the historical city of qazvin

with its favorable geographical location, qazvin has long been a center of civilization in the iranian plateau. due to its strategic importance and being situated on the way to routes going to west and east, qazvin has always enjoyed military and political significance in both the pre-islamic and the islamic period. after the muslim arabs’ conquest of persia, qazvin became one of the borders of dar al-salaam (the abode of islam). the expansion process of the city of qazvin, which had previously started since the abbasid period, was accelerated in the seljuk period. following the conflicts between iran and the ottomon empire during the safavid dynasty, shah tahmasb, the first, deemed expedient to choose qazvin as the capital. this study aims, beside an analysis of the political and military situation of qazvin over a variety of ages, to examine the historic monuments and constructions of this city, mainly those built in the safavid period.