Qāyen, town, northeasternIran. Qāyen is a place of great antiquity and complex history. The present town, which lies in a broad valley, was founded in the 15th century to replace an older town. Later, theUzbeks (a Turkic people) took possession of Qāyen and held it until ShāhʿAbbās I (1588–1629) expelled them. In the 18th century it fell under the control of the Afghans.

The modern town is surrounded by a mud wall; moreaffluent residential areas lie outside it. The town’s chief industries produce felts and carpets. The surrounding area consists of hill ranges of 9,000 feet (2,750 metres) running northwest-southeast and sinking to theSīstān depression in the south. The region specializes in the cultivation ofsaffron, supplying nearly all of Iran. The area’s principal products also include grain, vegetables, and wool. Pop. (2006) 34,465.