Nishapur

Nishapur or Nishabur is the second largest city of Razavi Khorasan Province, the historic capital of the western half of Greater Khorasan, the historic capital of the 9th century Tahirid dynasty, the initial capital of the 11th century Seljuk Empire, the capital of the Nishapur County and a historic Silk Road city. Nishapur is situated in a fertile plain at the foot of Binalud Mountain Range. As of 2016, its central city population was estimated to be 264,180 and its county's population was estimated to be 448,125. Nearby are turquoise mines that have supplied the world with turquoise of the highest quality for at least two millenniums.

The city was founded in the 3rd century by Shapur I as a Sasanian satrapy capital. Nishapur later became the capital of Tahirid dynasty and was reformed by Abdullah Tahir in 830, and was later selected as the capital of Seljuk dynasty by Tughril in 1037.