پژوهشنامه خراسان بزرگ
پیاپی 9 (زمستان 1391)

Civilization is common way of life, thought and human action and also include overall consistency with economic needs or geographical environment and common organization for quench social political needs of environment and a common set of ideas and achievements. Culture and civilization of a community is its identity and major origin of human societies transformations that all different orientations and functions originates from it. Therefore, knowledge of the culture and civilization seems necessary due to the identity recognition and starting point of social- historical transformations. Since the aim of the this study was recognition and examine the history and civilization of the cities of Greater Khorasan cities including Samarqand, Herat, Balkh and Marv; research method was based on descriptive - analytical study of the documents and a library. In this regard, we have used of articles, books, researches and documentary projects of internal and international related to the subject in order to achieving the goal of research. Our discussion over history of the cities of Greater Khorasan which now are outside the realm of political authority, was not only a issue of historical geography, because historical identity of each region depends on culture, religion, and national identification that fortunately with all more than a century which some cities have been isolated from Iran, religious and cultural ties of those areas led to researchers and historians examine their historical background and use from their own written and historical materials against cultural and social simulation institutions.

Travelogues are the most important sources that over time have been studied and used by scientists, historians and different sciences scholars, continuously. These resources are link between the humanities. In the present research, we have attempted to analyse effective components and elements on formation of morality and mood of Khorasanians and Iranians by using analytical and adaptive method and also by utilizing multiple reputable travelogues; then we reviewed and evaluated wonderful impact of geography and natural environment on the social life of these people. Obviously, the 16th century is turning point of trade and relationship between the west and Iran and vice versa; naturally writing peak of travelogues has been boomed over the same period. It may be considered these preious resources as only informal written of social, moral and cultural life that are distanced a bit from the political and military uique history which has been written by rulers or their direction; and has focused to dark points and covered in blinds of the people life.

Khorasan has been the general name for the eastern regions of the country since Sassanid Era. The historical territory of Khorasan included the present Khorasan Province in Iran and some main parts of current Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. In a broader sense, parts of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan and Kazakhstan can be included in the immense historical great Khorasan. Nowadays, main parts of great Khorasan in the Caspian sea eastern regions is referred to as the Central Asia. during the last two decades mainly after the collapse of Soviet Union, they have been paid more attention in the world because of the valuable energy resources in general, the natural gas ones in particular and the countries of South and East Asia are the biggest consumers of the Caspian natural gas. However, the confinement of these countries with lands and lack of access to sea ways have caused problems for the transport of the resources. One of the options is the transport of natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India (TAPI). This paper seeks to answer the question that “what are the problems of launching the TAPI pipelines? ”

The cities are formation context of ruling ideas in society and one of the formation physicsl forms and development of relations between people. Changes that occur over time in the city, are reflecting the kind of political, social,cultural and economic life of society at that point of time. In the meantime, some urban changes have been extensive and widespread. Reza Shah’s era in Iran, which coincided with the first and second decade of the present century, was a turning point in the history of Iran urbanization. Concepts of modern thought which have originated from the west, at this time were used in the society. According to his own look, he intervened in cities ancient texture and changed the urban organization and structure. Then, he sought to establish a new center for the town. In this study, after examining nature of modernism and its ideas in European cities, we will examin urban changes in the holy city of Mashhad and will explain occurred changes in this regard on the basis of expressed concepts.

Kuh-e Khajeh in Sistan enjoys of sanctity and special position in different religions such as Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and also local culture of the region as only ridge in Sistan plain. These traits have brought it about to populate the various folk and tribes on or using it as a holy site for burial and shrine in contrast to uphill reaching, subject to Hamoon Lake. The importance of the site made it necessary to study in these regards that mentioned. Specially, no researches have gone forward on graves and mausoleums. In fact, Kuh-e Khajeh is known in archaeology from the point of palace and fire temple which both belong to prior Islam. So, there identified a large number of graves and mausoleums in this place that all belong to Islamic period based on a field survey that performed on its surface and slopes. Mausoleums of Kuh-Khajeh are divided into two categories: destructive and healthy. Its graves are also divided in three groups from the point of structural and studding. They are irregular stone mounds, regular revetment graves and finally adobe graves. The archaeological evidences show that the Muslims have used of the mountain and its slopes with various intentions in middle and late Islamic period.

Khorasan has always been the source of inspiration for design and construction of tombs in Iran. In this regard,and at the same time in Jam during the Seljuq period with the presence of Sheikh Ahhmad-e Jami, a new style of open-tomb architecture, built on stage (or platform) was in fashion and this tradition continued until the Safavid period. The idea of building such tombs was justified based on the Holy Quran and its instructions on celebration of divine rituals and the prophet’s advises concerning prohibition of building tomb for graves. The building of such tombs in this region of Iran has been very common, and the most important of these tombs to mention are the tombs of Sheikh Ahmad- e Jami, Shahaboddin Abdullah Bakharzi, Abubakr Zeinuddin Taibadi, Khaje Abdorrahman Jami and Khajeh Abdullah Ansai. This article is about to study the sources and causes for this style of architectures based on the historical counterparts and archaeological evidences and analysis of architectural features of these tombs in the eastern parts of Khorasan. These tombs have a set of features based on Islamic sublime wisdom such as; the grave situated in the front of the abbey or the place of worship, a tree planted on the grave for its shade, a pool which collects and deposits water ahead of the grave and long grave stone on which two pillars stand at the both end of it and they have a root in the Islamic Transcendent Wisdom.