New NaqqaliReference
Places of the Shahnameh
The lands, cities, mountains and rivers named ten times or more in the poem, each with a page: where the story takes you, and the couplets that name each place. 76 entries.
A
AhvazاهوازA city of south-western Iran.named 12 timesAlanonsدژ الانانThe fortress by the sea where Tur's and Salm's forces take refuge. The text also has 'Alan' for the people of those marches.named 16 timesAlborzالبرزThe sacred mountain where Fereydoon was hidden and the Simorgh made her nest, and where Kay Qobad was found.named 29 timesAmolآملA city in Tabaristan, south of the Caspian.named 18 timesAmuyآمویA town on the Jihun at the river crossing between Iran and Turan.named 14 timesArdabilاردبیلA city of Azarbaijan.named 11 timesAzar AbadaganآذرآبادگانAzarbaijan, seat of the Azargashasp fire.named 11 times
B
BalkhبلخA great city of Khorasan, Iran's frontier base against Turan; later Lohrasp's seat, with the Nowbahar fire temple.named 59 timesBarbarبربر / بربرستانA distant land whose captives Anooshirvan settles in Sursan, and whose fabrics are prized.named 23 timesBardaبردعA city of the northwest, near Ardabil, whose envoys and fighting men appear at the Sasanian court and in its wars.named 11 timesBistoonبیستونA great mountain in western Iran, a byword for massive strength.named 13 timesBostبستA city of Sistan.named 10 timesBukharaبخاراA city of Transoxiana.named 13 times
C
ChaghanچغانA land beyond the Oxus whose king Faghanish lends troops to Pirooz and whom the Heytalians later make their king. The text also has 'Chaghaniyan'.named 12 timesChakhچاچA city of Transoxiana (Tashkent), famed for its bows.named 35 timesCharamچرمThe road to Turan by Kalat, which Kay Khosrow forbids Tus to take.named 11 timesChinچینChina, or the lands of Central Asia beyond Turan, ruled by the Khan and the Faghfoor.named 436 times
D
Danbar, Mai, Morghدنبر، مای، مرغLands of Hind: Danbar, Mai and Morgh; Mai is also the lord of Danbar who succeeds his brother Jamhur on the throne of Hind. 'Mai and Morgh' also names a district in Sughd (Maymurgh).named 39 timesDehestanدهستانA fortress town near the Caspian where Nohzar retreats.named 16 times
F
G
Gang-Beheshtگنگ بهشتAfrasiab's stronghold, where he gathers his army and to which he flees; Kay Khosrow takes it and rests there a year.named 10 timesGangdezhگنگ‌دژThe paradise-like city Siavash builds in Turan; later Afrasiab's refuge, taken by Kay Khosrow.named 15 timesGhanoojقنوجKanauj, a city of northern India.named 35 timesGilanگیلانThe province on the south-western Caspian shore.named 17 timesGorganگرگانA province south-east of the Caspian.named 13 timesGorgasaranگرگساران'Wolf-heads' (also read Kargasaran, 'vulture-heads'): a monstrous people Sahm fought; Bijan is found chained in a pit in their land.named 11 timesGulzaryunگلزریونA river on the Turanian frontier.named 15 times
H
HamavanهماونThe mountain where the Iranian army is besieged by the Khan’s forces.named 23 timesHamavaranهاماورانA land (Yemen or Himyar) whose king imprisons Kavus.named 32 timesHeratهراتA city of Khorasan.named 16 timesHindهند / هندوستانIndia.named 166 timesHindustanهندوستانIndia.named 21 timesHirmundهیرمندThe Helmand river of Sistan.named 16 times
I
IranایرانThe land of the Iranians, Iraj’s inheritance.named 1,477 timesIsfahanاصفهانA city of central Iran.named 16 timesIstakhrاستخرThe ancient royal seat in Pars (near Persepolis).named 26 times
J
JahramجهرمA town in Pars, seat of Mehrak and home of Barbad and Farrokhzad.named 15 timesJihunجیحونThe Oxus (Amu Darya), the border between Iran and Turan.named 89 times
K
KabulکابلMehrab's kingdom; Kabulistan. Its later king plots with Shaghad to kill Rostam.named 129 timesKalatکلاتForood’s mountain fortress.named 12 timesKanabadکنابدThe mountain where Piran's Turanian army takes its stand against Gudarz, facing Raibad.named 12 timesKashanکشانیKamus‘s land. The text also has ’Kashanian‘ and ’Kashani’.named 17 timesKashmirکشمیرThe land in north-western India.named 18 timesKermanکرمانA province of southern Iran, reached by Haftvad's power and later given by the Shah to his loyal followers.named 15 timesKhallokhخلخA Turkic land of the east, Arjasp's realm, famed for its horsemen and fair maidens.named 14 timesKhavarخاورThe East.named 16 timesKhazarخزرThe Khazar lands north of the Caspian. The text also has 'Khazars'.named 23 timesKhorasanخراسانThe great eastern province of Iran.named 27 timesKhutanختنA kingdom of Central Asia, named with Chin and Turkistan among the lands of the Turks.named 26 timesKhwarazmخوارزمA land on the lower Oxus, a borderland between Iran and Turan.named 13 times
M
MachinماچینThe land beyond Chin.named 17 timesMadainمداینThe royal seat of the Sasanian kings.named 11 timesMakranمکرانThe coastal land of south-eastern Iran.named 35 timesMarvمروA great city of Khorasan; Yazdegard, the last Shah, flees there and is betrayed by its lord Mahwi.named 36 timesMazandaranمازندرانA province of Iran on the Caspian shore, whose treasure-house the Shah draws on.named 77 timesMesrمصرEgypt.named 22 times
N
P
R
RaibadریبدA plain and mountain on the Turan frontier where Gudarz camps before the great battle.named 10 timesReyریA great ancient city near present-day Tehran.named 56 timesRumرومRome and Byzantium; the west.named 321 timesRuyin Dezhرویین‌دژ'The brazen fortress': Arjasp's stronghold in Turan, where Goshtasb's daughters are held captive; Esfandiyar takes it by guile and burns it.named 16 times
S
SaklabسقلابThe land of the Slavs.named 20 timesSamanganسمنگانTahmineh‘s father’s kingdom, where Rostam finds Rakhsh.named 12 timesSariساریA city of Tabaristan.named 14 timesSasanianساسانیانThe royal house descended from Sasan, founded by Ardeshir, which rules Iran down to Yazdegard.named 12 timesShavaranشاورانThe father (or, as some read it, the homeland) of the Iranian hero Zangeh, who is called 'son of Shavaran'.named 14 timesSindرود سندThe land of the river Sind (Indus) on the borders of Hind, whose king rides with Bahram Goor.named 30 timesSistanسیستانThe south-eastern land of Zal and Rostam, also called Zabul, Zabulistan and Nimruz.named 114 timesSughdسغدSogdiana, the land of Samarkand.named 16 times
T
TisfoonطیسفونCtesiphon, the royal capital of the Sasanian kings.named 42 timesTuranتورانThe land of Tur beyond the Oxus, ruled by Afrasiab.named 513 timesTurkترکThe people of Turan (also ‘Turkish’); Turkistan is their land.named 196 timesTurkistanترکستانThe land of the Turks, beyond the Jihun.named 11 times