Natanz

Natanz (Persian: نطنز, also Romanized as Naţanz) is a city in and the capital of Natanz County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 12,060, in 3,411 families. It is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) south-east of Kashan. Its bracing climate and locally-produced fruit (especially Natanz pears) are well-known in Iran. The famous Karkas mountain chain (Kuh-e Karkas) (meaning mountain of vultures), at an elevation of 3,899 meters, rises above the town, and locals point in its direction telling how the Achaemenian King, Darius III, was killed nearby. Various small shrines dot the area, such as the shrine of Abd as-Samad. The elements in the present complex date from 1304 with subsequent additions and restorations, such...