Province of Iran
Province in Region 1, Iran
Qom Province
(
Persian
:
????? ??
)
[a]
is one of the 31
provinces
of
Iran
with 11,237 km², covering 0.89% of the total area of the country. Its capital is the city of
Qom
. The province is in the central part of the country and was formed from part of
Tehran
Province in 1995.
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 1,036,714, in 262,313 households.
[5]
The following census in 2011 counted 1,151,672 people in 320,977 households, of whom 95.2% resided in urban areas of the province.
[6]
At the 2016 census, the province's population had risen to 1,292,283 in 383,532 households.
[3]
The province was designated as part of
Region 1
following the division of Iranian provinces into
5 regions
which took place on June 22, 2014, for the purposes of coordination and development.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
Vessel from Kahak, Qom, dated mid-first millennium BC.
Qom
is thought to have existed in pre-Islamic ages. Archeological discoveries indicate Qom as a residential area from the 5th millennium BCE. According to the pre-Islamic remaining relics and historical texts, Qom was a large city. 'Kom' was the name of the ancient rampart of the city of Qom, thus, the Arabs called it Qom during the
Arab conquests of Iran
.
It was during the reign of the second caliph
Umar
, that the Muslims captured Qom's center. In 644-645 CE,
Abu Moosa Ashari
, dispatched forces under his command to Qom. Conflicts arose between the invading Arabs and the residents of the area.
During the persecution of the Alavids by the
Abbasids
and
Umayyads
, many Alavids fled to Qom, making it their permanent home. The Caliph
Al-Ma'mun
sent forces to Qom in the year 825 CE, resulting in a public massacre and destruction of the city.
On hearing of the demise of al-Ma'mun, the inhabitants of Qom revolted and were successful in overthrowing the representative of the Caliph in 831 CE. However, al-Ma'mun's successor,
al-Mu'tasim
, dispatched forces to Qom in order to curb the riots and once again the city was set aflame. The unrest continued until the
Buwayhid
dynasty (
Al e Booyeh
in Persian) came to power, being of the Alavid community. It was during this reign that the city of Qom expanded and thrived.
In the
Saljuqi
era the city flourished once more. During the first wave of the Mongol invasion, the city witnessed destruction, but after Mongol rulers, particularly after
Sultan Oljeitu Khoda bandeh
of the
Ilkhanate
dynasty converted to
Islam
, the city received special attention, thus witnessing a revival once again.
In the late 14th century, the city came under the plunder of
Tamerlane
when the inhabitants were massacred again. During the periods of the rule of the
Qarah Qoyoonloo
,
Aq Qoyoonloo
, and especially during the reign of the
Safavids
, Qom gained special attention and gradually developed.
By 1503, Qom became one of the important centers of theology in relation to the
Shia
Islam and became a vital pilgrimage site and religious pivot.
During the Afghan invasion, the city of Qom suffered heavy damages, and its inhabitants witnessed severe economic hardships. Qom further sustained damages during the reigns of
Nader Shah
, and the conflicts between the two households of
Zandieh
and
Qajar
in order to gain power in Iran.
In 1798, Qom came under the control of
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar
. On being victorious over his enemies,
Fath Ali Shah
made repairs to the sepulcher and shrine of Ma'soumeh, fulfilling his vow.
The city of Qom thrived in the Qajar era. After Russian forces entered
Karaj
in 1915, many of the inhabitants of Tehran moved to Qom. The transfer of the capital from Tehran to Qom was discussed, but the British and Russians demolished the plan by bringing the monarch of the times,
Ahmad Shah Qajar
under pressure. Coinciding with this period, a 'National Defense Committee' was set up, and Qom turned into a political and military apex against the Russian and British colonial powers. Qom was also the center from which
Ayatollah Khomeini
based his opposition to the Pahlavi dynasty, while in Iran.
Geography
[
edit
]
The
climate
of Qom Province varies between a
desert
and semi-desert climate and comprises mountainous areas,
foothills
, and
plains
. Due to being located near an
arid
region and far inland, it experiences a dry climate, with low humidity and scanty rainfall. Thus,
agriculture
is not possible in most of its areas, especially near the salt lake regions.
[7]
Qom province has two large salt lakes,
[8]
namely: Howz e Soltan Lake,
[9]
which lies 36 km due north of Qom, and
Namak Lake
which lies 80 km due east of Qom. Nearly a fifth of Namak Lake lies within Qom Province.
Administrative divisions
[
edit
]
The population history and structural changes of Qom Province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
Qom Province
Counties
|
2006
[5]
|
2011
[6]
|
2016
[3]
|
Jafarabad County
[b]
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Kahak County
[b]
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Qom County
|
1,036,714
|
1,151,672
|
1,292,283
|
Total
|
1,036,714
|
1,151,672
|
1,292,283
|
Cities
[
edit
]
According to the 2016 census, 1,229,964 people (over 95% of the population of Qom Province) live in the following cities:
[3]
City of Qom
[
edit
]
The Jamkaran mosque is a popular pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims
Today, Qom is considered one of the focal centers of the
Shiah
branch of
Islam
. Its theological center and the shrine of
Ma'soomeh
are prominent features of the provincial capital of Qom.
[11]
Outside the city is
Jamkaran
, another site of religious pilgrimages.
[12]
[13]
Qom has at times again been considered as a possible candidate for moving the political capital of Iran, as
Tehran
faces an increasing probability of an overdue major earthquake and is notorious for its pollution and traffic congestion. The conservative factions are favorable to this idea while the business and economic base of Tehran opposes any such moves.
[
citation needed
]
In 2009 it was disclosed that a mountain range near Qom is the site of Iran's second
uranium
enrichment facility, containing 3000
gas centrifuges
.
Politics
[
edit
]
Qom Province is a politically
conservative
region.
[14]
Culture
[
edit
]
Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 195 sites of historical and cultural significance in Qom. The most visited sites are:
- Kahak cave
- Vashnuh cave
- Howz e Soltan Salt Lake
- Namak Great Salt Lake
- Mar'ashi Najafi Library, with over 500,000 handwritten texts and copies.
- Astaneh Moqaddaseh Museum
- Qom Bazaar
- Feyzieh Seminary
- Jamkaran Mosque
- Qom Jame' Mosque
- Qom Atiq Mosque
- A'zam Mosque
- Shrine of Masoumeh
Colleges and universities
[
edit
]
Qom Seminary
-
Hoz Marreh Wetland
-
Hoz Marreh Wetland
-
Hoz Marreh Wetland
-
Hoz Marreh Wetland
-
Deyr-e Gachin Caravanserai
-
Deyr-e Gachin Caravanserai
-
Deyr-e Gachin Caravanserai
-
Deyr-e Gachin Caravanserai
-
Qomrud Castle
-
Qomrud Windcatcher
-
QaraTappeh Archaeological site
-
Qomrud Castle
-
Qom-Garmsar Road
-
15 Khordad Dam
-
Hoz Soltan Salt Lake
-
-
Senjegan Dam Lake
-
Senjegan Dam
-
Senjegan Dam
-
Alborz Mill
-
Alborz Caravanserai
-
Alborz Mill
-
Alborz Caravanserai
-
Alborz Caravanserai
-
Alborz Caravanserai
-
Alborz Caravanserai
-
Imam Hassan Mosque
-
Ghahan Valley
-
Ghahan Valley
-
Ghahan Valley
Payam Noor University of Qom
See also
[
edit
]
Media related to
Qom Province
at Wikimedia Commons
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
?????? ??????-????????? ???? ?? ? ????? ????? ????
- ^
OpenStreetMap contributors (24 May 2024).
"Qom Province"
(Map).
OpenStreetMap
. Retrieved
24 May
2024
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1395 (2016)"
.
AMAR
(in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. p. 25. Archived from
the original
(Excel)
on 11 January 2021
. Retrieved
19 December
2022
.
- ^
"Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab"
.
hdi.globaldatalab.org
. Retrieved
13 September
2018
.
- ^
a
b
"Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)"
.
AMAR
(in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. p. 25. Archived from
the original
(Excel)
on 20 September 2011
. Retrieved
25 September
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011)"
.
Syracuse University
(in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. p. 25. Archived from
the original
(Excel)
on 20 January 2023
. Retrieved
19 December
2022
.
- ^
W. Stump, Roger (2008).
The Geography of Religion: Faith, Place, and Space
. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 317.
ISBN
978-0742510807
.
- ^
Fallahi, Pontia.
"The Best Things to See and Do in Qom, Iran"
.
theculturetrip
.
- ^
Bakhshi, Mahdi.
"Hoz-e Soltan Salt Lake 'shadow of its former self'
"
.
mehrnews (English)
.
- ^
Jahangiri, Ishaq (15 February 1400).
"Letter of approval regarding the country divisions of Kahak District in Qom province"
.
Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(in Persian). Ministry of Interior, Council of Ministers. Archived from
the original
on 19 October 2022
. Retrieved
12 May
2023
.
- ^
The biography of Hazrat Ma'sumeh (peace be upon her)
tasnimnews.com Retrieved 4 Oct 2018
- ^
KhanMohammadi, Chahe-Araize-Jamkaran, Az Khorafeh Ta Wagheiyat, P. 162
- ^
The mosque of Jamkaran
hawzah.net Retrieved 4 Oct 2018
- ^
Peter Kenyon (25 February 2016).
"In Iran's Religious Heartland, An Enduring Distrust Of The US"
.
NPR
. Retrieved
10 March
2016
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
Places adjacent to Qom province
|
---|
|