Abstract
So far, have much been researches about confrontation IlKhanids of Mongol and putting end to Abbasids Caliphate and Ismailis, but still there are many untold of facts unknown to historians and researchers. Based on evidence that we have, local governments of 5 and 6 century were strongly afraid of murders of Ismaili mountaineer. One of the areas that was the perfect opportunity for Ismailis, was the mountains of north of Lur which through an important this passage could connect to Baghdad. The Ilkhanids that according to the Mongolian documents this time their goal was not only to destroy regions and looting, but had come to get a brilliant victory in west Asia because for ten years their territory was not developed in this direction. The situation was so unstable for Mongols that they continuously asked help from the court of Qaan and requested the dismantling of the government of the caliphs of Baghdad and Ismaili. Accordingly, this time they entered Iran with a pre-designed plan. Hülegü army was equipped with Chinese gunpowder and latest engineering equipment of siege. Cavalry archers of Hülegü were under the command of commanders that are involved with military operations with Subutai and Genghis Khan. So, in this study are two questions: What is due to be reviewed in this paper, is a different aspect, derived from this question; whether part of military confrontation with the Abbasids and the Ismailis occurred in places far from the range of historians and left behind in the dark? The first hypothesis this is: the policy of conquest or purchasing numerous castles and penetration in various mountains by the Ismailis and as well as finding ways to penetrate to Baghdad by Ilkhanids, has been gone the struggle between Ilkhanids with Ismailis and Abbasids Caliphate to southwest Zagros Mountains.
Keywords: Lur City, Ilkhanids, Abbasids Caliphate, Ismailis, Baghdad.

Introduction
According to documents presented in this study, Lur City has been strategic center played an effective role for Ilkhanids in defeating their two arch-enemies. Lur city on one hand could play the role of logistics base in mountain base to combat Mongereh castle (Mongereh), that was located on Mount dez (dez) the mountains north of Lur, and also with use of the passage in southwest of city, and Ilkhanids army could easily pass the passage and access the center of the caliphate i.e. Baghdad. According to the documents, this passage also existed in past and according to ancient documents at one time it was crossing between Paul Assyria’s army to fight the Ilam / ancient Ilam, and at the Sassanid period, it was passage used by Sassanid Shapur to deal with Rome in the battle of Edessa. In the Islamic period, its importance was known to Ilkhanids and Hülegü in good way and using military terminal of Lur managed to use part of his military operations against the Ismailis in northern mountains and another part through the southwest passage of city against the Abbasid. Lur base helped Ilkhanids to overcome enemies of Ismaili and Abbasid Caliphate and also they established their rule. From this base, they used their military force against the Damascus and Aleppo, because their next stop after Baghdad was raid on Syria. Hülegü by strengthening its forces in the same passage managed the development, support and guidance of the military operations in other parts. The present article, after survey Lur city, is deals with political and military importance of city in facing Abbasids Caliphate, Ismailis, and Ilkhanids. The work method is based on collecting evidence of valid documents, archaeological and historical books, and analysis from them.

Importance of Lur crossing
Through the passage of southwest of Lur city, Hülegü in 655 AH / December 1257 AD started the battle against the caliphs of Baghdad and in February of 1258 I CE / 656 AH arrived in Baghdad. He plundered Baghdad and after that the caliph surrendered. Abbasids Caliphate treasures were looted and were shipped to the headquarters of the Mongolian Khan. By Hülegü’s command caliph was thrown under horses hooves and killed and after 5 centuries Abbasid caliphate was overthrown by the Mongols. They continued operations to other cities around Syria, through that passage until receiving news of death Mngoqaan the Mongol army was halted progress and Hülegü Khan returned to Azerbaijan. As a result Egypt used the provisional interruption that had emerged in the Mongol onslaught, and provided stability against them. But on the whole Ilkhanids using thus strategic passage by entering Baghdad from the west could bring under the control of different areas. In base of Lur city the Mongereh castle was conquered and this event started Ilkhanids serious presence in the Mongereh castle. Pottery glazed turquoise blue in 7 and 8 AH centuries, is indicate the capture of this important and historic castle by Ilkhanids and their establishment within this period.

Conclusion
According to discussions provided in this study, Lur City as a strategic center played an effective role for Ilkhans in defeating their two arch-enemies. Lur city on one hand could play the role of logistics base in mountain base to combat Mongereh castle (Mongereh), that was located on Mount dez (dez) the mountains north of Lur, and also with use of the passage in southwest of city, and Ilkhanids army could easily pass the passage and access the center of the caliphate i.e. Baghdad. So, it seams, fall of the Lur city has been led to overthrow of Abbasid Caliphate. The pottery glazed turquoise blue in 7 and 8 AH centuries, is indicate the capture of this important and historic castle by Ilkhanids and their establishment within this period.

Abstract
The city has more than one enclosed enclosure inside the barrow, and it introduces more than one area. Cities have seen profound changes in industrial, social, economic, political, and in particular their demographic, in their relatively long history. The oldest cities between the end of the 4th millennium and the beginning of the third millennium BC They emerged in western Asia and in places where their climate was favorable, and the fertile land suitable for cultivation .Also, the city’s urbanization in Iran dates back to the fourth millennium BC, But the process of city formation and the continuity of urbanization has been gradual in its own way. The Iranian city’s security includes the features and values of the architecture and urbanization of Iran, prior to the arrival of Islam. After the arrival of the Arabs in Iran and the formation of a unified Islamic state in the lands under Islamic domination, the emergence of sprouts The early buds of the new towns, these new towns, originated mostly from Islamic teachings, are divided into two main categories Cities left from civilizations before Islam or cities built by Muslims. The Islamic mayor was structurally persistent in the urbanization of the Sasanian era, and its physical elements were mostly derived from culture. The rich are Islam and represent Islamic civilization and culture. One of these cities is Qazvin, whose core was formed during the Shapur Sassanid dynasty and gradually developed and expanded during the Islamic era, and during Safavid times, Shah Tahmasb was chosen as the second capital of this dynasty.
Keywords: City, Urbanization, Iran, Islam, Qazvin.

Introduction
The word “city” has a long history in Iranian languages. The concept of the city is simply not possible, because civilization begins with urban life, as a result civilization has a direct relationship with urbanization or city. The process of the formation of cities and states for the first time during the third millennium. Based on the evidence available in the Middle East and the regions. The southern and central middle and middle plains of Khuzestan, Nile valley in the north of Aswan, the plains of the Iranian plateau from Fars to South Turkmenistan have been the main centers for the expansion of early cities in the semi-arid lands of Western Asia. One of the major differences between cities yesterday and today is their size, which initially made it difficult to distinguish between the city and the ten because not only the size of the small towns and their population was limited. But the ten and the city, as well as the dominant economic activity, were the same. Each city has different sections that are evidenced by evidence Exploring the ancient sites, the main parts of cities are the structures of the living city, including: temples, palaces, warehouses, defensive walls, houses Residential neighborhoods, workshops and industrial neighborhoods of cities, cities of the dead or cemeteries. In Iran, the process of urbanization and urbanization of the fourth millennium BC It began with the identity of cities and their architecture before the arrival of Islam into Iran But with the arrival of Islam to Iran, we are witnessing the formation of new Islamic cities, and pre-Islamic Pre-Islamic Iranian cities, including Qazvin, are developed and expanded with Islamic elemental elements.

Creation of the First Cities and the Formation of the City of Qazvin
The word root of the city’s name indicates that the city has a semantic meaning over an enclosed enclosure within the barrow, and has more than one district (rural district, district, county, and province). One of the major differences between cities today and tomorrow is their size. At first, it was not easy to identify the city and ten of them. The city and township in Iran has a long history of civilization. And exploring the ancient sites of Iran dates the city and urbanization to the fourth millennium BC. The Iranian identity of the city includes the features and values of the architecture and urbanization of Iran before the arrival of Islam into Iran. Qazvin is one of the cities that was created during Sassanid era and on the orders of Shapur Zoltakht and the original city In the form of a fence and a gable under the name of Shapour’s fence, there were gates in different directions; Qazvin also had a city within the first city under the name of Sharistan or the city, which was later mentioned in the Islamic period by Islamic historians. On the edge of the city and around it there were gardens and fields that Naser Khosrow in the century 5h. q These gardens were mentioned without a fence, and these gardens during the Safavid period and during the Qazvin’s capital created the Gardenshahr of Qazvin, and the works of these gardens still remain in the city until now. During the Safavid period of Qazvin, the name “Dar al-Saltanah” He took himself and chose it as the capital of the king of Tahmasb.

Conclusion
Qazvin is among the cities that has been of special importance in all historical periods, according to written documents written by historians and geographers of Qazvin city by Shapur Zoltakht. It was called “Shadshapur”, but there is however no evidence of the state of the city during the Sassanid era. The only references mentioned in this article are the base and the boundary of Qazvin. In this period it is for the war against the Dalian, which most historians have pointed out. With the arrival of Islam in Iran and the conquest of Qazvin by Muslims, the city gradually expands and the core of the city for its development is the location of the Shapouri fence, which in the texts Historians have been referred to as the Keswin fortress, and in the post-Islamic periods, the city has expanded to this area. On the other hand, the city of Qazvin is located on the east-west and north-south communication highways.

Abstract
Despite the importance of the eastern regions of Iran, especially South Khorasan in the process of historical developments in Iran, archaeological research has not been done in this region. Kahnak archaeological site is an important Islamic site in South Khorasan province in the east of Iran where the weakness of environmental conditions and climatic constraints, especially the lack of water resources, has led to the formation of large and densely populated areas and settlements in this region. As this site provides economic, social, and cultural connections between the northern (Khorasan) and the southern regions (Sistan), which is also on another main route, it is very important for archaeological studies in the east of the country. Main routes have been a decisive factor in the location of human groups throughout history, and this has been more influential in areas where their habitats have been adjacent to major trade routes and communication roads. Kahnek site is considered as a place for educational activities of the Department of Archeology of Birjand University. From 2014 to 2019 excavation activities in this area have continued for six consecutive seasons. In this research, the fourth season of these excavations and their findings are introduced. The study aims to identify and analyze the architectural space called Kahnek Castle on the east side of the area in the winter of 2016. According to the surface data and excavations, the Kahnek site belongs to the third and fourth centuries until the Timurid period, and most of the gathered data include potteries and architectural structures are related to the Islamic Middle Ages. The architectural structures found in this season of excavation are mainly related to the architectural spaces of the castle. The present work is carried out in descriptive-analytical method and historical-cultural approach based on field data and library resources. 
Keywords: Establishment of the Islamic Period, Archaeological Excavation, Sarbisheh City, Kahnek Site.

Introduction
Regarding the archeology of the east of the country, especially South Khorasan, no studies have been conducted in this region, and the knowledge of researchers from the mentioned areas is more limited to the information contained in historical sources and texts and so far few articles and books about Archeology of this area has been published. One of the important sites of the Islamic Middle Ages in this region is the Kahnek site in Sarbisheh city. This site was selected in 2014 by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of South Khorasan and in collaboration with Birjand University as an internship site for archeology students of the Faculty of Arts - Birjand University and archaeological activities continuously until 2019, In this, it has continued. In the past, the Kahnek area was located as a settlement on an important communication route, which according to the cultural data obtained, it was determined that the establishment of Kahanek continued its life from the third and fourth centuries AH to the late Islamic (Safavid) centuries. In this study, the findings of the fourth chapter of the site are introduced. The cultural data obtained from the excavation of this site, in addition to architecture and pottery, have been other materials such as animal bone remains, decorative and functional metals, glassware pieces, metal and pottery ornaments, etc. This research tries to address these questions: 1- What is the plan of the explored architectural spaces of the ancient castle? 2- Can the influence of neighboring cultures be seen in the pottery of the Kahnek area? The research hypotheses are as follows: 1- According to the excavations, the old castle has a relatively circular plan and limited architectural spaces with square rooms. 2- Kahnek site is affected by neighboring areas due to its location in an important communication route that extends from north to south so that Neishabour-style pottery is one of the leading pottery styles of this area in the first centuries.

Geographical Location and Description of Excavation in Kahnek Site
Kahnek area is located in South Khorasan province, Sarbisheh city, in Mo’menabad rural district of the central part of this city and 50 meters east of Kahanek village and is located at 764602 longitudes and 3603433 latitudes. Architectural spaces in the fourth season of excavating the old area in 2015 are related to rooms with dimensions of 2×3 meters, which are related to the space of the castle tower. The potteries obtained in this excavation season are divided into two glazed and unglazed groups belonging to the early to late Islamic centuries. In addition to the potteries, an oil lamp, a metal scrap (possibly a coin), parts of quern-stones, a saw, pieces of glass, a chunk of glazed brick, a sharpening knife, and remnants of animals bones were found. According to the excavations and cultural materials and architectural evidence, three stages can be considered for this site. In the first and new stage of the site, it has been used as a temporary settlement in connection with livestock and agriculture. The second stage is related to the Islamic Middle Ages and at the same time with the Seljuk, Ilkhanid, and Timurid eras in which the site is at the greatest prosperity and development. The third stage of the area and the oldest one is related to the early Islamic centuries and the formation of the area, which shows the extensive connections of this area with northern Khorasan. At this stage, the architectural structures are built of clay with a wide foundation and thinner upperparts.

Conclusion
Archaeological excavation of the Kahnek site was carried out in 2016 with the cooperation of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of South Khorasan and Birjand University. The findings in this season of the excavation are the architectural works of several interconnected rooms with different dimensions. The walls of these architectural spaces are mostly made of clay; adobe and stone are rarely used in their foundations. Since most of the architectural spaces are detrital and in some spaces the adobes are placed diagonally next to each other, the roof of the residential spaces was probably made of rough-arch adobe. The pottery samples of the Kahnak area, which are the most important documents for the chronology of this area, can be compared with the samples and potteries of different regions in South Khorasan, particularly in North Khorasan and Kerman. The results of studies of samples and their comparisons show that the pottery in this area is related to the early Islamic centuries to the late Timurid and early Safavid periods. It can be said that trade routes played a key role in the process of communication and cultural similarities between different regions. Moreover, the Greater Khorasan Road is not only important for east-west connections but also it has been important for connecting the north and south of the Iranian plateau. Main routes have been an important factor in the location of human groups throughout history, which is more effective in areas where their ecosystems are adjacent to major trade routes and communication roads. However, it can be said that the climate has the most important impact on the process of leaving the inhabitants of this area, and agriculture, which is the main economic pillar of the region, has caused it to be abandoned due to climate change.

Abstract
In 2010 some human remains were discovered in Kan-Gohar cave, an iron mine which is located close to Bavanat city in Fars Province. By regarding the different hypothesis about the probable events which might have been occurred inside the cave and unknown date of them, after visiting the cave, a series of historical sources relevant to Bavanat regional history were considered. Some texts (e.g. Ale-Mozaffar and Timurid sources) pointed to the events which have been occurred in1350 AD through which after the death of Abu-Saeed Ilhkanid, people of a village in Bavanat were attacked by one of the Mongols son, so that all villagers to escape sheltered inside a cave to save their lives. But Mongol ruler ordered to set a huge fire in the entrance of the cave, thus all people were suffocated by the smoke and were killed in the cave. In order to compare these human remains with the mentioned event in historical sources, bioarchaeological studies were done with focus on violence using standard protocols of Buikstra & Ubelaker (1994). This method is rely almost solely on observations aiming to age estimation, sex determination, identification of pathological conditions and taphonomic agents. Considering the smoky roof and entrance of the cave, the number of females (37%), subadults (29%) and old individuals (30%) and lack of physical violence traces and observing the traces of burning on some of the bones, these assemblage of human remains are comparable with this historical event, with probability. These findings can provide an answer in order to find out the reason of discovering this human remains assemblage from Kan-Gohar cave. 
Keywords: Kan Gohar Cave, Bavanat City, Human Remains, Bioarchaeology, Archaeology of Violence.

Introduction
In 2010, a large number of human remains, burnt wooden objects and old shoes and clothing with lots of ash all around the cave specially in the entrance, were discovered from Kan-Gohar cave in Bavanat city in Fars Province. Since the bones were very well preserved, in addition to Fars Cultural Heritage Organization (CHO), Legal Medicine Organization (LMO) started to handle the studies on these bones, through collecting 47 skulls from the cave. The results of LMO studies revealed that most of the skulls belong to females and children, and they seemed that the skulls could not be assigned to the modern times and probably they are the victims of a firing. CHO studies by focus on cultural materials revealed that these are the mine workers who were killed by the collapse of the cave roof probably in the Safavid or Qajar periods. In addition to these hypothesis it was possible to assume that these human remains belong to people with dangerous infectious disease that are banished in this cave to save other people lives. Although there have been no a convincible answer, the case was closed. In 2015 through an archaeological survey project in Bavanat, and the director of this project stated that these are likely the victims of a war (Khanipour et al., 2015). After this project there was another chance to open this case for more investigation (Najafi 2018, Najafi et al., 2018). The aim of this article is to reveal the probable reason of discovering this human remains assemblage from Kan-Gohar cave. In this research 2 methods are used, the first, is studying the historical sources and the second is studying the human remains with using standard protocols (Buikstra & Ubelaker 1994). This method is rely almost solely on observations aiming to age estimation, sex determination, identification of pathological conditions and taphonomic agents. 

Discussion
Since the discovered cultural materials in the cave belong to Islamic Period, the relevant historical sources of different Islamic periods were evaluated. The result of this comprehensive survey on written sources revealed that some of the Ale-Mozaffar and Timurid sources would point to an event that has been occurred in 1343 AD. After the death of Abu-Saeed Ilkhanid, there was political instability and people of a village in Bavanat were attacked by one of the Mongols son, so that all villagers were sheltered inside a cave to save their lives. But Mongol ruler found the shelter and ordered to set a huge fire in the entrance of the cave, thus all people were killed in the cave through the influence of smoke. This event is mentioned in six sources with the same story. (Hafiz. Abru 1996, 1938, Qazvini 1993, Yazdi 1947, Kotobi 1985, Samarghandi 1993, Mirkhand 2001). So, this and it is possible that theses human remains are the victims of this event.
The results of bioarchaeological studies are related to age estimation, sex determination, identification of pathological conditions and taphonomic agents. The study of 40 skulls revealed 9 unidentifiable skulls, 15 females and 2 males. Age estimation showed 12 old individuals, 13 adults, 15 subadults (11 children and 4 adolescents). The pathological situations include pelagiocephaly in 16 skulls and it should be noted that this feature was observable in all ages, 5 old individuals, 6 children and 6 adults. 11 skulls were identified with porotic hyperostosis and 14 skulls with Cribra orbitalia. The last one is button Steoma in 6 skull. Taphonomic changes include smoky and burnt skulls with black and brown staining with post mortem breakage and crystalline spots. 3 antemortem trauma were identified that have been healed before death. No evidence of physical violence was observable on these skulls. 

Conclusion
The aim of this research is to find out why these human remains without usual burial practices are spread in this cave. The identified pathological items are not related to infectious disease and it is not acceptable that these individuals are abandoned in this cave, to die without hurting others. These human remains based on sex and age, don’t belong to mine workers, since almost all of them belong to old individuals, subadults and females that are not qualified to work in mine as mine workers. The reason of death isn’t roof collapse in the cave, since there is no evidences of pre-mortem breakage on the skulls that cause death. Based on the available proofs in archaeological context of these remains, like a thick layer of ash, burnt wooden materials and in some of the skulls, scattering bones in all around the cave and smoky entrance of the cave, it is likely that a huge fire was set in the entrance and the smoke has been scattered in all around and covered most places and objects too. Moreover the sex and age gender combination lead us to not only an accidental event in the cave, but also an organized action. One of the reasons that causes old individuals, children and subadults climbed the mountain and gather all together in such a dark and dangerous place, is a more dangerous event that can cause them to death. Based on this combination, the most probable reason can be war. So the geographical location of the cave, the condition of the context and age and gender combination prepare some clues to compare and connect it with the event which happened in Bavanat. These are likely the ones who sheltered in the cave to save their lives so they were killed with no physical violence, and they were suffocated by the smoke and died.  

Abstract
Kohgiluyeh; One of the most enduring names of the Islamic era is in the southwestern part of Iran, which has played a very important role in the political and social changes in this region. More than a thousand years have passed since the name of Kuhgiluyeh was mentioned in historical sources, but so far there has been no mention of the existence of such a city and it has always been mentioned as a geographical area or region. Recent discoveries in the historic city of Dehdasht show that Kuhgiluyeh was not only a geographical area, but also the most important urban center of the region in the Islamic Middle Ages. Also, it was of great importance in politics, military, economics, and even religion. This evidence includes a valuable treasure of 194 historical coins, some of which have the city of Kohgiluyeh engraved on as the place of minting. The location of Kuhgiluyeh city among the mints of this period shows the importance and of this city, which has remained unknown until now, and its geographical location is not known. Now, these questions can be asked: During what period and at what time were they discovered coins minted? When and what time did the city of Kohgiluyeh mint on these coins? Where is it located today in terms of geographical location? Which of the historical sites of the region is it compatible with? This study aimed to determine the period of minting the discovered coins, to locate the geographical location of Kuhgiluyeh city, and to gain information about the method of collecting library and field information. Its approach is historical-analytical. Kuhgiluyeh Mint, as one of the most active and important mints in the period of Agh-e-Quyunlus and Atabakan Lor Bozorg, is in harmony with the historical city of Dehdasht, in Kohgiluyeh. The Safavid period was renamed the city of Dehdasht and over time, the name of Kohgiluyeh has been forgotten.
Keywords: Coin, Kuhgiluyeh Mint, Agh Quyunluha, Historical City of Dehdasht.

Introduction
Kuhgiluyeh is one of the most famous places in the southwest of Iran, which according to historical sources, its peak period and fame; Goes back to the Safavid period (Valeh Esfahani, 1993: 643; Mirk Hosseini, 2006: 437). Lack of information about this area has led many researchers to rely on new archaeological evidence and discoveries, especially written works and findings, for more information and knowledge of its dark and unknown aspects. The study of coins discovered in the historical city of Dehdasht has provided us with useful and important information about the political and economic situation of this region during the Agh Quyunlu period, the most important of which is the introduction of the city of Kuhgiluyeh as one of the most important mints of this period. Until now, there was no information or knowledge about it.  
Research Purpose: The aim of this study is to introduce and locate the city of Kuhgiluyeh in the Islamic Middle Ages, to study the discovered coins and to study and analyze the historical sources as well as the most important urban centers of the region. 
Research Questions: 1- What period do the coins discovered from the historical city of Dehdasht belong to and during which rulers were they minted? 2- The location of the historical city of Kuhgiluyeh corresponds to which of the historical sites? 
Research Method: This research has been conducted by descriptive-analytical method and its information has been collected through library and field studies. The field information of this research is based on the study of a collection of coins minted in Kuhgiluyeh, which was discovered in 2009 AD in the form of a small treasure consisting of 193 silver coins in the historical city of Dehdasht and is kept in the repository of the Archaeological Museum of Yasuj. 

Discussion
The most important collection of coins discovered in the city is a collection of 193 silver coins that was discovered in 2009 AD during the demolition and restoration of Pirghazi tomb in the portico of the historic city of Dehdasht, in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces.  Studies on coins discovered in the historical city of Dehdasht, show that 80% of these coins are of the type of surcharge coins and the rest are of the type of common mint coins.  Coins discovered; they belong to the reign of the Turkomans of Aq Quyunlu and the reign of Ozun Hassan (1453-1477 AD) to Sultan Muhammad (1500 AD). According to studies, 14 coins from this collection were minted in Kuhgiluyeh Mint during the reign of three rulers of this period (Sultan Yaqub, Sultan Rostam, and Sultan Murad).
The total number of coins minted during the reign of Sultan Yaqub in this collection is eight coins; the place of minting two coins is Kuhgiluyeh. Out of 64 coins minted by Sultan Rostam (1484-1496), 11 coins are minted by Kuhgiluyeh. The number of coins related to the time of Sultan Murad (1497), are 19 pieces and all of them are without surcharge and are of the type of ordinary coins. Among these coins, one was minted in Kohgiluyeh. 
Before the Agh Quyunlu period, in the Atabakan Lor period, the name of Kuhgiluyeh was mentioned in the list of mints (Alaeddini, 2017: 181). The minting of several coins by the rulers of Aq Quyunlu, with the minting of Kuhgiluyeh, which is sometimes of high quality and weight among other mints of this period, shows that not only this city did not decline during the transition from Atabkan to Aq Quyunlu but has been able to maintain its past position, become one of the most active and important mints of this period. 

Conclusion
According to the studies conducted in the Giloyeh mountain region and its sphere of influence, only two cities, Behbahan and Dehdasht, have the necessary conditions and potential (area, communication and climatic location) to locate and propose as the location of the city of Koohgiluyeh. There is no doubt or ambiguity about the history of Behbahan name since its formation in the 14th century AD until today and in terms of its settlement history and naming can not be related to the city of Kuhgiluyeh which in the 14th century AD, due to the importance of the city, coins were minted. Therefore, the only historical site in the region that can be compared with the city of Kuhgiluyeh in terms of age and historical background, size and geographical location and climatic conditions, is the historical city of Dehdasht.  The study of archeological findings such as pottery discovered from the historical city of Dehdasht also dates the city back to the Sassanid period and early Islam.  In addition to archeological findings, historical sources in their descriptions of the historical city of Dehdasht refer to much older works outside the city walls and also the order to build the city of Balad Shapur by the second Sassanid Shapur, which is consistent with the results of archaeological findings, has it. The cities of Kuhgiluyeh (Islamic Middle Ages) and Dehdasht (Safavid period) have many commonalities, the most important of which are the antiquity of these two cities and the lack of historical information about their historical status in the pre-Safavid period and their location in a same geographical area, which can be the point of connection between the two.  According to what has been proposed so far, the city and mint of Kuhgiluyeh in the 14th and 15th centuries AD can be located in the current location of the historical city of Dehdasht in the city of Kuhgiluyeh. 

Abstract
According to historical and archaeological sources, the ancient city of Esfarayen was one of the important settlement centers of the Islamic era. During its existence and prosperity, this city was a link between the two famous and big cities of Nishapur and Jurjan, but from the end of the Safavid period onwards, due to various reasons, it declined and its inhabitants gradually moved to the new city. So far, parts of the ancient city of Esfarayen have been excavated by archaeologists during several different seasons. In the meantime, choosing a suitable place for archaeological excavations in this area has always been one of the most important issues for its explorers, because due to the limitation of financial resources and the large area of the area, it was necessary to determine suitable places for excavation in advance. so that its archaeological exploration can be done with more certainty. For this purpose, at the beginning of the third season of excavations, six hectares of the city were investigated with the help of magnetometric method. Then, based on the results of magnetometry, the excavations of this season were carried out. According to these explanations, the main goal of the current research is to present the results of magnetometry and compare it with the findings of the archaeological exploration of the ancient city of Esfarayen. In the current research, the descriptive-analytical method has been used using the results of field and library studies. As a result of these studies, many evidences of industrial activities were identified in the site, including architectural remains of a pottery kiln and many evidences of pottery production, which are important in the archaeological studies of the Islamic era.
Keywords: Magnetometry, The Ancient city of Esfarayen (Balqis), Esfarayen.

Introduction
The ancient city of Esfarayen, which today is known as the city of Belqis, is located in a vast plain, three kilometers southwest of Esfarayen, with an area of nearly 200 hectares. Currently, this city consists of different parts such as Arg, Sharistan, Rabz, Hesar and Khandaq. According to the documents obtained in the archaeological excavations, the city of Balqis had a settlement from the first centuries of the Islamic era to the beginning of the Qajar period (Vahdati and Nik-Govtar, 2016: 98). Due to the importance of this city in the past, several seasons of archaeological excavations have been carried out in it (Vahdati, 2016, Vahdati and Nik-Govtar, 2018 A and B, Farjami and Sotoudeh, 2019). But Balqis has a large area and the excavations that have been carried out so far do not even cover a small part of the city. For this reason, it was necessary to use remote sensing methods to identify at least a significant part of the city’s landscape and buried bodies. One of these methods, which is considered one of the branches of geophysics, is magnetometry. According to these cases, in 2009, and with the aim of identifying part of the layers buried under the soil and choosing better places for exploration, first a part of the area was surveyed for magnetometry (Aminpour, 2010). In this investigation, about six hectares of the area in a place called Tepe-Minar and also the northern part around the citadel in the southwest side of the city were surveyed by geomagnetism. By carrying out this investigation, results were obtained, based on which the third season of archaeological excavations of the site was carried out. According to the aforementioned, the main purpose of the current research is to investigate and analyze the results of the magnetometric survey of the area and the exploration that was carried out based on it. The most important question that we are trying to answer in this research is to determine the effect of the magnetometric method on choosing a better place for the purposeful exploration of the Balqis area. The method and approach of the current research is descriptive-analytical, and the method of gathering information is based on field studies from magnetometry and archeological excavations of the site, as well as library studies.

Discussion
A- The area known as Tepe Manar The results of magnetometry survey: This section included 36 grids of 10 x 10 meters. In some parts of this section, confused and jumbled magnetic anomalies were recorded, which probably indicate the transformation and destruction of its subsurface artifacts. But in other parts, the magnetic gradient anomaly map showed evidence of architectural structures and other buried ancient phenomena. Accordingly, in the part marked with the letter F, anomalies were revealed that could be related to heated masses such as brick structures or terracotta masses. The results of archaeological excavations: In order to measure the investigated parts of Tepe Manar with magnetometric method, three test boreholes were dug in the discussed area. In the first borehole, all the piles of clay and ash were encountered. In the second borehole, layers were identified, the surface and subsurface layers are sand, sand and soil, respectively, and there is a mixture of ash and soil in the lower layers. Inside the texture of soil and ash, a large amount of welding furnace and pottery was obtained. Borehole No. 3 also did not find any architectural works and only a pile of clay and ash was identified in a hole. B- The north-eastern area of the citadel the results of the magnetometric survey: In the magnetometric survey of this part of the city, several anomalies were identified. In this range, anomalies have been revealed in the form of light-colored extensions and in some cases perpendicular to each other, which can be related to the buried clay architectural structure. The results of archaeological excavations: In the scope of the second part of the geophysical survey, three boreholes and trenches were opened and explored. Borehole number one hit a pile of glazed pottery from the 6th century AH. It seemed that there was a pottery workshop around this place, because most of these pots were covered by the wastes from the pottery activity. For this purpose, a trench was excavated near borehole 1, measuring 6 x 6 meters. After removing the surface layer, a pile of pottery shards and pottery kiln debris was encountered, which were scattered on the surface of the trench at different depths. For this purpose, another borehole with dimensions of 2 x 2 meters was created at a distance in the southern part of trench 2, and after removing the surface layers at a depth of 30 cm, the remains of a pottery kiln were identified. The reason for the large amount of strong magnetic anomalies in this area is the presence of many pottery pits in this area, in addition to the pottery kiln. The date that can be determined based on the pottery obtained from this kiln is the second half of the 12th century A.D.

Conclusion
Today, in the world, magnetometry is widely used by archaeologists to identify architectural structures and buried structures. By using these methods, it is possible to examine and study many parts of an ancient site without destruction in a limited time. For this reason, in the archeology project of the old city of Esfarayen, the magnetometric method was also used during a period. Because not only the area was large, but also the limitation of resources prevented it from being able to explore a large part of it. About six hectares of the area were studied in the magnetometric survey of the area, which was carried out with the Fluxgate device. After investigating and preparing the related map, anomalies were observed in some parts of the map, which were probably related to industrial activities. Based on these anomalies, six boreholes and trenches were dug in two parts of the area to measure the results of the magnetometric survey. In almost all boreholes and trenches obtained from the excavation, evidences of industrial activities such as pottery production or pits of potter’s pits were identified. The existence of these convincing evidences is a clear proof of the magnetometric anomalies of the area. In a trench, very clear evidence of an Islamic era pottery kiln was found, around which there were several waste places. Considering these cases, it can be said that the results of the archaeological excavations of this site are a confirmation of its magnetometry project. If these studies continue and boreholes or trenches are created in other parts, we can gain more knowledge about the different spaces of the ancient city of Esfarayen.

Abstract
Tol-e-Zahak site, as the ancient city of Fasa in the historical and Islamic period, is located about 2 km south of the modern city of Fasa in the eastern center of Fars province and was registered as the 15th national monument in 1310 AD. After conducting a archaeological systematic survey of this site in 1397, in addition to identifying the extent of the site (based on the dispersion of surface data) which reaches more than 500 hectares; Chronology and settlement periods of the site, which indicate its habitation from the late fourth millennium BC to the Islamic Middle Ages; It was found. By studying the data obtained from the survey, especially pottery samples, one of the important settlement periods of Tol-e- Zahak area is the settlement related to the Sassanid period. Scattering of cultural materials related to this period (especially pottery) was observed almost all over the site. In this article, the authors intend to examine the historical sources and previous archaeological research in the region in connection with the Sassanid period in the region, the results with the data related to the Sassanid settlement identified from the methodical study of Tol-e- Zahak site, Intertwined (Historical Approach) and to reconstruct the appearance of Fasa city in the Sassanid period as much as possible. Studies show that the Sassanid settlement of Tol-e- Zahak site is undoubtedly a large urban settlement of the type of cities with an irregular shape of the Sassanid period. Due to its strategic location and suitable environmental conditions for agricultural and livestock activities, this city as one of the important commercial and commercial cities throughout the Sassanid rule and even a few centuries after the advent of Islam in Darabgerd province in the east of Persia Has played a role.
Keywords: Tol-e- Zahak Site, Ancient City of Fasa, Archaeological Survey, Sasanian Period.

Introduction
Fasa is a city in the eastern central of Fars province, despite the environmental conditions suitable especially for agricultural activities and also its special strategy position, which is located between the civilization areas of the east and west of the Iranian plateau on the one hand and the access route to the open waters of the Pars sea, despite the identification of many works and sites from prehistory to late centuries, Islamic archeological knowledge, especially the situation of the region in its historical period is very small Zahak bridge (Tol) is the largest ancient site of the city and one of the most important ancient sites of Fars. Most of the researchers in the area are related to the pre-revolutionary period. Some limited investigations were carried out on each of these sites based on a specific settlement or only included the main mount of the area which gave its name to the entire part. So it’s necessary to carry out a systematic investigation that covers the entire area of the site and all settlement periods. After the systematic investigation of the site that was carried out in 2017C (1397) based on the distribution of cultural materials. 
The surface area of the site was more than 500 hectares it was reached with the chronology of the cultural materials of the period of the residence in the site from the end of the fourth millennium to the middle Islamic century it was estimated continuously without interruption it seems that despite the most Sasanian cities during the Sasani’s period, the city of Fasa has been an important commercial city in the region since and it reached the peak of its expansion and prosperity in the Sasanian and early Islamic period. On the other hand, the historical and geographical sources of the beginning of Islam have a close relationship with Sasanians and called the city a large city with many products and prosperous commerce a city that has all the important structural features like; Kohandej, Baroo, Khandagh Sharrstan, Rabz… .

Data
The largest number of sites identified in the archaeological survey of Fasa which was conducted in 2008 (1388) belongs to the Sasanian period. A total of mounds and artifacts have been identified from this period (image 3). Of these 18 sites, only Sasanian settlements Also 28 sites were identified with the continuity of settlement from the Ashkanian to Sasanian period, 1391(166), the results of archaeological investigation and excavations region in Fasa indicate the importance of the region such a way that all the boundaries of the city witness settlements related to this period include urban and rural settlements, (watch towers), (fire temples), (water structures), (cemeteries), etc.
The main part of this article is derived from the results of the methodical archaeological survey of the site of Tol Zahak, it’s necessary to give a brief explanation of the survey and sampling method chosen for this site. Since the area in question is located between the modern city of Fasa and the two villages of Dastjeh and KheyrAbad, most of its lands has been cultivated and turned into agricultural lands for the villagers on the other hand the urban and rural construction in the northern, southern and eastern parts of the are an don’t allow a more accurate estimate of the area out to the size and extent of the area the selection of small square brought problems. So it was decided the entire area can be gridded into units with dimensions of 100 × 100 meters in the main geographical directions. Sampling to select the sample units in this research is based on one of the pre-defined, scientific methods, which is stratified methodical sampling.

Discussion
General chronology of Tol e Zahak and recognition of the settlement periods as well as identification of each period is based on the pottery chronology obtained from the methodical investigation of this area. According to the existence of prominent Sasanian cities explored near Fasa such as Darabgerd, Ardeshir Khoreh, Fasr AbuNasr, etc. Knowing the Sasanian pottery of this area is not very complicated. They have enough cooking. Pottery with a thick red mud coating and gray pottery with a black coating (image 6) of the common types of Sasanian pottery of the Tol-e-Zahak area which were identified from almost all investigated units. Among the interesting points of Sasania’s pottery of the Tol-e- Zahak is the use of decoration. There is a large undulating log on their outer surface. According to the distribution of Sasanian pottery in the Tol site, the Sasanian settlement covers the entire surface of the site, and it can be called a large urban settlement that is located next to the important cities of Kureh. Darabgerd has been in the eastern center of the Pars state based on the large dispersion of pottery known as Sasanian-Islamic pottery on the entire surface Fasa has passed the transition from the Sasanian period.
In the Islamic period without any change in the urban structure of the area of Tol -e-Zahak, several types of pottery related to this period were found. One of these characteristic types is pottery with an alkaline green glaze with added motifs which was obtained from most of the sampled units of Tol Zahak (image7) other types of Pottery related to this period are pottery with carvings decoration with a wave on the edge and other surface and the pottery is decorated with a grooved log pattern and these samples are almost was found all over the area. Sir Orel Eshtein the first explorer of Tol Zahak describes it as follows: there isn’t a big ancient area in Fasa except Tol Zahak so without doubt this area is the old city of Fasa (eshtein,1936) but this hypothesis was scientifically proven by conducting a systematic investigation. Conditions suitable environment and special strategic location of Fasa due to its location between several royal cities.

Conclusion
Fasa City has different from other important cities of the Fars State in the Sasanian period such as Bishapor, Darabgerd, ArdeshirKhore, and, Estakhr the most important issue is the function of the city and its background and history. The most important cities in Fars in the Sasanian period can be considered royal and religious cities that played a big role as religious centers of the Sasanian period. Without any doubt, the existence of significant governmental and religious structures in cities is undeniable but Fasa can only consider the commercial prosperity of commerce and agriculture as the most important factors of the city’s prosperity in the Sasanian period. It is the commercial center of Fars State and most of the geographers who have visited this city are described in their works. Trade and commerce of Fasa have been praised a lot. Archaeological evidence shows that the Sasanian-Islamic period of Tol Zahak is one of the large and important settlements of the site the Sasanian period and the early Islamic centuries can be concluded this transfer of power from Sasanian to Muslim Arabs which includes the aspect political and religious issues couldn’t have created a disturbance in the prosperity of Fasa.
Their fore description of the large size of the city included commerce and agriculture can imagine the Sasania’s area well. According to the description of the surface, Fasa is estimated to be about 500 hectares and is one of the largest cities. Another issue is related to the historical region in the Sasanian cities. Most of the royal cities in Fars as BiShapor were founded in this period and Darabgerd and Ardeshir Khoreh a little time passed it was used like checkered entities but about the formation of city it is very different issue.

Abstract
One of the most important commercial ports of Iran in the Islamic period was the old Hormoz (Hormuoz). This port was part of Jiroft area in the early to middle centuries AH. In the fifth century AH and after the decline of the commercial prosperity of Siraf port, Hromouz was one of the most important and active maritime trade centers of Iran in the northern margin of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman; And was associated with most of the important economic, commercial, and industrial centers of the ancient World. At the end of the seventh century AH, following the local conflicts and insecurity in the region, the establishment of Hormoz was transferred from the coast to an island in front of it called “Joron”. According to historical texts, after this relocation, the coastal port was called “Old Hormoz” and the island was called “New Hormoz”. The most important period of prosperity was the establishment of old Hormoz from the fifth century to the end of the seventh century AH. The aim of the present study is to identify and locate “old Hormoz” based on archaeological evidence and historical sources, and the research is on the question of where the port of old Hormoz was based on archaeological data and historical sources? For this purpose, basic information has been collected in two ways: field and documentary. Based on historical texts, the location of old Hormoz in the city of Minab can be traced. While there is no ancient city or site called old Hormoz on the coast of this city. Written sources, on the other hand, do not have an organized structure in old Hormoz, and the location of the port and the residence of the merchants are not located in the same place and are far apart. Based on this, it seems that among the 36 sites of the Islamic period that have been identified in the studies of the archaeological city of Minab, the site of “Chakha” next to the estuary (gulf) of Chakha has been the remains of the old port of Hormoz.
Keywords: Old Hormouz, Site of Chakha, Minab City, Archaeological Survey.

Introduction
Most scholars believe that old Hormuz was located in present-day Minab (le Strange, 2012: 341); But its exact limits are not clear. Various researchers have introduced areas such as Kohestak, Moghistan and Ebrahimi as well as Bandar Tiab as the place of old Hormoz (Vosoughi, 1384: 148; Ebrahimi, 1384: 45). A number of ancient geographers have pointed to something that could solve this problem, and in fact raises another issue: “The residence of merchants is located in the surrounding villages, about two Farsang from Hormuz.” (Istakhri, 2004: 99). Ibn Hawql has also mentioned the existence of merchants’ houses in the surrounding villages and diyats without mentioning the journeys (Ibn Hawql, 1987: 76-78); Moghaddasi (1385: 688) and the Author of Hudood al-Alam (1362: 127) also mentioned the location of the city of Hormuz in one Mil and a half Mile of the sea or the Great Sea, respectively. Considering this, it seems that old Hormoz had two parts: port and residential. As a result, finding the location of old Hormuz depends on finding its port. With this introduction, the main question of the present study is that based on archaeological data and historical sources, where was the port of old Hormoz? The study area has historically been called Hormouz, Hormoz and Minab. There are two views on the spelling of the word Hormuz; One is that it is composed of two parts: “Hour” means “estuary” or bay and “Mouz, Mogh” is the name of Mughestan province. The second view, which is derived from the word “Ourmazd” or “Hormozd” name of the Zoroastrian God (Nowruzi, 1390: 5-6). The date of construction of old Hormoz or Hormoz Barri (Minab) is attributed to Ardeshir Babakan (Saeedi, 1386: 45). Minab city with an area of 5135 square kilometers (statistical yearbook of Hormozgan province, 1396: 50) is located in the southeast of Hormozgan province and from the north with Rudan city and from the northwest with Bandar Abbas city. It is limited to Jask city from the southeast and Kerman province from the northeast.

Discussion
Based on archaeological evidence from 36 sites of the Islamic period in Minab city and analysis of the content of historical geographical sources about Hormoz, it seems that the Chakha or Chakha site in Bandzarak village in the central part of Minab city is more adaptable to the old Hormoz than other sites. Accordingly, first a general description of the Chekha site and then arguments for locating the old Hormoz port based on textual sources and matching them with archaeological evidence will be provided. Chakha site has been identified and introduced by Sarlak in the second season of archaeological studies of Minab plain in winter 1384 and spring 1386 (Sarlak, 1385). In 1390, Nowruzi in this area with the aim of determining frontage, began to excavate (Nowruzi, 1390). Although in his opinion, due to the monthly and daily tides of sea water and flooding of parts of the area, it is not possible to accurately determine the area and privacy of this area, but its approximate area can be estimated at about 40 hectares (Nowruzi, 2011). However, it is difficult to identify archaeological evidence during the day when seawater is low. This area is completely covered with coastal sand soil.
In addition to architectural evidence, artifacts such as bricks, coins, bones, various stones and pottery can be seen on the surface of the Chekha at high tide. The pottery fragments of this site are divided into two groups: unglazed (54 pieces) and glazed (180 pieces). Unglazed pottery samples are divided into two categories: “unadorned” and “decorated”. Unglazed, unadorned pottery in the Chekha area has a clay paste in a buff, red, or gray color range. With the exception of two handmade pieces, all parts in this group are spinning. The unglazed and simple type of pottery with gray paste, which has the largest number in this group of pottery, includes parts belonging to open-mouthed containers, laver, trays and lids. The glazed pottery pieces of the Chekha site also include various types, “ monochrome glazed”, “ monochrome glazed with carved decoration”, “ splash glaze”, “ painted in black under turquoise glaze”, “ blue and white”, “ moulded decoration under monochrome glaze”.

Conclusion
According to historical and geographical information, old Hormoz did not have a cohesive urban structure and consisted of two parts: the port where ships docked and few residential houses and urban facilities, and the other part where it is located. Rest and accommodation of travelers and businessmen who are located in the surrounding villages with different distances from the port from three kilometers to about 12 kilometers. The results of this research using archaeological research and excavations in historical sources and texts on the subject of the location of ancient Hormoz showed that the ancient site of Chekha in the southernmost part of Minab city according to its location, extent and time period were the remains of the old port of Hormoz. Saying that this area is located next to the largest estuary or bay located on the coast of Minab city, its area is estimated at about 40 hectares and based on studies conducted for the activity mentioned in the texts and its time period seems appropriate. Pottery was used from the first century AH to the ninth century AD, but its peak occurred in the Middle Ages. On this basis, we can present an image of old Hormoz, in which the ancient sites located within a radius of 12 km of the Chekha area are the remains of the same villages and hamlets that formed the residential part of the old city of Hormoz.

Acknowledgment
The authors feel obliged to express their gratitude to the anonymous reviewers of the journal who graciously accepted the task and enriched the content of the article with their constructive suggestions.

Observation Contribution
The authors of this paper pledge that this paper is the result of an original research and the results of other peoples researches have been used only citing the source.

Conflict of Interest
This article is a part of the MA dissertation of the first author, and the following authors have actively participated in the writing of this article as a supervisor and consultant.

Abstract
Dehdasht is one of the most significant historical cities in the southwest of Iran, which in its flourishing period was considered the center of a region that was important from the Sassanid period and after that with the names of Beladshapur and Kohgiluyeh had. This city is one of the historical cities of Iran, which despite many historical developments, it can still be considered the healthiest historical city with stone architecture in the country. During its heyday, Dehdasht had all the components of a city, including government citadel, tower and ramparts, mosque, school, caravanserai, bath, market, square, and other public buildings and more than a thousand residential houses. The purpose of this research is to understand the history and how the formation, development and decline of this valuable city. In this research, which was conducted in a historical-analytical way, it was attempted to compare the results of field studies, cultural materials (coins, architecture, pottery finds, inscriptions and inscriptions on tombstones) and Documents (written sources) be answered to this question, how was the historical course and the way of formation, development and decay of the historical city of Dehdasht? The obtained results indicate the growing trend of Dehdasht from the middle Islamic centuries and the peak of its development and prosperity in the Safavid period and the gradual decline of the city after this period. The results of the field studies also revealed that the initial location of the city was probably first formed in the neighborhood that is called “Rawaq neighborhood” today, and later in the Safavid period, the concentration and prosperity of the city increased in the eastern(main) part, and then the western part falls from its initial prosperity. Despite the development of Dehdasht in the west-east axis, with the fall of the Safavid rule, this city lost its prosperity so that today its historical context remains uninhabited and abandoned.
Keywords: Beladshapur, Kohgiluyeh, Dehdasht City, Jumeh City, Safavid Period.

Introduction
The historical city of Dehdasht is located in the current province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyar Ahmad, located in the southwest of Iran and on the southern side of the new city of Dehdasht(Fig. 1 and 2). This city was the center of a region that became known as “Beladshapur” from the Sassanid era due to the construction of a city by Shapur I. Beladshapur was one of the important rastaqs of the Shapur khoreh and then the Arrajan khoreh, which were considered the most famous areas of Fars in the Sassanid and the Islamic era (Ibn Khordadbeh, 1889: 45; Maghdasi, 1411: 28; Estakhri, 2004: 135). In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Beladshapur district was under the administration and control of a person named Giloyeh (Gilo/Gelo, Gilo Mehr) and his family, who, thanks to his bravery, was called “Ram Giloyeh, Kohgiluyeh “also became famous (Estakhri, 2004: 144). According to historical sources, the city that was founded by Shapur I in the region of Beladshapur was called “Jumeh”, which was also known as “Beladshapur” after the name of the region itself (Maghdasi, 1361: 635; Estakhri, 1373: 98). Jumeh, the main center of Beladshapur, was destroyed during the Ismailian conflicts (Ibn Balkhi, 1374: 351 & 353; Mostoufi, 1362: 127), but after this destruction, it could not regain its past prosperity. With the decline of Jumeh, Dehdasht started its prosperity and replaced Jumeh as the main center of Beladshapur. Despite the importance of the Dehdasht, comprehensive, continuous and purposeful archaeological studies based on methodical archaeological excavations were not recorded, and there are many questions about this city, especially its history and how it was formed. Finding, development, decline and reasons for its decline remain unanswered. Answering these questions, while explaining various aspects of the developments of this city, provides valuable information about historical developments in Iran, which is necessary in its own way. In this research, it is tried to analyze the information left from the historical texts and cultural materials, while answering the questions to explain the historical course and how it was formed. It is assumed that the initial core of that formed in the current neighborhood of Rawaq and grew and developed relatively in the middle Islamic centuries, and although it flourished in the early Safavid with the development in the west-east axis, but in at the end of this period, it has experienced its gradual decline.

Discussion
Historical sources do not provide any information with the name Dehdasht before the 9th century AH. The correspondence of Dehdasht with “qhariyeh” that is mentioned as a station on the Arrajan-Isfahan route is also possible, and assuming its authenticity, it does not provide the correct form of the qhariyeh (Dehdasht). The information about the 9th century AH is also very little. In the first decade of the 9th century A.H., the name of Dehdasht came along with the districts and big cities such as Ramhormoz, Behbahan, Kuh-Giloyeh and Zaidon. According to numismatic documents, Dehdasht was an important and highly important city in the history before the 9th century A.H. and also during this century, so that during the mentioned century it had extensive commercial relations. Trade was with big cities on both sides of Zagros and especially Isfahan. In this way, there is no doubt that this city has gone through its growth stages before and its formation was related to earlier periods. In addition to the numismatic documents, the pottery obtained from Dehdasht and to some extent some architectural works and single findings such as tombstone inscriptions on the importance of Dehdasht in history before the 9th century AH and also during this century, they testify. Documented by written sources, there is no doubt that with the beginning of the Safavid period, the importance of the Kohgiluyeh area and the city of Dehdasht doubled. The archeological studies conducted also place most of the buildings of the historical context of Dehdash and the formation of the main context of the city in connection with the Safavid period. This issue also shows that the significant growth and physical development of the city took place in the Safavid period. A topic that the study of pottery data, the analysis of historical sources and the analysis of cultural materials also reflect well. Dehdasht lost its importance and prosperity at the end of Safavid rule and at the same time as it fell. As it can be seen from the analysis of historical sources, the analysis of the remaining works and the analysis of cultural materials, the last periods of construction, reconstruction and repairs of construction works, as well as the activities and efforts for the development of the city of Dehdasht, related to the Qajar period and its last half. is the period. 

Conclusion
The results obtained from the analysis of historical sources and cultural materials indicate the gradual development of Dehasht from the 8th and 9th centuries AH and after that. If the matching of Dehdasht with the “qhariyeh” mentioned by maqhdasi in this article is correct, Dehdasht was a station on the Arrajan-Isfahan communication route in the 4th century. Before this date and even after that until the beginning of the 9th century, there is no name from Dehdasht or “qhariyeh” in historical texts. In addition, among the studied cultural materials, there is no reliable data that can be confidently attributed to before the 8th and 9th. Despite this, the analyzes obtained from the documents of this research testify to the importance of Dehdasht during the 8th and 9th centuries and even before that, and confirm the existence of Dehdasht earlier than the mentioned date. Although, many remains of architecture and older parts of the historical context of Dehdasht have been lost, the available data show evidence from the 8th and 9th centuries and most of them belong to the Safavid period. According to studies, the initial growth of Dehdasht took place in the western part, Rowaq neighborhood, and with the significant development of Dehdasht at the same time as the Safavid, this part of the city fell from prosperity and the city was formed in the eastern part. As it can be seen from the analysis of the studied cultural materials, Dehdasht was considered one of the main centers of Kohgiluyeh in the 8th and 9th and had a mint and significant trade exchanges with the big cities around it.  The results obtained from the study of historical texts, the Evidence remains and the analysis of cultural materials, place the main growth and development of the city of Dehdasht in relation to the Safavid. At the end of Safavid rule and its fall, the city of Dehdasht gradually lost its past prosperity. According to historical sources, wars, rebellions, consecutive looting, insecurity, destruction of roads, destruction of bridges, intermediate stations, deterioration of the economic situation and heavy taxes led to the decline of the city of Dehdasht and the city’s depopulation, so that not a single household remained in it. The final collapse and the end of the political-social life of the city is related to the Qajar and the end of the reign of EhtEsham al-Douleh (1281-1298) in Kohgiluyeh.

Abstract
Atigh Jameh Mosque, also known as Masjid-e-Atigh in Persian, is the oldest mosque in Shiraz, Iran. It is situated on the east side of the Shah Cheragh Shrine. The construction of the mosque began in the year 276 and was completed in 281 AH to celebrate the conquest of Shiraz by Saffarid Amroleiss. The mosque has been restored several times during the Atabeg, Timurid, and Safavid eras. It has six entrances, but the main entrance is located on the northern side, which was restored during the Safavid era. This mosque holds a special cultural and historical significance for the people of Shiraz. The Jameh Mosque of Atigh in Shiraz is an exceptional historical mosque in Iran. It boasts unique architectural decorations, including a stone-and-tile inscription placed in the God’s House of the mosque. Pir Yahya Sufi, one of the famous calligraphers in the 8th Hijri century, inscribed the writing of the inscription. According to historical documents, the mosque has been restored several times. Unfortunately, some restoration practices have tarnished the originality of the work by ignoring the calligraphic style of the original description. In the present study, the restored parts of the tile inscription have been examined. The examined parts were compared with other works of Pir Yahya Sufi and with other parts of the original inscription itself. 
Keywords: Atiq Shiraz Mosque, Authenticity, Inscription.

Introduction
The notion of historical region is crucial in understanding a work, as it is inherently transferable from its physical existence to its historical context (Benjamin, 2003). Therefore, it is important to identify, formulate, and evaluate the notion of originality during different historical periods (Araoz, 2008:36). The most common way to prove originality is by demonstrating the historicity of the work, which is not limited to a single era but encompasses the entire historical context in which the work was created and its various influences. Article 12 of The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites stipulates that replacements of missing parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but at the same time must be distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not falsify the artistic or historic evidence (URL‌1). In this respect, inadequate guidelines for restoring inscriptions led to subjective approaches and unfaithful outcomes. When creating an inscription, calligraphy is also an important factor to consider. As such, the conservator must take into account the 12 principles of calligraphy, which include combination, baseline, proportion, weakness, strength, surface, distance, virtual ascent, purity, place, privacy, and magnificence. (Rahjiry n 1967: 48-51.8-51). Architectural inscriptions play a significant role among the decoration of historical buildings and are considered to be live documents. In the research, we examined the restoration work done on a stone-tile inscription from the perspective of its originality. Ignoring the original calligraphic style, visual art principles, as well as the principles of calligraphy, has resulted in irreparable mistakes overriding the originality of the inscription under discussion. As such, before restoring any inscription, the conservator must have a complete understanding of its components. In this case, both the previous restoration methods have been analyzed, and the restored inscription has been studied based on calligraphic principles. 
The Methodology: The study is qualitative. The data were collected from library sources and field studies and compared analytically. The findings showed that during the restoration process, there were noticeable discrepancies between the restored calligraphic parts and those of the original ones. This implies that the conservator did not have sufficient recognition of the original inscription. As a result of excessively arbitrary and justifiable interventions, the conservator tarnished the originality of the mentioned historical work.

Discussion
Preserving the originality of an inscription is crucial, and one of the essential factors that contribute to it is the form and design. By originality of design and form, we mean that the inscription’s initial design and structure must be restored. For instance, if the inscription was initially written in Thuluth or Naskh script, the same calligraphic style must be retained during the restoration process. To evaluate the degree to which this criterion has been met for the inscription under discussion, we need to compare it with other surviving works of Pir Yahya Sufi and examine the original and unrestored parts of the inscription. As such, the restored inscription was compared with the only surviving written work of Pir Yahya Sufi, which is a written copy of the Holy Quran, along with old documents and images. The calligraphic lines of the inscription were compared, letter by letter, to the original works of Pir Yahya Sufi. During the first phase of the analysis, the Arabic letters و and ر in the papillae of the inscription (a triangular prism serving as a support strap) were compared with three surviving images, which included original parts, newly restored parts, and handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi. This comparison revealed differences in the calligraphic styles of the letters. However, the similarity between the survived calligraphic lines of the inscription and those of handwritten copies suggested that the papillae area must have been the restored part. While in the papillae part, the Arabic letter “و” was written with an upward inclination, the other two letters of و were sharp and inclined downward. A noticeable difference was observed in the way that the word “Allah” was written in the handwritten copy of Pir Yahya Sufi compared to the restored inscription under study.  In the handwritten copy of Pir Yahya Sufi, the last letter of the word “Allah” is inclined upward. However, in the restored inscription, the last letter of the word “Allah” is inclined downward. Additionally, the calligraphic style of the letters “د” and “ل” in different parts of the inscription were examined and found to be similar to those in the handwritten copies that were studied. Likewise, upon studying the calligraphic style of the letter ر, it was found to be similar in all handwritten copies. Different parts of the inscription involving this letter were considered to be the main parts. If we examine the handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi closely, we can see that the calligraphic style of the letters such as م, ر, and د is elongated and inclined leftward and downward. The Arabic word “من” has been written in a similar calligraphic style both in the restored inscription and the handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi. The Arabic letter م has been written with a broken curvature, at the button, and a turned-up extension.  

Conclusion
The preservation of the originality of works of art has been a major concern among art conservators for years. It can help experts to methodically restore historical monuments. In this study, we focused on one of the most outstanding monuments in Iran, which had undergone significant damage. We aimed to analyze the stone-tile inscription of God’s House in Atigh Mosque while keeping the original form and shape intact. It is important to consider the form of the work when dealing with it as ignoring it can lead to damaging its originality. During the study, the restoration of the inscription had been done unjustifiably due to ignoring the calligraphic style, form, and design. To rectify this, we conducted field studies and gathered various works of Peer, the calligrapher of the inscription, to analyze the restored parts. We compared them with the surviving original parts of the inscription and with handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi for further examination. After conducting a restoration on the inscription, it was discovered that there is a noticeable difference between the calligraphy style of the restored parts and the original ones. This is especially evident when comparing the surviving photos of the original inscription. For example, the Arabic letter و has been written differently in the restored version, with some parts sloping downwards and others upwards. However, in the surviving original copies of Pir Yahya Sufi kept in Pars Museum in Shiraz, the letter و is inclined downward. The restoration of works of art, especially those with inscriptions or works by known calligraphers, requires sensitivity. Conservators must thoroughly examine the work from different angles and understand the calligrapher’s style before taking any action. Each calligrapher has their unique style, which must be taken into account during restoration. Tarnishing the originality of the work is equivalent to fabricating the inscription, which must be avoided. By analyzing and criticizing the restoration of architectural decoration and inscriptions, the historical fabric can be preserved.

Abstract
The city of Damavand, the center of county, is located on a hill in the middle of a fertile valley. It has a historical texture that is located as the downtown in its central part and has four main neighborhoods. The research problem is that there is no accurate understanding of the concept of city and county for the name of Damavand, as well as the core of the damavand region. The published brief writings considered Shlenbeh or Vimeh and Shlenbeh as the center of Damavand region which is not consistent with the sources.  The purpose of this study is to clarify the concept of city and county for Damavand, as well as to better understand the city of Damavand and identify the center of Damavand region and its possible structures. This study has been done in a historical and analytical method based on research and identification by collecting library information and field survey. Questions: 1- What was the concept of city and county for the name Damavand? 2- What is the name of the center of Damavand region and how is it different from Shlenbeh? 3- What is the history of this center and what were its possible structures? Result:  The name of Damavand in the Sassanid period was as a region and on the other hand it represents the city. Although it has a mythical foundation, it is older than the Sassanid and the center of region   the was in the Sassanid period. The important spaces of Kohandej were the middle town   with   bazaars, squares, neighborhoods, and outer town. Kohandej was located in the place of Sar Qaleh. The acceptance of Islam, and the restoration of security, which lasted until the construction of the mosque in the place of Sar Qala, had preserved the structures of the city. 
Keywords: Damavand, Damavand City, Sassanian City, Kohandej, Shlenbeh.

Introduction
The city of Damavand, which has a historical texture, has four neighborhoods. The main issue of the research is that there is no accurate understanding of the concept of city and city for the name of Damavand, as well as of the city. The published writings have considered the city of Damavand as Shlenbeh or Vimeh, and also the city of Shlenbeh as the center of Damavand district, which is not consistent with the sources. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to clarify the concept of city and city of the Sassanid period for the name of Damavand and to identify the center of Damavand district and its possible structures. It is also different or similar to the Shlenbeh and the knowledge of the foundation and antiquity of the city of Damavand.
First, what was the concept of the city and city of the Sassanid period for the name Damavand? Assumptions: First, it seems that the name of Damavand is in the position of the district and also represents the city of Damavand as the center of the district. Second, Shlenbeh and Damavand were two independent cities and the city was located in the center of the city with structures from this period, the most important of which is Kohandej
First, what was the concept of the city and city of the Sassanid period for the name Damavand? Assumptions: First, it seems that the name of Damavand is in the position of the district and also represents the city of Damavand as the center of the district. Second, Shlenbeh and Damavand were two independent cities and the city was located in the center of the city with structures from this period, the most important of which is Kohandej
The research method is historical-analytical and has been analyzed through library studies and the collection of the necessary historical information, and then with the data obtained from the field study and matching with the historical data.
So far, no detailed studies have been done about the city of Damavand and the published articles about the city of Damavand have been briefly mentioned, so this article tries to provide a more accurate understanding from this perspective.

Discussion
In the Pahlavi geography, the city was used to mean land, territory, province and city. In the sources, the names of Damavand province and Damavand city are mentioned. The sources of the foundation of the city of Damavand have been attributed to Ermail and kiumars. Whenever the Sassanid kings founded or developed a city, they gave it their name. The city of Damavand as the center represents Kohandej in the center of the city. The artifacts obtained from the city of Damavand as well as the history of Damavand have shed light on the history of Damavand. Damavand consists mostly of the two cities of Vimeh and Shlenbeh and the center of Damavand is considered as Shlenbeh and the current city of Damavand is the same as the old Shlenbeh or Vimeh. In the sources, the name of Damavand is first in the position of “district” and then represents “Damavand city” as the title of the center of the district. 
The city of Damavand has had the following spaces: Kohandej, middle and outer flow. Kohandej was the most prominent feature of the natural features of the land, at the highest point on the edge of the natural terrace of the earth, and the texture of the city was formed based on this central core of the government. Four neighborhoods in the vicinity of this center, it started with the Upper Farama neighborhood in the south, and ended with the Lower Farama neighborhood in the east, and the Jewish and Darvish neighborhood in the north, and then with the bazaar in the northwest. The main entrance of the city, which was the entrance to the bazaar, reached Kohandej and Meydan. Aerial map of 1956 In that place, the castle and its boundaries are independent and separate from the internal flux. The irregular wall of the mosque, which has changed the shape of the map, and the qibla of this mosque is the error of the mihrab in the direction of the south towards Mecca, not the west. But the first Muslims of Iran were inclined بwere built in the west, so the justification for the fact that the wall of the mosque was built on the remains that had a different function.1 The use of the word “Dokhtar Castle” and the name “Sar Qaleh is one of the terminology of the Sassanid period, may be another evidence. 

Conclusion
The name of Damavand in the Sassanid period, on the one hand, as a province, included numerous cities and villages, and on the other hand, it represented the city as the center of the Damavand region. Although this city has a mythical foundation and its creator is not known, it has an older foundation than the Sassanid one.
The historical and geographical sources that mentioned Stoneavand and Mandan as the center of the rule of the Mamoghans, have no correspondence with the city of Damavand. According to the sources and also according to the structures, this city as the center of the district started at least from the Sassanid period and was managed with important spaces until 141AH during the time of the Abbasid Caliph Mansur. It continued as the center in the Islamic period and is still the center of the city to this day, and of course this city was different from Shlnebeh and the two cities were separate. Therefore, the city was called the center of the city. It is not correct to consider Damavand or the current city of Damavand as the same as Shlenbeh or Vimeh, or to consider the Damavand region to include only the villages or only the two cities of Shlenbeh and Vimeh. Now a village called Shlenbeh is located outside the core of the city in the southern part, whether this Shlenbeh is the same as the old Shlenbeh or not, needs to be investigated. The structures of the city of Damavand in the Sassanid period included the important spaces of Kohandej, then the inner flux with the bazaar, the square, and the neighborhoods, and then the outer flux included the villages in the northern and southern parts. The most important part of it was the Kohandej, which was located in the center and the highest point overlooking the city in the place of Sar Qaleh and Dokhtar Castle in the current location of the Jameh Mosque. The complete acceptance of the religion of Islam, and the return of security and tranquility that lasted until the construction of the mosque of the third century AH in the place of Sar Qala, had preserved the structures of the city. 

Abstract
The ancient city of Ghazni was one of the important cities of the Islamic period and served as the capital of the Ghaznavid dynasty. It is located six kilometers north of the modern city of Ghazni. The strategic significance of this city in the historical and civilizational developments of the Islamic era attracted the attention of archaeologists after World War II, leading to periodic excavations at its ancient sites. Most studies conducted on Ghazni during the Ghaznavid period have been based on historical sources, while archaeological investigations have primarily focused on the elite sections of the city and findings from the palaces of the Ghaznavid dynasty. In this context, the recent excavations by the Afghan team in the area between the two minarets—which form the basis of the present article—are particularly significant because they examine the commoner neighborhoods of the city. The main aim of this study is to illuminate aspects of everyday urban life in this part of the city during the Ghaznavid era, as the authors believe that understanding this area is crucial for a comprehensive knowledge of the city in that period. Despite the relative preservation of Ghazni’s historical fabric and architectural monuments, no comprehensive study has yet determined the city’s spatial structure. Therefore, a thorough research project was undertaken to answer the question of how Ghazni’s spatial development evolved and to reconstruct the form of the city’s spaces during its peak. To achieve this, investigations were carried out within the historical context of the city, and the results of field studies were compared with written sources. The study revealed that the underlying layers of the neighborhood around the Masʿud III Minaret date back to pre-Islamic periods.
Keywords: Ghazni City, Capital of Ghaznavids, Masoud III Palace, Bahram Shah Minaret, Lashkari Bazar.

Introduction
Today, the city of Ghazni is located approximately 135 kilometers southwest of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, along the Kabul–Kandahar highway. The ancient city of Ghazni, or Ghaznin, situated six kilometers north of the modern city of Ghazni (Fig. 1), lies at an elevation of 2,183 meters above sea level in an intermontane plain, with its water resources primarily supplied by the Gul Koh Mountain range to the north of the plain (Farahmand, 2020). According to the results of the joint Indo-Afghan archaeological mission in 1967, evidence indicates that humans inhabited this region as far back as the Paleolithic period (Alshin & Hammond, 2021: 88). The Avesta, the oldest sacred text of Zoroastrianism, is the earliest source to mention the Ghazni region, referring to it as “Kakhra.” In Ptolemy’s Geography of the 2nd century CE, Ghazni is referred to as “Gazos” (Yamin, 2001: 170). Archaeological evidence uncovered from excavations at the Tepe Sardar sanctuary suggests that the city dates back at least to the 2nd century CE, during the Kushan Empire (Tedi, 1983). Nevertheless, until the Ghaznavid period, Ghazni remained a small town governed by local rulers (Faizi, 2002).
In the 3rd century AH, the Saffarids, the first Muslim Iranian dynasty, launched campaigns into this region, and the local rulers (the Lawik dynasty) became their tributaries, turning Ghazni into a military base for their operations (Mojahed, 2003: 102–107). After the Saffarids’ defeat, the Lawik family became vassals of the Samanids until 351 AH, when Alp-Tegin, a Turkic slave of the Samanids who had risen to the rank of military commander, succeeded in defeating the last ruler of the Lawik dynasty (Habibi, 2011: 40–41). Following this, the city became the capital of the Ghaznavid state. Ghazni reached its peak prosperity during the Ghaznavid period but gradually declined due to internal conflicts and the Ghurid invasions in the 6th century AH. The city was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions and never regained its former prominence (Mousavi-Haji et al., 2019).
Most studies conducted on the city of Ghazni during the Ghaznavid period have relied primarily on historical sources, while archaeological research has largely focused on the elite sections of the city and the findings from the palaces of the Ghaznavid dynasty. In this context, the recent excavations by the Afghan team in the area between the two minarets—which form the basis of the present article—are particularly significant because they examine the commoner neighborhoods of the city. The primary aim of this study is to shed light on aspects of everyday urban life in this part of Ghazni during the Ghaznavid period, as the authors believe that understanding this section is crucial for a comprehensive knowledge of the city in that era.
Research Questions: The present study seeks to answer fundamental questions regarding the urban fabric, especially the densely built central area of the city during the Ghaznavid period. Specifically, it addresses two major questions about the urban space and its development during this period: First, can the transition from the pre-Islamic to the Islamic era be identified in Ghazni based on archaeological evidence and in a stratified sequence? Second, when was the central part of Ghazni formed, and what types of urban transformations did this section undergo during the Ghaznavid period?
Research Methodology: The research presented in this article is fundamental in nature, aimed at addressing the above questions. It was conducted based on field studies, archaeological excavation reports, and documentary (library-based) research.

Spatial Structure of the City of Ghazni in the Ghaznavid Era
Archaeological evidence indicates that the main pre-Islamic part of the city was limited to the citadel (Fig. 2) and the sanctuary known as Tepe Sardar and its surrounding area (Sherato, 1959). Alp-Tegin, a Turkic emir in the Samanid army, was defeated in an internal succession struggle in Bukhara but managed in 351 AH to defeat the army sent by the new Samanid ruler near Balkh. He then captured the city of Ghazni, which was under the rule of Abubakr Lawik, a local vassal of the Samanids (Kargar, 2004: 5–6). Upon Alp-Tegin’s death in 352 AH, his son and successor, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, could not withstand the army of Abubakr Lawik’s son and successor, Abu Ali Lawik, and fled to Bukhara. Only a year later, with the support of the forces of Amir Mansur Samanid, he reclaimed Ghazni, and he passed away shortly afterward in 355 AH (Heidari, 2011: 55–57). From this date onward, Ghazni became part of the Islamic territories.
After a decade of rule by Bilgatgin (355–365 AH), Ghazni witnessed further conflicts among Sebuktigin, Yirigtigin, and Abu Ali Lawik and his ally Hindushah of Kabul. As a result, Sebuktigin (365–387 AH) rose to power, marking the beginning of the city’s first major constructions in the Islamic period. It is reported that he built a palace called Sahlabad, which remained unfinished and whose location is now unknown. The only surviving monument from this period is the tomb of Sebuktigin, located in the Afghan Chāl neighborhood of Ghazni (Jalali, 1972: 1–7).

Conclusion
Field studies in the city of Ghazni have revealed that the core of the city was centered around the “Shiyar Qara-Bagh neighborhood” in the southern part of the city, near the Hind and Gardiz gates. Since the archaeological site known as “Tepe Sardar” dates back to the Kushan period, it can be confidently argued that the origins of Ghazni extend to the Kushan Empire (30–350 CE). Archaeological evidence indicates that during the Ghaznavid period, the city expanded toward the west and north, extending toward the Sefid Koh highlands.
Archaeological findings also show that significant transformations occurred in the neighborhood today known as “Afghan Chāl,” which likely existed even before the Ghaznavid period. This area became a royal and administrative district, as evidenced by key structures such as the Masʿud III Palace, the tomb of Sebuktigin, and the Bahram Shah and Masʿud III Minarets. Based on archaeological evidence, in the 5th century AH this part of the city, particularly the central area between the two minarets, experienced significant prosperity and likely hosted the jeweler’s market. With the establishment of the market in this neighborhood, residents of the city appear to have settled in surrounding districts such as Shuleh, contributing to the city’s westward expansion.
However, with the decline of Ghaznavid power, the city suffered extensive damage during the conflicts between the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids and was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions. Nevertheless, the city was not entirely lost and, over the centuries, managed to sustain its existence.

Abstract
Historic cities, as reflections of the interaction between natural and human forces over different periods, have always provided a basis for studying physical structures and spatial transformations. From this perspective, the historic city of Narāq—due to its particular geographical location along the communication routes from Kashan to western Iran and its access to natural resources and physical elements—has so far remained largely unexamined. The main objective of this study is to investigate and analyze the role of both natural and human geographical factors in the formation of the spatial structure and the physical transformations of Narāq throughout its history, an issue that has not yet been addressed in a comprehensive and systematic manner.   This study employs a descriptive–historical approach, utilizing both documentary and field data collection methods. Historical written sources—including geographical texts, travelogues, waqf deeds, and local documents—were analyzed.  The findings indicate that Narāq’s location along major historical trade routes and its access to water resources, combined with the region’s specific topographical conditions, played a pivotal role in its economic prosperity and in shaping the city’s linear spatial pattern during the Safavid and Qajar periods.  The findings indicate that Narāq’s location along major historical trade routes and its access to water resources, combined with the region’s specific topographical conditions, played a pivotal role in its economic prosperity and in shaping the city’s linear spatial pattern during the Safavid and Qajar periods. The interruption of these communication routes and the economic changes in the contemporary era have led to a decline in the city’s urban functions, creating a spatial disconnect between the historic core and the new urban developments. The research highlights the need to formulate conservation strategies and spatial regeneration plans that aim to restore the relationship between the historic elements and the city’s contemporary structure.
Keywords: Narāq, Historical Geography, Communication Routes, Spatial Structure, Historic City.

Introduction
Previous studies on the city of Narāq have primarily provided a brief examination of its physical fabric and individual historical monuments, without offering a systematic understanding of the role and impact of natural and human geographical factors in the city’s spatial and physical formation and transformation. Moreover, the alteration of communication routes in the contemporary period and the resulting disruption in the continuity of physical and functional connections have posed serious challenges to the city’s historical identity and spatial cohesion.
The central question of this research is how natural factors—such as climate, water resources, and topography—and human factors—including economic, cultural, and political relations—have, at different historical periods and in various ways, contributed to shaping the spatial and physical structure of Narāq, and what consequences this process has had for the pattern of the city’s contemporary development.
The study and analysis of the historical geography of ancient cities—particularly Narāq—is significant because these settlements represent a living reflection of the interactions between natural and human forces throughout history. Understanding the processes that shaped them provides a valuable basis for interpreting their spatial and historical identity, for planning sustainable development, and for formulating policies aimed at conserving urban heritage.
At a time when many of the country’s historic cities are facing crises of identity and physical integrity as a result of contemporary spatial and functional transformations, examining the factors that influenced the spatial formation and evolution of Narāq—as a prominent example of a strategically located settlement on the Iranian Plateau—can help identify development patterns that are better suited to local and historical contexts.
The necessity of this research also lies in filling the existing gap in systematic historical–geographical studies on Narāq and in clarifying the role of communication routes and natural resources in its spatial formation and subsequent transformations—an issue that has been largely overlooked in both national and regional research so far.

Research Questions and Hypothesis: The primary research question aims to identify the key factors that influenced the historical development of the city of Narāq. In particular:
• What role have human factors played in the city’s formation?
The primary hypothesis proposed in response to these questions relates to Narāq’s distinctive geographical position—specifically, its location along major communication routes. Although environmental factors such as water resources and agricultural lands played a crucial role in the formation and subsequent transformation of the city’s spatial structure, these developments were fundamentally shaped by regional connections and the city’s position on important trade routes.

Urban Structure of Narāq
The principal structural elements of a traditional Iranian city typically include: the Arg or Kuhandezh (citadel), the Shahrestan (main residential city), the central urban complex—comprising mosques, madrasas, bazaars, and neighborhood centers—urban connecting spaces such as alleys (guzar), squares, hosseiniyehs, and shrines, the outer section (rabad) with surrounding villages, gardens and farmlands, as well as water-related features such as qanats, cisterns, and icehouses (Tousili, 2012: 34).
Field surveys show that among these elements, Narāq essentially lacks a Kuhandezh (old citadel) that would have formed the basis for the city’s secondary development. This absence may be attributed to the history and type of early settlements in the region, characterized by numerous farmlands scattered across the geographical setting of Narāq. Kalantar Zarrabi, in his History of Kashan, describes it as follows:
“From Narāq, a great river and torrent descend from the mouth of Suk Cham, first from the southern and western highlands of Kashan, crossing the travelers’ road to Iraq-e Ajam and Arabia, and finally reaching the Kashan plain. Along the banks and surroundings of the river lie green and flourishing villages and farmlands.” (Kalantar Zarrabi, 1962: 17)
From a morphological perspective, Narāq exhibits a compact urban fabric oriented east–west, following the course of the river and parallel to the northern and southern mountain ranges. This layout clearly reflects the influence of geographical location on the city’s form. The urban fabric is shaped by two main thoroughfares:
• Imam Khomeini Street, which extends in an east–west direction, and
• Fazel Naraqi Street, which runs parallel to Imam Khomeini Street, starting from the eastern part of the city and leading westward to the Jame’ Mosque.

Conclusion
This study aimed to explore the historical geography of the city of Narāq and to explain the role of natural factors in shaping the city’s formation and spatial–physical transformations. The findings reveal that Narāq’s distinctive geographical location along the historical communication routes between Kashan and western Iran—especially during the Safavid and Qajar periods—provided an effective foundation for spatial development, economic prosperity, and the consolidation of its urban status. Abundant water resources, the linear topography, and the close relationship with surrounding fields and gardens, together with communication corridors running parallel to the river and valley, led to the formation of the city’s unique physical structure and the establishment of functional elements such as the bazaar, squares, and religious centers along east–west axes. Chronologically, it was shown that during the pre-Islamic and Sasanian periods, settlements were primarily located in the surrounding areas and on the elevated fringes. Gradually, in the Islamic era—particularly during the Safavid period—the city’s spatial and communicational center became firmly established near the river. This spatial pattern reflected the natural setting and the functional needs of the traditional society of that time. The analysis of more recent developments indicates that the redirection of major communication routes and the consequent disruption of the city’s functional connection with its former strategic networks have resulted in economic decline, spatial disjunction within the historic fabric, and the diminishing role of the bazaar, placing the city on a path of uneven contemporary transformation. Given Narāq’s limited population and the modest pace of migration, no major transformation of the city’s structure has occurred; its historical evolution continues to be shaped largely by natural advantages and geographical factors. The research demonstrates that a thorough understanding of historical geography and the application of traditional models compatible with the natural setting and the socio-cultural context play a crucial role in preserving and enhancing the city’s historic structure, both now and in the future.