Sabzevar

Sabzevar, previously known as Beyhagh, is a city in Razavi Khorasan Province, approximately 220 kilometres west of the provincial capital Mashhad, in northeastern Iran.

The history of Sabzevar goes back to the 1st millennium BC. Ancient remains include fire-temple Azarbarzin which is still visible.

After the Mongol invasion of Iran, the city was the first part of Iran that moved towards its freedom, under the lead of the Sarbedaran movement.

In the 14th century Timur invaded Iran and destroyed the city completely. Contemporary sources mention 90,000 people having been murdered by Timur. After killing all men in the town, he cut their heads and made 3 pyramids of the heads, in what is now the modern Sarberiz (meaning “Place of heads”) square.

Sabzevar Province had been lost by the Safavids to the Uzbeks of Transoxiana but was regained following a Safavid counter-offensive around 1600, along with Herat and Farah.