Recognition of the Great Khorasan Road in the North of Markazi Province

Undoubtedly, the Great Khorasan Road, known as the Silk Road, has been one of the most important trade routes during the historical periods of Iran. In a comprehensive perspective this route would link China to the Mediterranean coast and would pass through the Great Khorasan throughout cultural Iran and many other neighboring areas. In addition to the commercial function and economic and subsistence impacts of people from different regions, the Great Khorasan Road had profound social impacts on human societies of different eras because of the interaction of cultures. Meanwhile, Markazi province and especially the northern part of the province, has an important role in the current borders of the two counties of Saveh and Zarandieh, from pre-Islamic period to its decline in the Safavid period. Therefore, in the present research, using historical and geographical texts, archeological surveys and excavations, we attempt to determine the direction of this ancient road as well as the important cities, buildings and houses along this road and explain the why and how of the ancient communication routs and the historical existence of this ancient road in this area. The most important achievement was explaining how and why and the geographical and historical perspective of this ancient road based on the correspondence of the location of the identified ancient sites with the location of the stations mentioned in the historical sources and texts and the relative drawing of the Khorasan road in the north of Markazi province, in the meantime, Saveh and Moshkuyeh, as two important stations - which have been repeatedly addressed in the texts and valuable archaeological evidence that shows their high status and credibility - have been explored along the road to Khorasan and monuments related to this ancient route were counted