Birjand (Persian بيرجند‎) is a city in eastern Iran, the administrative center of the South Khorasan province.
One of the most dynamically developing cities in Iran, the third largest city in the east of Iran after Mashhad and Zahedan. A major agricultural center and a well-known exporter of saffron, barberry, handmade carpets and rugs.

Climate
The city has a dry climate with a significant difference between day and night temperatures.

History
The first mention of Birjend in historical literature dates back to the 13th century, where it is described as one of the most beautiful cities in the region. The city’s airport began operating in 1933.
From 1912 to 1914, Russian orientalist V.A. Ivanov worked in the city.

Sights
The main attraction of Birjend is the fortress, located on the street of the Islamic Republic. It has six towers and two entrance doors in the northern and western branches. Around it grow cypresses and pines.

The Shoukatiye madrasah is located in the ancient part of Birjend and was built in 1894, and in 1908 a madrasah arose here. It has a verandah, a vestibule, a courtyard, pupils’ rooms, an upper room, and a bathhouse. The arch of the portico of the madrasah is richly decorated with paintings. The Chahor-Darakht (Persian letters: Four Trees) quarter is very valuable from a cultural point of view. It includes the Shoukatiye Madrasah, the Cathedral Mosque, and a bathhouse. It accumulates over 20 registered monuments of Iran, including several madrasahs, ancient buildings, hosseins, a mosque and a reservoir under the roof.

Bahlegard Garden is located 30 km southeast of Birgend, in the village of Bahlegard. The garden surrounds the building complex, consisting of an entrance door, a platform in front of it, an inner courtyard, a servants’ quarters, an outer courtyard and a stable; there is also a quadrangular pool in the garden. This is one of the most traditional Iranian gardens, it originated under the rule of Shaukat-ul-Mulk, the ruler of the city during the late Qajars.

The Akbariye complex, next to which the garden of the same name is located, is located on the outskirts of Birjend. It was also erected during the Shaukat-ul-Mulk period. It consists of the main building and several minor ones. Some of its rooms are decorated with stucco. Tall pines grow on both sides of the central building. In 2011, the garden was included in the World Heritage List UNESCO.

Two buildings and a garden around them form the cultural and historical complex Rahimabad. It also includes two pools, one pond, and lush trees grow along the edges of the main road. This is a typical traditional Iranian garden.

The village “Hesar-e sangi” (lit.: Stone fence) is located 70 km from Birjend. It is the largest village in the region. The village is surrounded by beautiful mountains and stone cliffs; there is also an ancient, 400-year-old stone fortress with several towers nearby – the main local attraction. Village houses are mostly built of stone and brick; The inhabitants are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry.