Jiroft is a city in the capital
of Jiroft County, the birthplace of the oldest civilization of the Eastern
World. It is located in the south of Kerman Province; the sub-province of
Jiroft is bound by those of Kerman (north), Bam (east), Anbarabad and Kahnuj
(south), and Baft (west). Jiroft has three different climate zones: cold, warm,
and moderate. On account of its being very fertile land and its variant climate
zones, it produces both warm and cold weather crops and has earned the nickname
of “Hend-e-Koochak” (the little India). By passing the time it has kept
valuable historical and cultural treasures that declare the historical process
and socio-economic life of the country.
Historical
Attraction
Old City of
Jiroft
The history of settlement in the
city dates back to 5,000 years ago when a Bronze Age civilization, which has
come to be known as the Jiroft Civilization, inhabited the area. Traces of this civilization have been found
at the Twin Konar Sandal Mounds where archeologists uncovered clay tablets with
geometric shapes that they believe is the origin of the Elamite writing system
as well as a Ziggurat-like temple. Archeologists say further studies of Konar
Sandal artifacts will reveal Jiroft and not Mesopotamia as the birthplace of
the oldest civilization of the Eastern World.
The Old City of Jiroft is located
on the western banks of Halil Rud and dates back to the Seljuq (1038-1118) era.
Currently known as the Ancient city of Daqyanous, old Jiroft was one of the
largest Islamic cities of Iran and was a center of trade in Seljuq times.
Venetian merchant traveler, Marco Polo (1254-1324), in his travels, passed
through this city, describing it as a glorious place. The remains of a
1,200-year-old mosque and a bath have been discovered in excavations of the
area. The ceramic artifacts and potshards found at this site portray the
evolution of pottery during the Islamic era.
Twin Konar
Sandal Mounds
The twin mounds of Konar Sandal
are where a 5,000-year-old Bronze Age civilization, which has come to be known
as the Jiroft Civilization, once, lived. This civilization had a writing
system, was the innovator of stone and adobe arts and created one of the first
urban settlements. Clay tablets found at Konar Sandal have inscriptions in the
form of geometric shapes that bear no resemblance to Mesopotamian and Egyptian
script and have yet to be deciphered. It is believed that the Elamite written
language originated from this writing system. Artifacts found in Konar Sandal
include vessels, stone tablets with delicate eagle, scorpion and leopard
designs that are unmatched to any artifacts uncovered at various archeological
sites. One of the Konar Sandal mounds
has yielded the remains of a city resembling the Burnt city of Sistan with a
fortress at its center, a ziggurat-like temple and a two-meter statue of the
ruler of this fortress. Many archeologists believe the Jiroft Civilization is
actually the lost Aratt civilization mentioned in Sumerian mythology. They
believe that further studies of Konar Sandal artifacts will reveal Jiroft and
not Mesopotamia as the oldest.
Jiroft Archaeology Museum
The Archaeology Museum of Jiroft
houses over 500 artifacts dating back to the third millennia BC. Most of these
artifacts belong to the Jiroft Civilization and have been uncovered at the
Konar Sandal archeological site. The
museum also houses a limited number of Islamic artifacts. The majority of the
museum’s treasures are made of bronze but there are also some marble and
ceramic vessels bearing animal and human motifs or a combination of the two.
One of the most noted items housed in this museum is a scorpion man statue
which has a human head and a scorpion tail.
Natural Attraction
Dareb-e Behesht
Darb-e Behesht is a mountain town
which is located in the southeastern part of the country, 80 kilometers from
the city of Jiroft. There are many mountains, valleys and water sources in the
region around the Darb-e Behesht. Animal Husbandry and farming are the main
occupation in this town. The rainiest month is February, with an average of 63
mm of precipitation, and the driest is June, with 3 mm of rainfall. In summer because of its amazing nature and
favorable climate many visitors come to this town.
Dalfard Village
In the northwest of Jiroft, the Dalfard
village is famous for growing both warm and cold climate trees such as
citrus trees and date palms with walnut, cherry and apricot trees. It has a
10-meter waterfall located 40 kilometers northwest of Jiroft.
Halil Rud
Halil Rud or Halil River is a
390-kilometer permanent river which flows 100 kilometers from Jiroft and the
Jiroft Dam has been built over this river. The overflowing of Halil Rud
destroyed the city of Jiroft 1,000 years ago. The River also flooded Jiroft in
1993.
Jiroft Dam Lake
Jiroft Dam as the fifth concrete
dam built in the country is located 35 kilometers northwest of Jiroft. It is a
hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability
of 85 MWh. This lake is considered one of the largest lakes in Kerman Province,
and made up of rivers that flow into Hamoon Jazmoorian including Halil Rood
River, Baft River, Rabar River, Teel River, and Esfandaqeh River.