Historical Geography of Malayer in the Early Islamic Centuries

The importance of the Jibal province in the historical destiny of Iran has been highlighted as a result of many important historical events in the early Islamic centuries. Due to its situation on the connecting ways between the East and the West and as a one of the regions of the Jibal province, Malayer had played a significant role in the historical developments. This paper seeks to explain why historical references have been silent on Malayer, as well as to introduce the geographical places of the city in the early Islamic centuries. This paper shows that Malayer was named as Jwanaq (=Khwabaq) and was affiliated with Nihavand in those centuries, due to little historical data about Malayer, and as a result of change of the names during that time. However, some of its places have been known such as Ramen, Rakah, Goorab, Kesb, Karkan and Qarategin Meadows.