Shahroud

Shahroud is a city in Semnan Province, Iran. It is well known for unique types of grapes which are cultivated especially in Shahroud. Consequently, Shahroud is known as the City of Grapes.

In 2006, traces of prehistoric, 8000-year-old settlements were found in Shahroud. This is the pre-historical site of Deh Kheyr, Semnan, located in Shahroud Plain, 15 kilometres from the city of Shahroud. The discoveries included ovens, craft workshops, and other evidence of settlements.

Archaeological excavations in different parts of Shahroud Plain indicate the existence of villages in this area during 7-5 millennium BC.

As a modern city, the city of Shahroud was merely a village before the reign of Fath Ali Shah of the Qajar dynasty, with two old castles and a small farm named “Shabdary”. The surrounding areas, however, such as Biarjomand, Miami and Bastam do have a distant history.

The old town of Bastam is located 6 km north of Shahrood. Its pre-Islamic history is not clear, but according to some historians, it was built during Shapur II period (310-379 CE). During the Abbasid era, it was the second largest town (following Damghan) in the Qomis province.

The town was visited by Nasser Khosrow Qubadiani, the Iranian poet of the 12th century, and mentioned by him as the centre of the Qomis province. Bastam declined during the Mongol era assaults, and Shahrud eventually took its place.