Bastam ( fa, بسطام, also
romanize
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
d as Basṭām; also known as Busṭām and Bisṭām) is a city in and capital of the
Bastam District of
Shahrud County
Shahrud County ( fa, شهرستان شاهرود) is located in Semnan province, Iran. The capital of the county is Shahrud. At the 2006 census, the county's population (including those portions of the county later split off in 2011 to form Me ...
,
Semnan Province,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 7,382, in 1,997 families.
Bastam was founded in the 6th century in the
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorāsān,Dabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 or Khorāsān ( pal, Xwarāsān; fa, خراسان ), is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plat ...
. It is north of
Shahrud. The town is known for its Islamic monuments from the
Ilkhanid period and its association with the mystic
Bayazid Bastami. The
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs ...
are to the north of the town.
The 19th-century poet,
Abbas Foroughi Bastami, lived in Bastam for a time and thence acquired its name as his own. The early
Bábí leader and martyr
Mullá ʻAlíy-i-Bastámí was also raised in Bastam, and was a significant figure in the
Shaykhi
Shaykhism ( ar, الشيخية) is a Shi'a Islamic school founded by Shaykh Ahmad in early 19th-century Qajar Iran. While grounded in traditional Twelver Shiʻi doctrine, Shaykhism diverged from the Usuli school in its interpretation of key idea ...
movement and later became the first person known to have died for their allegiance to Bábism.
A tradition says that the town was founded by
Vistahm
Vistahm or Bistam (also transliterated Wistaxm, pal, 𐭥𐭮𐭲𐭧𐭬 wsthm), was a Parthian dynast of the Ispahbudhan house, and maternal uncle of the Sasanian king of kings of Iran, Khosrow II (). Vistahm helped Khosrow regain his throne ...
, uncle of the
Sasanian
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
king
Khosrau II
Khosrow II (spelled Chosroes II in classical sources; pal, 𐭧𐭥𐭮𐭫𐭥𐭣𐭩, Husrō), also known as Khosrow Parviz (New Persian: , "Khosrow the Victorious"), is considered to be the last great Sasanian king ( shah) of Iran, ruling ...
.
The historical town of Bastam embraces the holy shrine of Mohammad Ibn Jafar Sadegh (AS), Bayazid Bastami tomb, Bayazid Monastery, Bayazid Mosque, Eljaito Iwan, Ghazan Dome, Jame Mosque,
Kashaneh Tower, and Shahrokhieh School, which were built in different eras from
Seljuk era (1037–1194) to Qajar period (1789–1925).
See also
*
Great Khorasan Road
References
External links
*Bayazid Shrine Complex at
ArchNet*Friday Mosque at ArchNet
*Tomb Tower at ArchNet
Populated places in Shahrud County
Cities in Semnan Province
Populated places established in the 6th century
Qumis (region)
{{Shahrud-geo-stub