Qom
Province
The
province has an area of 10,743 sq.km and population of 873,300
in 2001.
It
is bounded by Tehran and Saveh to the north, Delijan, Kashan
and Mahallat to the south, and the Salt lake, Ashtian and
Tafresh to the East.
Qom
city
The
city of Qom has, for years, been the host to people interested
in Holy Prophet of Islam Hazrat Mohammad( Peace be Upon Him
and His Progeny
) infallible household,
coming to the area to visit the holy shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh
(A.S.) the noble sister of Hazrat Ali Abn Mousa Al-Reza (A.S.
), the 8th Imam of the infallible household of
Prophet Mohammad (PBHU) ,and the holy Mosque Jamkaran.
The
seminary or the Islamic University, which serves as one of
major centers for the propagation
of religious sciences, has had an extraordinary influence on
the cultural development
of the city of Qom.
Historical
Background:
According
to historians, Qom dates back
to centuries before the advent of Islam.
Its
foundation attributed to Pishdadi King Thahmoures and the book
" Khosrow
Kavaza
Varizaki " in Pahlavi script, from the Sassanid era,
speaks of the city's Saffron and recreational center.
Reference
to Qom has been made three times in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh,
indicating that the city
was famous during Sassanid era.
Handicrafts
and Souvenirs:
Pottery
dishes and china utensils, silken carpets, lithic objects
engraved furniture and steel are among the handicrafts of Qom.
Pomegranate,
figs, "Suhan" ( special local sweet ) and ceramic
dishes are the souvenirs travelers take on their return from
Qom.
