Khorasan

Khorasan is a historical region in Northeast Iran and parts of Central Asia, traditionally defined as the eastern part of the Iranian plateau and, at various times, including areas that are now in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The name is Persian in origin and is commonly translated as the land of the sunrise or the land of the sun rising, reflecting its eastern location.

Historically, Khorasan emerged as a distinct political and cultural unit under the Sasanian Empire and later as an important province within the early Islamic Caliphates. It was a major center of Persian culture, science, and trade, with principal cities such as Nishapur, Merv, Balkh, and Herat. The region lay on the Silk Road and contributed to literature, philosophy, and Sufi mysticism. Its borders shifted over time, often bounded by the Amu Darya (Oxus) to the north and by mountain frontiers to the south.

In modern times the term no longer denotes a single political entity. In Iran, Khorasan was an administrative province until 2004, when it was divided into Razavi Khorasan, North Khorasan and South Khorasan. In Afghanistan and surrounding areas, the historical concept covers parts of eastern and northern regions. The term is still used by scholars and in some place names to refer to the broader eastern territories of Greater Iran.

Cultural legacy: Khorasan was a crucible for poets and scientists; Omar Khayyam and Attar of Nishapur are among its famed figures. It housed major Sufi orders and served as a corridor for trade, exchanging goods, ideas, and religious thought across Central Asia and the Islamic world.