Sistan and Baluchestan
سیستان و بلوچستانThe south-east: the Sistan basin, legendary home of Rostam, and Baluchestan reaching down to the Sea of Oman.
Sistan, in the north, is the delta land of the Helmand River around the Hamun lakes. At Shahr-e Sukhteh, the Burnt City, archaeologists have excavated a Bronze Age city of the third millennium BCE.
Baluchestan, in the south, is part of the homeland of the Baloch, who speak Balochi, an Iranian language, and it reaches the sea at Chabahar.
In the Shahnameh
In the Shahnameh, Sistan and Zabulistan are the realm of Zal and his son Rostam, the greatest of Iran's heroes. Legend places Rostam's castle on Kuh-e Khwaja, a rock island in the Hamun.
Cities and towns
Zahedanزاهدان
The provincial capital
Zabolزابل
The town of Sistan
Chabaharچابهار
The port on the Sea of Oman
Iranshahrایرانشهر
A town of the Baluch interior
Landmarksبناها و نشانهها
Shahr-e Sukhteh
شهر سوختهThe Burnt City, a Bronze Age city of the third millennium BCE
Kuh-e Khwaja
کوه خواجهA rock island in the Hamun, linked in legend with Rostam
Sistan and Baluchestan through time
Iranian historyElam and the first citiesعیلام
Long before the Persians, the lowlands of Khuzestan and the highlands of Fars were home to Elam, a civilisation with its own language, gods and kings, centred on the city of Susa.
- Shahr-e Sukhteh is founded in Sistan
- Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage site
Stories from hereداستانها
Rostam, Rakhsh and the seven labours
Iran's greatest hero and his matchless horse take the short, deadly road to rescue a foolish king: a lion, a desert, a dragon, a witch and the White Div.
Rostam and Sohrab
A father and son who have never met face each other on the battlefield. It is the most heartbreaking episode in the Shahnameh, and Ferdowsi knows it.