Qaen

Ghayen (Persian: قائن, also Romanized as Qaen, Qayen or Ghaen) is a city in and the capital of Ghayen County, in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Ghayen is also called the City of Saffron. Saffron from Ghayen is prized for its unique aroma and strong colour. The population at the 2006 census, was 32,474 in 8,492 families. Ghayen is a place of great antiquity and complex history. The present city, which lies in a broad valley, was founded in the 15th century on the site of an ancient city. Later, the Uzbeks (a Turkic people) took possession of the city and held it until Shah Abbas I (1588-1629) expelled them. In the 18th century, Qaen fell under the control of Pashtuns which is why some of locals, though they speak Persian, still claim...