North Khorasan province (Persian:استان خراسان شمالی)[a] is one of the 31provinces of Iran, located in the northeast of the country. Its capital is the city ofBojnord.[3]
North Khorasan is one of the three provinces created after the division ofKhorasan in 2004. Khorasan was the largest province of Iran until it was divided into three provinces on 29 September 2004. The provinces approved by theparliament of Iran (on 18 May 2004) and theCouncil of Guardians (on 29 May 2004) wereRazavi Khorasan, North Khorasan, andSouth Khorasan.[3] In 2014, it was placed inRegion 5.[6]
Greater Khorasan has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties and governments in its territory throughout history. Various tribes ofPersians,Arabs,Turks,Kurds andTurkmens have brought change to the region time and time again.[7]
Ancientgeographers of Iran divided Iran into eight segments, of which the largest[citation needed] was the territory ofGreater Khorasan.Esfarayen, among other cities of the province, was one of the focal points for settlement byAryan tribes entering Iran.
TheParthian empire was based nearMerv in Khorasan for many years. In Parthian times, Esfarayen was one of the important villages ofNishapur.[citation needed]
During theSasanian era, the province was governed by aSpahbod (Lieutenant General) called "Padgoosban" and fourmargraves, each commander of one of the four parts of the province.
In the year 651, the army of Islamic Arabs invaded Khorasan. The territory remained in the hands of theAbbasid clan until 820, followed by the rule of the IranianTaherid clan in the year 896 and theSamanid dynasty in 900. Khorasan was divided into four parts during theMuslim conquest of Persia, each section being named after the four largest cities; Nishapur, Merv,Herat, andBalkh.
Mahmud Qaznavi retaliated against the invaders several times, and finally, the Qaznavi Turks defeatedSultan Sanjar. But there was more to come, as in 1157 Khorasan was conquered bythe Khwarazmids. In 1220 was annexed by theMongols ofGenghis Khan. When in 1226 the great conqueror finally died, Khorasan was inherited by his sonTolui and then by Tolui's sonHulegu, the first emperor of the MongolicIlkhanate of Persia.[citation needed]
In the 14th century, a flag of independence was hoisted by theSarbedaran movement inSabzevar, and in 1368, Khorasan came into the hands ofTamerlane.
In 1507, Khorasan was occupied byUzbek tribes. After the death ofNader Shah in 1747, it was occupied by theAfghans.
In 1824,Herat became independent for several years when theAfghan Empire was split between theDurranis andBarakzais. The Persianssieged the city in 1837, but the British assisted the Afghans in repelling them. In 1856, the Persians launched another invasion, and briefly managed to recapture the city; it led directly to theAnglo-Persian War. In 1857 hostilities between the Persians and the British ended after theTreaty of Paris was signed, and the Persian troops withdrew from Herat.[8] Afghanistan reconquered Herat in 1863 underDost Muhammad Khan, two weeks before his death.[9]
North Khorasan province is one of the most diverse territories in Iran today, largely reflecting the ethnic make-up of Iran. Most people in North Khorasan areShia Muslims, who are oftenKhorasani Kurds, Persians, Khorasani Turks and so on, although there is also a small minority ofSunnis who generally are Turkmen.[10][11] There used to be a sizeable population ofLurs inhabiting this province, however, most returned to their native area in western Iran as there are no signs of them in the province today.[12]
Previously, there was a sizable community of Arabs who settled in the area during the Arab invasion of Iran. However, by 1875 they had intermarried so extensively with Persians and Turks that they were indistinguishable, having largely abandoned the Arab language and culture in favour of the local one.[13]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 791,930 in 198,626 households.[14] The following census in 2011 counted 867,727 people in 240,885 households.[15] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 863,092 in 254,747 households.[4]
The population history and structural changes of North Khorasan province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
This province contains many historical and natural attractions, such as mineral water springs, small lakes, recreational areas, caves, and protected regions, and various hiking areas. Most of the historical relics are from theQajar era, as earthquakes continue to ravage older relics.[citation needed]
^abcقانون تقسیم استان خراسان به سه استان [Law on the division of Khorasan province into three provinces].مرکز پژوهشهای مجلس شورای اسلامی ایران [Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].مجلس شورای اسلامی [Islamic Consultative Assembly]. 29 May 2004 [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1383/03/09 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].روزنامه : 17268 [Newspaper: 17268]. Archived fromthe original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved12 February 2026.
^"Kurds in Khorasan". Cultural and civil society of Khorasani Kurds. Archived fromthe original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved22 May 2007.
^Avery, Peter; Hambly, Gavin; Melville, Charles, eds. (1991).The Cambridge History of Iran (Vol. 7): From Nadir Shah to the Islamic Republic. Cambridge University Press. pp. 183,394–395.ISBN978-0521200950.
^Surveying and measurement plan of indicators of public culture of the country: North Khorasan Province, publication 2012 (National Bibliography Number: 2879739) Retrieved 10 December 2017
^The ethnic groups in Northern Khorasan, "[1]", accessed in March 2014.
^"C. M. MacGregor, Narrative of a Journey through the Province of Khorassan, London, 1879, p. 141[2]", accessed in March 2014.
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان خراسان شمالی [General Population and Housing Census 2006: North Khorasan Province].مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved25 September 2022.
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان خراسان شمالی [General Population and Housing Census 2011: North Khorasan Province].Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University (in Persian).مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran]. Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 19 January 2023. Retrieved19 December 2022.
^Mokhber, Mohammad (1 February 2023) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1401/11/12 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تصویب نامه در خصوص تقسیمات کشوری استان خراسان شمالی [Approval regarding the national divisions of North Khorasan province].مهدی داودآبادی [Mehdi Davudabadi] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].پیشنهاد شماره [Proposal No.] 66803. Archived fromthe original on 31 January 2026. Retrieved31 January 2026.
^Davoodi, Parviz (19 October 2008) [مصوب (Approved) 1387,07,28 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تغييرات و اصلاحات تقسيماتي در استان خراسان شمالي [Divisional changes and reforms in North Khorasan province].سامانه ملی قوانین و مقررات [National System of Laws and Regulations] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].پيشنهاد شماره [Proposal Number] 1/4/42/91526. Archived fromthe original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved4 February 2026.
^Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (19 December 2012) [مصوب (Approved) 1391,09,29 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تغييرات تقسيماتي در استان خراسان شمالي [Divisional changes in North Khorasan province].سامانه ملی قوانین و مقررات [National System of Laws and Regulations] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].پيشنهاد شماره [Proposal Number] 185757/42/1/4. Archived fromthe original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved1 February 2026.
