothills, the cities of the region were predominantly constructed in such sites. In many cases, such cities did not need large castles and towers, ramparts, and high lookouts, as well as upkeep costs, because the inaccessible locations and impassable roads hampered the invading forces to easily access them.
Amid this, despite being pointed out in numerous sources and in the existing historical evidence, the city of Ferim as a highland in old Tabarestan (in the territory of present-day Mazandaran province) is of the cities about which few studies and excavations have been done. At the same time, lack of sufficient information about the political, military, defense functions, urban organizations and other structural features of this city and this information not being compatible with the limited archaeological findings requires dealing with such issue. This requirement gets more decisive - considering the presence of the local ruling clans (Espahbadan), -at least since the Sassanid era- in the region and their conflict or appeasement with the central governments under the supervision of the Islamic caliphs or trans-regional forces.
The main objectives of the current study are to get a picture of the urban potentials, the effective variables in the urban formation and development, the most important discovered works and their functions, to sketch the spatial organization of the city and study the determining factors in the collapse of the city of Ferim.

Study Data 
Ferim, an ancient city in Qaran-kooh in the southern part of Old Tabarestan, located 60 kilometers south of Sari, which has been mentioned as the capital of Espahbadan, city, castle, borough and region in the sources (unknown author, 1993: 147; Ibn-Hawqal, 1987: 119; Etemad-Al-Saltana, 1994; 102; Rabino, 1964: 226) was the residence of Karen  clan rulers since Sassanid dynasty, after the collapse of which it was governed by their descendants (Ibn-Hawqal, 1987; 119; see: Istakhri, 1961: 169). 
The existence of some structures such as palace, local bathhouse, square and jam-e mosque in Ferim (Ibn-Esfandyar, 1987: 156; Rabino, 1964: 226) stresses the urban and political status of Ferim among countless surrounding villages and the rulers. The coin minting in Ferim  indicates the political legitimacy of Espahbadan dwelling in Ferim and the unique economic position of this city among its bordering towns and villages in the 4th century AH.
The most important factors influencing the formation of Ferim should be considered the natural and topographic ones, the geopolitical factors and economic potentials.
Today the evidence of the urban life of Ferim can be seen in two in situ structures: The Resket Tower from the early 5th century AH (see: Figs. 1 and 2) and Shahneshin building from the mid-4th century AH (see: Plan 1; Figs. 3-6). The surface cultural evidence in the site of the mentioned monuments strengthens the chances of the existence of the old city of Ferim in this region (see Abedini, 2007: 261; Abedini, Nikoobayan and Shirzadi, 2014: 389; also Plan 2). Comparing the plan of Shahneshin with its preceding or contemporary buildings demonstrates that this structure cannot be the Jam-e Mosque mentioned in the sources and posits the theory of this dual-purpose building. 

Conclusion 
The ancient city of Ferim, as a castle, the capital and the governing base of Al-Qaran rulers, was the treasure house, the military camp and the military barrack of the survivors of the Sassanid clans from the historical era to early Islamic centuries. What makes this mountain city remarkable and creditable was its strategic location as the headquarters and capital of local kings. Despite the loss of the urban status of Ferim before the mid centuries, the existence of Ferim in the cartographic sources demonstrates the continuing social life of this city within centuries.
Several factors influencing the formation and development of the city of Ferim include the natural and topographical location, geopolitical location and inherent security, maintaining a reasonable distance from other political bases, political and geographical status, and dynamic agricultural and animal husbandry oriented economy and production potentials.
The existence of the Resket Tower monument and the discovery of the Shahneshin site in addition to finding the cultural evidence in the vicinity of the tower emphasizes the presence of a dynamic city with an approximate thousand-meter radius from the Shahneshin site .No similarity between the plan of Shahneshin and that of the primary Iranian mosques and allocating a ritual space in the heart of a complex called the ruler’s palace or the governing headquarters supports the hypothesis behind assigning Ferim Jam-e Mosque to the Shahneshin site and the mosque-house theory.
From the end of the 5th century AH, Ferim gradually lost its previous prestige and glory. The reason for the decline of Ferim should be sought in the following factors: the political factors and transferring the capital from Ferim to Sari in 486 AH, two major earthquakes shaking it in 521/506 and 700 AH, the emergence of the powerful Safavid dynasty in the 10th century, and integrating the countrywide political-military system.
Espahbad of Tabarestan, Espahbad of Qaran, the son of Sukhra, residing in Ferim stresses the irreplaceable political status of this city during the early centuries. The interaction between the citizens of Tabarestan with each other and with the officials of Royan in the serious political-government decisions indicates the critical role of the mentioned cities, particularly Ferim, in the political organization of Tabarestan of that period.


Ahmad Nikgoftar, Abed Taghavi, Hasan Hashemi Zarj Abad, Amin Moradi,
year 8, Issue 30 (1-2025)
Abstract

Abstract
The historical city of Esfarayen is one of the most important and glorious cities of the Islamic period, which was one of the important provinces of Neishapur until the Mongol invasion, and shortly after the Mongol invasion and the destruction of Neishapur, it was revived and flourished more than before when the Ilkhanids came to power. At the beginning of Timur’s rule, this city was severely destroyed, and from the end of Timur’s period to the end of Shah Abbas Safaviy’s rule, it grew relatively slowly with political ups and downs, and it was abandoned due to the attack of Afghans and population changes. One of the most important valuable goods that was exported from China to other regions from the third to the twelfth century A.H. is Celadon pottery and the other is blue-white pottery. According to the 9 seasons of archaeological exploration in Shahr-e Belqays, 5 pieces of celadon and 2 pieces of blue-white pottery have been found, which have not been studied so far, and for this reason, research was necessary. The main questions of this research are, first of all, what period do these celadons and blue-and-white porcelain belong to? Secondly, according to the technical structure and typological comparison, are the pottery produced locally or extra-regionally, and how did it enter the city of Esfarayen? The third question is the reason for the presence of this type of pottery in the historical city of Esfarayen based on the archaeological context and historical documents. The descriptive-analytical research method and data collection method is based on field and library studies. The results showed that the celadons belong to the 2nd to the 8th century A.H. and the blue-and-white pottery are dated to the beginning of the 8th to the 11th century. The celadons and blue-whites studied are completely non-native and entered the city of Esfarayen by sea and land. Due to the quality and rarity, the type of motifs and the type of lines and writing themes are related to the noble and wealthy classes of the city.
Keywords: Shahr-e Belqays, Esfarayen, Islamic Period, Chinese Pottery, Ming Dynasty.

Introduction
Due to the strategic position of the land of Iran, which has always been on the path of important East-West communication routes from the past to the present, with a branch of the Silk Road passing through its soil as an intermediary between the civilizations of the Far East, especially China and Its western neighbors were like Iraq and Syria. Among the goods exported from China are the famous Celadon pottery and blue-and-white pottery. Due to the importance of Celadon and blue-and-white pottery, many countries were competing with each other based on their geographical region at that time to take over the market for the products of this art and industry. China was the main manufacturer of this product and Iran was the main highway for the commercial connection of this product to Europe and Africa. The city of Esfarayen is one of the important cities of the Islamic period, which was located on the commercial route of the Silk Road (Moghdisi, 1982: 566); (Ibn-e Howqal, 1986: 188; Jihani, 1988: 149); (Ibn-e Khurdazbah, 1991: 222). Due to the presence of powerful rulers and politicians such as Abu al-Abbas Esfarayeni in the Samanid and Ghaznavid periods, in the Seljuq and Ilkhanid periods such as Saeed Malik Bahauddin Juvini and in the Safavid period, Abu Muslim Khan enjoyed special growth and development and is one of the most prosperous and prosperous cities. Khorasan was considered that the commercial highways passed through this city (Aubin, 1971:121). In addition to crossing the trade route, the existence of thriving markets (Idrisi, 1409 AH, Vol. 2: 690-693)، (Hamiri, 1984: 56), and the production of important goods such as: cloth, metal containers, pottery, makes merchants and In addition to supplying goods imported from far away to this city, merchants should distribute the goods produced in this city to nearby cities and distant places, especially the Iranian plateau, Shamat, Anatolian Peninsula, North Africa, etc. One of the most important imported goods and popular among the governors and residents of this city is the dishes known as Celadon and Blue White, of which 5 pieces of such dishes have been discovered in archaeological excavations (Nikgoftar, 2014). Considering the discovery of this pottery from the archaeological context and the lack of introduction and study of it, and from the mention of writing marks on their surface, the upcoming article tries to analyze them in the context of history and archeology in addition to introducing and reading the lines.

Discussion and reasoning
 In the archaeological excavations of the city of Esfarayen, a total of 4 pieces of celadon pottery were found, one of which is of the Yue type (3rd-4th century) and the rest is of the Lank Chuan type (6th and 7th century). By examining and comparing these types of pottery, it can be said that in addition to neighboring areas and extra-regional areas, there has been direct or indirect trade with China since the 3rd century, considering the increase in the number of Lankchuan pottery related to the 6th century. And seventhly, from the reference of historical documents about the rule of the Jovini family over this city, their good relations with the Genghis family and the handing over of the government of the western part of Khorasan to this family (Jovini, 2012, vol.2, 222) and the political-economic journey of this family to Mongolia (ibid.: 222) and from the discovery of coins from this period in neighboring regions (Nikgoftar & Behnamfar, 2008) and extra-regional (ТЮНИБЕКЯАН, 2003) it can be said that in this period, Lank Chuan pottery came through the trade route of the Silk Road. That Esfarayen was located in one of these important commercial branches (Maghdisi, 1982: 566); (Ibn-e Howqal, 1986: 188; Jihani, 1988: 149); (Ibn-e Khurdazbah, 1991: 222) entered this city. Among other pottery that can be seen in China and Islamic lands in a significant way after Celadon is blue-and-white pottery, the production of these vessels became common in the states of Jijiang, Jianshui, Yusi and Jiangshan from the Yuan Dynasty, but the best type In the Jindjin states in the city of Chin Khwa (Chin-Hwa), which was related to the imperial furnaces (Bahranipour, 2022: 8). In the archaeological excavations in Shahr-e Belqays, 2 pieces of blue-and-white  pottery were identified, which according to the decorations and technical structure belong to the late Timurid and Safavid periods and the Ming period in China. It has been stated that according to the reference of historical documents and archaeological data mentioned above about the importance, value and use of these vessels and from the motifs and lines used and the examination of the technical structure of the vessels which proves that they are non-native, in general, it can be He said that these dishes were made for the order or use of the rich class and nobles in this city.

Conclusion 
By studying the piece of Chinese pottery in the city of Esfarayen, so far, two prominent pottery types of Celadan and blue-and-white  have been obtained, the first group of Celadan; that by comparative comparison of this species in terms of technical structure such as; The type of paste, glaze and construction form with examples of ceramics obtained from the sites of the Islamic period such as; Siraf, Mehruban, Kish, Neishapur, and Bandar Najiram, it can be said that this type of celadan is imported and non-native, and in terms of chronology, it is similar to the Yue and Lank Chuan types at the same time as the Samanian period until the end of the Ilkhanate period. The increase in the number of Lankchuan type of celadan along with other archaeological evidence and historical documents prove the prosperity and prosperity of this city in the Ilkhanid period and a transregional and global trade connection. Among the other types of pottery that were mentioned are blue-and-white  pottery, according to the comparative studies and examination of their technical structure, this type is also imported, according to the references in the historical documents about the destruction of this city in the attack of Timur and its lack of prosperity. It can be said that the presence of this type of pottery in this city dates back to the late Timurid period and the early Safavid period, during which time this city prospered again. According to the taxonomic examination and comparison of the pottery, which is completely similar to the pottery discovered in Hormuz, Taiwan, and the samples obtained from North Africa, it can be said that probably these pottery were indirectly and transregionally and globally from China to the port of Hormuz. And through the south-north highway and through the Jerjan-Tos commercial road, which was restored and reconstructed by Amir Ali Shir Navai in this period, he entered the city of Safrayan. Due to the rarity, quality of construction, themes and motifs, and on the one hand, historical documents indicate that these dishes were used in royal banquets or royal tombs, and from the discovery of these pieces from the citadel and noble houses, it can be said that these dishes are unique to The privileged and prosperous classes belonged to the historical city of Esfarayen. In general, the Chinese writings in the blue-and-white earthenware of Esfarayen city are as follows: the text of container number 9, the writing on the bottom of the container is incomplete and illegible, and the text on the bottom of the container contains the Chinese word called (peace, comfort), (longevity), (happiness) and (health). The text of container number 13 is written with the comparison and typology of the Chinese word du-ming-nlen-zuo, meaning the construction of the Ming period.

Vahid Zolfi Heris, Hassan Hashemi Zarj Abad, Abed Taghavi, Ali Farhani,
year 9, Issue 32 (8-2025)
Abstract

Abstract
Undoubtedly, the southern area of Tehran province, which has been formed in the fourth region over time, especially in the late Islamic centuries, based on historical sources; It was always of great importance for the governments of this era from the point of view of geographical and political location. One of the reasons for the importance of this area was its location on three important communication routes that connected Tehran to Qom. The above research was carried out with the objectives of identifying and documenting as well as understanding the formation and function of related facilities in the ancient roads located in the south of Tehran to Qom province, in which two questions are also raised: 1) the most important communication roads located in the southern part of the province What are the communication routes between Tehran and Qom? And 2) which pattern or patterns did the studied road network generally follow? Based on this and relying on historical written sources and archeological field studies, we can propose the following hypotheses: three important communication routes in the studied area, from the dimensions of road scenery [residence-welfare, security-guidance-movement scenery] which are a They were a coherent group, they obeyed. Routes that, apart from having (commercial and economic effects) Functions on the communities living in their neighborhood; they also had many effects on the (cultural and social relations) of these societies. The present research was done with descriptive-analytical method and gathering information in the form of documentary and historical studies and archeological investigations. The results of the present research indicate that three important communication networks [1) Abdul Azim Ray Gate - Kenargerd - Dier kechein - Qom, 2) Aliabad - Hoze Sultan - Qom (abandoned) and 3) Aliabad - Manzariyeh - Qom] in the southern region of Tehran province. It was located towards Qom in chronological order.
Keywords: Road Network, Tehran, Qom, Late Islamic Centuries, Archaeological Evidence, Historical Texts.

Introduction
Regarding the description and recognition of the ancient and communication routes from the south of Tehran province to Qom in the Islamic era, at the beginning with the center (Rey) and later (Tehran), there have been several historical and geographical documents that show that the communication routes The above in this area were of great importance for the governments of this period. Ibn Faqih, describing the main roads of Ray to the neighboring areas in terms of commercial nature, says: Goods were also produced by Ray artisans, they made crafts such as combs and salt pans, etc. from wood. Ray weavers were also famous worldwide and all kinds of They exported clothes to the eastern and western regions through the important roads of this city) (Ibn Faqih, 2000, 51). Moghdisi also writes about the roads of Ray from a (mobility-security) point of view: ((the easiest and most prosperous road in Iran is the road of Ray)) (Moghdisi, 1982: 718) and further says: it is clear that this feeling Comfort and security should be established for travelers so that they can easily take advantage of all the sights and facilities provided near the road (ibid., 574). Ibn Hawqal also paid attention to the Ray road from the (commercial nature) and in this context he says: Apart from Isfahan, which was a commercial and important city, from Iraq to Khorasan (Ray) can be mentioned, which is The reason for having different main and secondary ways in terms of production and export of goods is unique and significant (Ibn Hoqal, 1987: 106). Bakran considers the distance between Ray and Isfahan to be about 62 farsang (Bakran, 1963: 15) and Imam Shushtari, like Bakran, considers the distance between Ray and Isfahan to be 62 farsang (Imam Shoshtari, 1960: 35). Mostofi states that the distance between Ray and Isfahan is 86 farsang (Mostofi, 1983: 51). In the last few decades, our understanding of the above-mentioned communication routes relied more on the same historical documents. However, due to the abundance of archaeological evidence related to these routes, which included buildings and facilities related to them; In previous years, they have been studied and investigated by some researchers and archaeologists in the field, and these archeological evidences themselves support the first hypothesis in line with their alignment with the writings of historical-geographical texts and travelogues in the best possible recognition of communication routes. It illuminates between the two cities of Tehran and Qom.

Discussion
The southern region of Tehran province was considered as one of the key strategic and geographical regions during the late Islamic centuries. The existence of numerous buildings and intermediate structures in the three ancient routes of Tehran - Qom, shows the archaeological evidence and the importance of this region. As mentioned, this highway starts its route from the south of Tehran province and passing through the cities and villages located in this area to the city of Qom and from there, turning into several branches to other parts of the country such as Isfahan, Kashan, Arak and others. The southern regions are connected. One of the most important features of this highway is its (cultural and religious) dimension. The cultural and religious dimension of this course can be seen as the first option that was always considered by the rulers of the late Islamic centuries, especially Safavieh and Qajar. The reason for this importance was the existence of the holy court of Hazrat Masoumeh in the city of Qom. Therefore, this issue caused the rulers of the later Islamic centuries to build and erect numerous buildings and facilities on the way to the extent possible for the well-being of these pilgrims and caravans, and many of these buildings are still standing. Another importance of Tehran-Qom highway; It was connected with the Tehran-Khorasan highway, which along with this highway was also considered one of the cultural routes and thresholds of Iran’s nobility. The third strategic importance of the Tehran-Qom highway is the ((commercial)) dimension in the way that in the late Islamic centuries, this highway was a very important bridge for the exchange of commercial and commercial goods that went to Tehran and the north of the country through Bushehr port. were carried One of the other important issues that always add to the importance of the Tehran-Qom highway was the (political and military) dimensions, because the statesmen of the late Islamic centuries [Safavieh and Qajar] to advance their goals in these fields and reach the capital as quickly as possible. As well as the open waters through the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea and on the other side of the Caspian Sea, they urgently needed a good route to achieve these goals, which has high levels of amenities and road-dependent facilities. Therefore, the existence of these mentioned dimensions has proved the special importance of the southern region of Tehran province.

Conclusion
Based on the questions and assumptions raised, as well as citing historical sources, archeological investigations and the analysis of these components together, we can reach the conclusion that the southern region of Tehran province due to its special cultural and political position that during the last centuries Islam has always been important from the rulers of this era, and on the other hand, categories such as trade brought the transfer of cultural and social experiences to the people living along these communication networks, and these communities themselves are somehow a part of this economic cycle. and were considered cultural. Therefore, the existence of these three important communication routes: 1) Abdul Azim Ray Gate - Kenargerd - Dier kechein - Qom 2) Aliabad - Hoze Sultan - Qom [abandoned] and 3) Aliabad - Manzariyeh - Qom, which also followed the patterns of Manzariyeh Road. The importance of this area is increasing. so, from the archaeological evidence that included buildings and intermediate structures [caravans and bridges], he also acknowledged that the studied routes were always the place of traffic and passage of many commercial caravans and travelers. However, several reasons can be imagined in the field of recognition, formation and functioning of these communication ways and the buildings and structures located in them: 1) the history and long history of the territory of southern Tehran province in the creation of roads and facilities related to them. 2) Two factors of preparation of main roads and provision of comfort facilities and safety of travelers and caravans ((road monitors)) which were realized by completing road construction and construction of intermediate buildings: a) establishment of caravanserais and shelters. b) Creating water structures and solving problems of lack of water in these routes (reservoirs and glaciers). c) Establishing security and guarding caravans and passengers. 3) The religious and political competitions of the governments of this period [Safavieh] with other governments [Osmani] in order to encourage the people of Iran to visit the shrines. 4) The military and administrative dimension and the political competition of the Western governments such as Russia and England were taking steps to dominate the roads of this region in the advancement of their colonial interests. In the end, what can be said about these ancient ways: that they are the same communication networks of today that have continued to exist with little changes.


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