the
Iranian plateau and Central Asia. The town derived its name from its reputed
founder, the Sassanian kingShapur I, who is said to have
established it in the 3rd century CE. Nearby are the turquoise mines that supplied the world with
turquoise for at least two millennia. It became an important town in the
Khorasan region but subsequently declined in significance until a revival in its
fortunes in 9th century under theTahirid dynasty, when the glazed ceramics of Nishapur formed an important item
of trade to the west. For a time Nishapur rivaled Baghdad or Cairo: Toghrül, the first ruler of the Seljuk dynasty, made Nishapur his residence
in 1037 and proclaimed himself sultan there, but it declined thereafter, as
Seljuk fortunes were concentrated in the west. In the year 1000CE, it was among
the 10 largest cities on earth. After
the husband of Genghis Khan's
daughter was killed at Nishapur in 1221, she ordered the death of all in the
city (~1.7 million), and the skulls of men, women, and children were piled in
pyramids by the Mongols. This
invasion and earthquakes destroyed the pottery kilns. In 1979, the 15th World Scout Jamboree was scheduled to be
