Qūmis (Arabic:قومس, fromPersian:کومس / کومش,romanized: Kōmis / Kōmiš;Ancient Greek:Κωμισηνή,romanized: Kōmisēnē;Old Armenian:Կոմշ,romanized: Komsh), was a province inpre-Islamic Persia, lying between the southernAlborz chain watershed and the northern fringes of theDasht-e Kavir.[1] During theSasanian Empire, it designated the area lying between the provinces ofRay andHyrcania (Gurgan)[2] and was part of the province ofPadishkhwargar.[3]
Qumis became a province in medieval Iran. Its western boundaries lay in the eastern rural districts of Ray while in the east it marched withKhurasan. It was bisected by theGreat Khurasan Road, along which were situated the major cities of (from west to east)Khuwar (nowAradan),Semnan,Shahr-i Qumis ("Hecatompylos", the administrative capital, nowDamghan), andBistam, while in its southeastern extremity lay the town of Biyar (nowBeyarjomand).[1]
The856 Damghan earthquake killed around 200,000 people. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes in recorded history.
There are remains of severalIsmaili stronghlolds in the region, notablyGerdkuh, most of which were captured during theMongol campaign against the Nizaris, which began in 1253.
The name Qumis became obsolete in the beginning of the 11th century. Currently, the region is divided between the modern provinces ofMazandaran andSemnan.[1]
