A trip in pleasant autumn

Colorful autumn makes your trip outstanding. North Khorasan with different ethnic groups and natural attractions in autumn from Ashkhane , Bojnurd, Esfarayen,and Shirvan to Faruj allow such a trip. You’ll get to see the historic relics dating from the Aryan to the Qajar eras. You’ll have the most pleasant trip ever in a region filled with gardens where fruits such as grape, walnut, cherry, apricot, almond and apple are produced.
Let’s start from Mane and Samalghan, home to different groups of Turks, Turkmen, Baluch and Fars people and the Khavari. The majority are Kormanj. They are mainly Shiite and there is a minority of Sunni (Hanafi ). The ancient hills of Biar, Ghale Khan, and Tish Tappe , which belong to villages, show the land is great age.
The temple of Espakhu , known as church by locals, is a landmark from the Sassanid era. It was built with pieces of stones and mortar. It lies in a village with the same name and is about 60 km from Ashkhane.
Imamzade Ghasem ‘s tomb , a religious and historic memorial monument of the Qajar era lies in the city of Mane and Salamghan.
The entrance porch stands on its east side and has a cradle-like arch. On two sides of it two minarets rise , 8 meters high.
Imamzade Delavar or Mohammad Dibaj is a holy mausoleum in Mane and Salamghan. It has been renovated for several times and it is not clear when it was built. It is said the Imamzade Delavar is one of the grandsons of Imam Reza PBUH.
The village of Darkash lies 30 km southwest of the city of Ashkhane and 2 km from the main road. It boats natural woodlands and mountains along with countless springs in a mild climate. The only oak woodland in the east lies around the village. In mountains and nearby valleys there are orchards, herbal plants, and diverse wildlife. It draws many visitors.
Biar waterfall , about 15 meters high, stands one kilometer south of Ashkhane , near the village of Biar and originates in the heights south of the village.
The protected area of Gharekhod , encompassing an area of about 4 hectares , lies in the south end of the forests , west of the city of Mane and Salamghan. It has a temperate and semi-humid Mediterranean climate. The vegetation in the southern and northern slopes of the mountains of Gharakhod is different. It boasts the old Aras.
An area where hunting is forbidden, named Behkade Razavi , covers an area of 23,000 hectares and lies 130 km west of Mane and Salamghan. The pastures ( used in winter and summer) are under the supervision of agro-industrial organization of Behkade Razavi and are a habitat for sheep and goats and deer protected by the rangers.
After the subsidiary paths to visit the natural landscapes around Ashkhane , it’s now time to talk of the wildlife shelter of Miandasht. It encompasses an area of over 8,000 hectares , about 10 km southeast of the city of Jajarm. So far some 120 plant species have been recognized in the region. Among the historic relics is Danial Nabi’s mausoleum which lies in the village of Peighambar , 80 km from Jajarm and the mausoleum of Ma’sumzade Zeinolabedin. Another holy pilgrimage site is the tomb of Ali Ebn Mahziar , a jurist, speaker, and Shiite scholar who was among the companions of Imams and lived in the third century AH. He was a representative of the Imams in some parts of the country. The mausoleum of Ali Ibn Mahziar is located in the city of Ahvaz and Danial’s tomb is housed in the city of Shush.
Now let’s move on to the old city of Esfarayen,. It features a historic cave named Ebadatgah , housed in the village of Gurian which is said to be a place where the famous narrator of the tragedy of Karbala, Sheikh Ahmad , worshiped God.
The tomb of Sheikh Ali Esfarayeni , a mystic of the Zahabiyyah dynasty , is housed in his own garden in the neighborhood of Ghale Noy-e Khajeha. Presently the mud pillar of the tomb has collapsed. The famous figure married the daughter of Sheikh Rashidedin Mohammad Bidvazi. Esfarayen is home to over 25 tombs which are highly respected by the locals. On your visit you’ll have an opportunity to see the architecture’s history and examine the region anthropologically.
The great monument of Imamzade Ahmad Reza ( Ahmad Ibn Musa) is situated about 40 km west of Esfarayen , and 8 km southwest of the village of Kuran. The glamorous building lies in an uncrowded land within the fields. Inside, there are wide halls. Around it there are a couple of graves of the rich and big head locals which belong to the rich locals and influential people in the Safavid era.
Shahzade Zeid’s monument is located on the north edge of the village of Tooy , west of Esfarayen. The octagonal building has 4 small porches on its main four sides. Inside, there are graves belonging to the Safavid era and the oldest gravestone , belonging to Mir Mohammad Sadegh Valad Mir Abdollah , dates from 1,072 AH. The shrines and tombs of the offspring of Imams built in the Safavid era were reconstructed and restored during the Qajar period and identical wooden boxes were also prepared for the tombs. One of the examples is Shazade Zeid’s, which dates back to 1329 AH.
The tomb of Imamzade Shahzade Jafar, the son of Imam Reza PBUH according to the locals in the village of Kushki, is a pilgrimage site for Efarayen’s residents and the villages around. It has been rebuilt several times but the current building is about 200 years old.
Sheikh Azeri ‘s tomb is situated in the south of the city of Esfarayen , about one km northeast of the ruins of the city Belgheis and within the agricultural lands.
Some wells and berry trees are seen around. The mosaicked tombstone is about 80 cm above the ground.
There are so many relics and great figures in mysticism that would need lots of time to introduce each but let’s make it quick and go over to Bojnoord, not to Farooj which is quite far.
One historic relic is Narin Ghale (castle). The most famous Narin Ghale lies in Meibod but there are still several castles in the cities like Varamin, Ardebil, Jajarm, and Sirvan. Out of Iran’s borders, too, there are some Narin Ghale ( castles) in the countries including Russia, Afghanistan, and Georgia. Narin Ghale used to be a government center and was built at a high area; the one in Bojnord lies atop a hill named Kohne Kand.
Among other highlights is the stone structure of Baba Tavakkol’s tomb located in the village of Baba Langar. The unchiseled stones and mortar comprise the materials. The interior is covered in decorated plaster. It has an underground reservoir and its centerpiece is a wooden shrine.
The entrance door is decorated with geometric and arabesque motifs. Part of it is kept inside the woodturning pavilion of the anthropology museum in Sabzevar.
It lies 85 km northeast of the city of Sabzevar.
Now over to Faruj; it is known as the city of dried nuts and seeds. Therefore few would fail to stop and get some from the stores working all day round. It features about 4,000 vineyards around and is a place where the high –quality raisins of the country are produced. Nearby there are two villages named Ostad and Khosraviye which are tourist hubs thanks to their historic and natural sites. The village of Ostad is mentioned in the book of Ahsnaltqasym as the center of the Parthian . It was so important that a mosque was built there right when Gohar Shad ‘s mosque was under construction in the Timurid era.
It lies 22 km south of Faruj . The locals belong to the Aryan race and speak Persian .The old bathhouse, the historic mosque, the stone tower for observing, and the mill show it’s great age.
The village of Khosraviye , hometown of Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Najafi, features gravestones dating from 747 AH, decorated with beautifully inscribed words and arabesque patterns . It is divided into two parts by a river and the fruit trees such as sour cheery, cheery, walnut , peach, apple and pear have doubled its beauty. The marvelous nature would attract sightseers.
Among other highlights of Faruj is the village of Tabariyan , home to a glacier cave.
Khabushan , in the northwest of the city, is a historical place thanks to its ancient hills and the tombs remaining from the Timurid era. Also of note is the pristine nature in the rural district of Sangar where one lovely village known as Kharagh
Lies. Equally interstin is the village of Garmab with beautiful gardens and hot water river. The fascinating Mayvan valley , the Kurdish village of Chokanlu , where houses stand on a steep slope one on top of another, and the village of Kheir Abad are other highlights.