Kerman Province

 province, first-level administrative division, draw only border

Kerman (Persian: کرمان, Kermān) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran, located in the southeastern part of the country. It borders Yazd and South Khorasan provinces in the north, Sistan and Baluchistan province in the east, Hormozgan province in the south and Fars and Yazd provinces in the west. Kerman is the second largest province in Iran, with an area of 180,836 km² and the 9th most populous, with a population of 2,432,927 (2005). It has 14 counties and its center is the city of Kerman.

Historical documents refer to Kerman as "Karmania", "Kermania", "Germania" and "Žermanya", which means bravery and combat. Geographers have recorded Kerman's ancient name as "Go'asheer" (Bardesheer). The history of human settlements in the territory of Kerman dates back to the 4th millennium BC. This area is considered as one of the ancient regions of Iran and valuable historical vestiges have been discovered here. Jiroft is an example, where a previously unknown settlement dating back to around 2500BC has just been established by archaeologists. Kerman has an abundance of historical sites and landmarks, 283 in total, according to Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization. Ancient abandoned citadels such as Arg-é Bam and Rayen castle have been preserved in the desert for two thousand years.

Most of the province is largely steppe or sandy desert, although there are some oases where dates, oranges (said to be the best in Iran), and pistachios are cultivated. In antiquity "Carmanian" wine was famed for its quality. Kerman province is dependent on qanats (underground water channels) for its irrigation. In the central parts, Mount Hezar is the highest peak, 4465 meters above sea level.

The climate of Kerman varies in different regions. The north, northwest, and central areas experience a dry and moderate climate, whereas in the south and southeast, the weather is warm and relatively humid. The city of Kerman and the surrounding regions have a semi-moderate and dry climate, with a maximum and minimum temperature of 39.6° C, and -7° C respectively. The average temperature during the months of March - June has been recorded as 20° - 25° C. These months are the most suitable period for traveling and tourism.

Kerman province is considered a paradise for palaeontologists because of an abundance of vertebrate fossils from different geological eras. Fossils include Placodermi, jawed and jaw-less armored fish dating back to Devonian era or first geological era (395 to 365 million years ago), dinosaurs dating back to the Jurassic era (195 to 65 million years ago) and mammals from the Third Geological Era (ranging from two to seven million years ago).

Kerman has many tourist attractions. Some of the most famous are:

1- Friday Mosque:
The well-preserved and restored Friday Mosque in the bazaar district, was built in 1349, though much of the present sutures dates from the Safavid dynasty.

2- Ganjali Khan Bath Museum:
This fascinating museum was originally built in the 17th century as a bathhouse by the governor of Kerman, Ganjali Khan.

3- Shah Nematollah Vali's Shrine:
The dome over the tomb of Shah Ne'matollah Vali, a well-known Sufi dervish, dates from the early 15th century, although many of the other structures in the small enclosed complex of religious buildings around it were built in the reign of Shah Abbas I or later.

4- Shazdeh Garden:
Shazdeh Garden is a historical Persian garden located near (6km away from) Mahan. It consists of an entrance structure and gate at the lower end and a two-floor residential structure at the upper end. The distance between these two is ornamented with water fountains that are engined by the natural incline of the land. The garden is a fine example of Persian gardens that take advantage of suitable natural climate.

5- Arg-é Bam:
The Arg-é Bam (Bam citadel) was the largest adobe building in the world, located in Bam, a city in the Kerman province of southeastern Iran. It is listed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage Site "Bam and its Cultural Landscape". This enormous citadel on the Silk Road was built before 500 BC and remained in use until 1850 AD. It is not known for certain why it was then abandoned. The entire building was a large fortress in whose heart the citadel itself was located, but because of the impressive look of the citadel, which forms the highest point, the entire fortress is named the Bam Citadel.