South Khorasan
خراسان جنوبیA dry eastern frontier of saffron, barberries and qanats on the edge of the Lut desert.
South Khorasan is a land of oasis towns watered by qanats. Its capital, Birjand, is home to the Shokatiyeh, founded in 1897 and one of the oldest modern schools in Iran.
The province grows most of the world's barberries and a large share of Iran's saffron. Tabas, a palm oasis in the desert, was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1978.
Cities and towns
Birjandبیرجند
The provincial capital
Tabasطبس
A palm oasis in the desert
Qaenقائن
The saffron town
Stories from hereداستانها
The Asiatic cheetah
Once a hunting companion of kings, now the last of its line: the Asiatic cheetah survives in the wild only in Iran, and only a few dozen are thought to remain.