Jiroft civilization, California of Iran!
What do you know about Jiroft civilization? Not long ago, the remains of a cemetery were discovered in the bed of Halil River. Although, before the archaeologists knew, a large number of its objects had been looted by smugglers. The 5000-year-old civilization of Jiroft is one of the most unknown and mysterious human civilizations, which shows the civilization of several thousand years in Iran. Many believe that the missing link of humanity has been found by discovering the secrets of Jiroft civilization. Jiroft nature and Jiroft souvenirs cannot be ignored. The special climate of Jiroft, which has made it known as the California of Iran, has made the nature of Jiroft attractive.
The story of the discovery of Jiroft civilization
Jiroft city in the south of Kerman province is famous for having fertile land, abundant water and diverse climate. The production of agricultural products is particularly booming in this city. But in the last decade, there was a drought in Jiroft and it became difficult for the villagers to make a living. It is said that one day, while plowing the land, one of the farmers found a part of a bowl and thought that he had come across a treasure. After that, the people of this village started digging the ground and finding historical objects and sold them to cultural heritage smugglers for a small price.
The location of Jiroft civilization on the map in the past.
After a year and a half passed, the Cultural Heritage Department found out about this situation and invited Dr. Yousef Majidzadeh, who was living in France, to participate in the exploration of this historical site. In addition to exploring this area, Majidzadeh was able to recover many objects that were still in the houses of the villagers.
For the first time, in 2003, Dr. Majidzadeh published photos of the Jiraft civilization and information about it. According to the archeological findings in this site, the oldest artifacts in Jiroft date back to more than 5000 years ago.
Photo of Jiroft civilization city
Before reading the explanation about Jiroft civilization, it is better to see the photo of the old Jiroft city to get an idea about this city. Undoubtedly, seeing photos of Jiroft civilization, you will be curious to go and see this civilization of several thousand years.
A part of the city of Daghianos or the old Jiroft.
Sandal hills are part of the great Jiroft civilization.
An example of art works discovered from Jiroft ancient site.
An example of the script of Jiroft people in the third millennium BC.
Daqianus
A part of the civilization of Jiroft city is located in its northeast, the city of Daghianos. This city, which is located next to the Halil River, came out of the ground due to its overflowing and flooding. The history of this city, which was the home of the Earth civilization, dates back to the third millennium BC. From 3000 BC to the Islamic era, it has been so prosperous that it has been repeatedly attacked by enemies. After Islam, this city received the attention of the Seljuk government, and at that time it was considered their economic and commercial hub. Even Marco Polo, the Italian traveler who traveled to Iran in the 7th century, describes this city as magnificent. The city of Jiroft had a mint, and the presence of a coin dated 48 AH with the Jiroft mintage indicates that the name of this city dates back to the post-Islam era.
The city of Daghianos was the center of Chinese and Roman merchants and a warehouse.
The city of Daghianos was the center of Chinese and Roman merchants and a warehouse. Many examples of works made by China have been found in this area, which shows the exchanges between these two countries. The wealth and happiness of the people of Daghianos can be clearly seen in the remaining works such as musical instruments and stoneware.
Different parts of Daghianos city (old Jiroft)
Many passages and neighborhoods have been found in different parts of the city, which indicates the existence of more than a hundred neighborhoods and a hundred squares in Daghianos. This large number of neighborhoods shows that during the Seljuk period, this city was very large, densely populated and economically, politically, socially and culturally prosperous. Jiroft civilization
The cemetery of this city, which is located two kilometers from it, has also attracted the attention of archaeologists and excavations have been carried out on it. At that time, three types of normal burials, crypts and coffins were carried out in Daghianos.
Different parts of this city came out of the soil during four archaeological stages. including protective, industrial, city mosque and its minaret. During the Islamic era, the city of Maidan had a passage, facilities and a water supply network. Also, near the market of the city, a bath from the Islamic era was discovered.
One of the remaining buildings of Daghianos city is its mosque.
The line in Jiraft civilization
Until the discovery of the Jiroft civilization, it was thought that Iranians had no use of writing before the Achaemenid rule. However, clay tablets with geometric patterns were discovered in the area of Jiroft civilization, which indicates the use of writing in the third millennium BC by the people of this civilization.
With the discovery of these clay tablets, it became clear that Iranians had their own script before the Hakhanashians.
Is it possible to talk about Jiroft civilization and ignore the hill next to Sandal? Kanaar Sandal village, located 30 kilometers south of Jiroft, is a part of the 5000-year-old civilization of this city. In the village of Kanaar Sandal, 2 ancient hills have been discovered, each of which has provided us with good information about Jiroft civilization. After 6 stages of archaeological exploration in this area, they came to the conclusion that these hills are part of one of the first cities built in human civilization in the Halil River basin.
On top of the northern hill next to Sandal, there is a temple which is one of the biggest ziggurats in the world. This ziggurat is made of more than four million bricks in three floors. Also, in the northwest of this hill, the small castle cemetery was discovered.
The hill next to the southern Sandal is also the remains of a castle that was located in the center of this city. During the excavations, a part of the fence and residential spaces of this part of the city were revealed. In the east, there is a cemetery called Mahtout.
According to the works discovered in this area, one of the largest Iranian civilizations was located in this city.
According to the works discovered in this area, one of the largest Iranian civilizations was located in this city.
The objects discovered from this ancient hill are mostly clay and stone containers, pieces of soapstone and sometimes bronze tools. In fact, the most important industry of the people of this civilization is carving on soapstone, which has a special delicacy. On the pieces of soapstone of this region, there are images of humans, goats, sheep, palms, snakes and scorpions. The unique feature of the soapstone pieces of this region compared to other regions and civilizations is the presence of shining eyes and inlaid work on them. Also, the design of some of these parts is intertwined with several animals, which must have been done by complex calculations to create it.
Jiroft Archaeological Museum
There are 5000 year old works that each have something to say about Jiroft civilization. In the Jiroft Archaeological Museum, bronze, soapstone, marble, lapis lazuli, and plain and engraved pottery are kept from the third millennium BC. In this museum, you can see the amazing art of the Jiroft civilization in the design and pattern of dishes, sardis, statues and sculptures.
The Archaeological Museum of Jiroft is located on Halil Jiroft Boulevard, Deliri Park.
There are images of humans, goats, sheep, palms, snakes and scorpions on the pieces discovered from Jiroft civilization.
nature jiraft
The nature of Jiroft is different from the northern cities of Kerman province due to its location on the slopes of the southern mountains of the Zagros mountain range and the proximity of the Halil River. Jiroft has hot and relatively humid summers and mild and short winters. That is why some, including ISNA news agency, call it Little India or Iran’s California. The nature of Jiroft is beautiful, green and diverse. Among the spectacular natural works of Jiroft, we can mention Delfard valley, spa springs, Dosari village and Saroiye summer cottage area. To see the Delfard valley, you can go 25 km from the ancient city of Jiroft and enjoy citrus groves, palm trees, almond and pomegranate forests, rivers, unique waterfalls and colorful flower beds.
The nature of Jiroft is beautiful, green and diverse.
One of the beautiful sights of Jiroft nature is Delfard Valley.
Jiraft souvenirs
The souvenirs of Kerman among other provinces of Iran have something to say. The souvenirs of each of the cities of this province, including Jiroft souvenirs, have many varieties. One of the most famous souvenirs of Jiroft is its rose carpet, which is also a part of the country’s exports. In addition to citrus fruits, which are one of the good agricultural products of this city, you can buy pottery, mat weaving, plush weaving, rugs and rugs, mirror embroidery and tablecloth weaving from this city as souvenirs.
One of the most famous souvenirs of Jiroft is its red carpet.
