Excellent features of Birjand

Birjand is bordered by Qaen county to the north, Nehbandan and Kerman counties to the south, Afghanistan to the east, and Ferdows and Tabas counties to the west. With numerous beautiful tourist attractions, Birjand is taken as a solitary gem in the heart of the desert. Hence, it has achieved the nickname the Jewel of the Iranian Desert. It could be a perfect place for desert enthusiasts to navigate and enjoy. The original name of the city has long been Birjand. However, other names, such as Barjan, Barkand and Birgand have appeared other writings and dictionaries. 

High mountain foothills and vast plains play a significant role in shaping the region’s weather. Additionally, the city’s proximity to the central desert of Iran and the presence of vast plains have created a desert climate with hot summers.  Nonetheless, the mountains of the region, mostly stretched in an east-west direction, have reduced the intensity of the heat. This has maked the region more temperate than its surrounding area.
Kolah Farangi Mansion is one of the few tourist areas in Birjand, which is also one of the historical buildings in Birjand. This building was constructed in six floors in the shape of a ziggurat. Of the six floors, only two could be of use, and the other floors were built solely for architectural form and beauty. In the center of this building, which was the seat of government of Hesam al-Dawlah and dates back to the Zand dynasty, there is a pool house with remarkable architectural features. Currently, the governorate of South Khorasan is located adjacent to this building.

Kolah Farangi Mansion and Garden Complex

This complex includes the garden, mansion, entrance portal, stable, bathhouse, administrative section, ceremonial hall, pool and more. The oldest part of this complex is located in the east, built in two floors during the time of Heshmat al-Mulk, and is now dedicated to the library and the tourism deputy of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of South Khorasan. The central part, which is the most architecturally interesting section of the complex, was built in two floors and is now used as the museums of archeology and anthropology. The last part of the complex, built as the administrative section, is located in the west of the complex and includes a long corridor with rooms on both sides.

Shokatiyeh School

The Shokatiyeh School is located within the old part of Birjand. It has a single iwan and its annexes include a vestibule, a corridor, a lofty iwan, a courtyard, chambers around the courtyard, a formal seating area and a bathhouse. The entrance portal of the building has a pointed arch with muqarnas decorations. The Shokatiyeh building was constructed in approximately 1894 for the purpose of holding Muharram mourning ceremonies, and in approximately 1908 AD, the first modern school of Birjand was established in it.

Rahim Abad Mansion

The Rahim Abad garden and mansion was the seat of government of Ismail Khan Shokat al-Mulk around approximately 1897. It features a garden, a warehouse, an entrance building, a pool, and the main mansion. The most important feature of this building is its beautiful decorations, which include very beautiful mirror work and plasterwork with motifs of animal busts, flowers, plants, and arabesque designs.
This Husayniyya, built by the order of Amirzadeh Khatun, known as Bibi Nawab, a lady from the Khozeymeh Alam family, is designed in a two-iwan style. Its most important architectural elements include the entrance portal, vestibule, courtyard, two iwans and numerous rooms. The decorations of this building include muqarnas work, geometric vaulting, plaster inscriptions and arabesque and floral plasterwork. This historical house is located on Pasdaran Street in Birjand. With a built-up area of 2744 square meters, the building is ready for use with utilities such as water, electricity, road access, gas, telephone and a legal permit.

Lakh Mazar Kuch Petroglyphs

The collection of petroglyphs at Lakh Mazar in the village of Kuch, Birjand, are considered among the most reliable historical documents related to South Khorasan. These engravings, created on a greenish-black rock surface measuring five by five meters, span a long period from prehistory to the late Islamic era. The Lakh Mazar collection of engravings amounts to 307 items, which include depictions of humans, animals, plants, signs and symbols, Pahlavi, Parthian, and Sassanian inscriptions, as well as Arabic and Persian inscriptions.

Kal Jangal Petroglyph

Kal Jangal is the name of one of the deep valleys of Mount Reech, located near the village of Zamanabad in the central district. On the relatively high peaks of this valley’s mountains and on polished rocks, figures and writings in the Parthian Pahlavi script are engraved, indicating the magnificent life of the ancestors of this region. Among these inscriptions is a depiction of a Parthian man’s struggle with a lion. In this image, the warrior has his right hand on his hip and is fighting the lion with his left hand.

Band-e Dareh Dam

This dam was built during the Qajar period under the rule of Amir Heshmat al-Mulk Alam. The historic Band-e Dareh dam is a massive structure made of stone, brick, and saruj mortar (a traditional water-resistant mortar), built on a flood path in the Baqeran mountain range. With a crest length of 31 meters, a crest width of three to five meters, and a height of about 13 meters, this is the most important historical dam in Birjand.

Footprints of Prehistoric Animals in Birjand

This historical house is located on Pasdaran Street in Birjand. With a built-up area of 2744 square meters, the building is ready for use with utilities such as water, electricity, road access, gas, telephone and a legal permit. Experts from the Cultural Heritage Organization of South Khorasan, with confirmation from qualified scientific authorities, have identified footprints of giant animals, dating back 30 to 50 million years, on flysch rock layers from the Tertiary geological period. These footprints appear as oval-shaped cavities. These footprints were discovered in 1998.

Akbariyeh Mansion

The Akbariyeh Mansion is one of the historical buildings in the city of Birjand. This building was constructed in two stories during the Qajar period by Shokat al-Mulk. Its architectural style is a Turkish-inspired blend with Russian architecture, which, when combined with Islamic architecture, demonstrates an innovative architectural style. This building includes a hall of mirrors, a Kolah Farangi dome, and honeycomb decorations, and was used exclusively for receiving domestic and foreign political representatives. This mansion is located on Moallem Street in Birjand. This historical house is located on Pasdaran Street in Birjand. With a built-up area of 2744 square meters, the building is ready for use with utilities such as water, electricity, road access, gas, telephone and a legal permit. 

Tomb of Hakim Nizari

The tomb of Saad al-Din Nezari Quhestani, known as Hakim Nezari, a poet of the 13th century AD, is one of the sights and historical places of Birjand, located in the old part of the city. This tomb is located at the beginning of Hakim Nezari Street, next to Shohada Square.