Qom
Encyclopedia
Qom is a city in Iran
. It lies 156 kilometres (96.9 mi) by road southwest of Tehran
and is the capital of Qom Province
. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River
.
Qom is considered holy by Shi`a Islam
, as it is the site of the shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume
, sister of Imam `Ali ibn Musa Rida
(Persian Imam Reza, 789–816 AD). The city is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world, and is a significant destination of pilgrimage.
-i taqlid or "Source of Imitation" that reside there. The number of seminary schools in Qom is now over 50, and the number of research institutes and libraries somewhere near 250.
Its theological center and the Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine
are prominent features of the provincial capital of Qom province. Another very popular religious site of pilgrimage formerly outside the city of Qom but now more of a suburb is called Jamkaran
.
Qom's proximity to Tehran
, Iran's capital, has allowed the clerical establishment easy access to monitor the affairs and decisions of state. Many grand ayatollahs hold offices in both Tehran and Qom; many people simply commute between the two cities as they are only 156 km apart.
South East of Qom is the ancient city of Kashan
. Directly south of Qom lie the towns of Delijan
, Mahallat
, Naraq, Kahak, and Jasb
. The surrounding area to the east of Qom is populated by Tafresh
, Saveh
, and Ashtian
and Jafarieh
. Pre-Islamic remaining relics and historical texts point to the fact of Qom being a large regional city. Kum was known to be the name of this ancient city, thus, the incoming 7th century Arabs called it Qom during the conquests of Iran.
During the caliphate
of ʻUmar ibn al-Khattāb
, the area of Qom fell to the invading Arab armies of Islam
. In 645 AD, Abu Musa Ash'ari also dispatched forces under his command to the area. Conflicts resulted between the incoming Arab army and the residents of the area.
In Seljuki times, the city flourished as well. During the Mongol invasion of Persia the city witnessed widespread destruction, but after the Mongol ruling dynasty, also known as the Ilkhanate
, converted to Islam
during the reign of Öljeitü (Persian Muhammad Khudabænde), the city received special attention, thus undergoing a revival once more.
In the late 14th century, the city was plundered by Tamerlane and the inhabitants were massacred. But during the periods of rule of the Qara Qoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu and especially during the reign of the Safavids, Qom gained special attention and gradually developed due to its religious shrine.
By 1503 Qom became one of the important centers of theology in relation to the Shia Islam, and became a significant religious pilgrimage site and pivot.
The city suffered heavy damages again during the Afghan invasions, resulting in consequent severe economic hardships. Qom further sustained damages during the reigns of Nadir Shah and the conflicts between the two households of Zandieh
and Qajariyeh
in order to gain power over Iran.
Finally in 1793 Qom came under the control of Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar. On being victorious over his enemies, the Qajar Sultan
Fæteh Æli Shah was responsible for the repairs done on the sepulchre and Holy Shrine of Hæzræt Mæ'sume, as he had made such a vow.
The city of Qom began another era of prosperity in the Qajar era. After Russian forces entered Karaj
in 1915, many of the inhabitants of Tehran
moved to Qom due to reasons of proximity, and the transfer of the capital from Tehran to Qom was even discussed. But the British and Russians defeated prospects of the plan by putting Ahmad Shah Qajar
under political pressure. Coinciding with this period, a "National Defense Committee" was set up in Tehran, and Qom turned into a political and military apex opposed to the Russian and British colonial powers.
As a center of religious learning Qom fell into decline for about a century from 1820 to 1920, but had a resurgence when Shaykh Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi accepted an invitation to move from Sultanabad (now called Arak, Iran
), where he had been teaching, to Qom.
In 1964 and 65, before his exile from Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini led his opposition to the Pahlavi dynasty
from Qom. After the Islamic revolution
in 1979, Khomeini also spent some time in the city before and after moving to Tehran
.
At the 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit
, U.S. President Barack Obama
, Prime Minister Gordon Brown
of the United Kingdom, and President Nicolas Sarkozy
of France made statements regarding a purportedly undisclosed nuclear enrichment facility still under construction at Qom, drawing parallels with a similar facility at Natanz
. This happened just after Iran announced that it was working on the construction of the new facility, and it had more than one and a half year before nuclear material would be introduced at the plant.
is, with the Emamshahr space center, one of the two places where the Iranian Space Agency
is launching its suborbital Shahab 3 ballistic missiles.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It lies 156 kilometres (96.9 mi) by road southwest of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and is the capital of Qom Province
Qom Province
Qombol Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran with 11,237 km², covering 0.89% of the total area in Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its provincial capital is the city of Qom. It was formed from part of Tehran Province in 1995. In 2005, this province had a population of...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River
Qom (River)
The Qom River receives its water from the Zagros Mountain and the Namak Lake; It is a large river in Iran. The Qom flows through the city of Qom, and together with the Qareh Su it gains a length of approximately . The water level strongly fluctuates between 312 m³/s and only 4 m³/s. This is...
.
Qom is considered holy by Shi`a Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, as it is the site of the shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume
Fatema Mæ'sume
Fātimah bint Mūsā' al-Kādhim , was the daughter of the seventh Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Mūsā' al-Kādhim and sister of the eighth...
, sister of Imam `Ali ibn Musa Rida
Ali al-Rida
‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rizā was the seventh descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, according to Shia sect of Islam...
(Persian Imam Reza, 789–816 AD). The city is the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world, and is a significant destination of pilgrimage.
Geography
Qom is counted as one of the focal centers of the Shi'a both in Iran and around the globe. Since the revolution the clerical population has risen from around 25,000 to more than 45,000 and the nonnclerical population has more than tripled to about 700,000. Substantial sums of money in the form of alms and Islamic taxes flow into Qom to the ten marjaMarja
Marja , also known as a marja-i taqlid or marja dini , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"...
-i taqlid or "Source of Imitation" that reside there. The number of seminary schools in Qom is now over 50, and the number of research institutes and libraries somewhere near 250.
Its theological center and the Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine
Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine
The shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume is located in Qom, the second most sacred city in Iran after Mashhad. Much of the shrine complex was first built by Shah Abbas I in the early 17th century. The shrine has attracted to itself dozens of seminaries and religious schools...
are prominent features of the provincial capital of Qom province. Another very popular religious site of pilgrimage formerly outside the city of Qom but now more of a suburb is called Jamkaran
Jamkaran
Jamkaran is a village in Qanavat Rural District, in the Central District of Qom County, Qom Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 8,368, in 1,747 families....
.
Qom's proximity to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran's capital, has allowed the clerical establishment easy access to monitor the affairs and decisions of state. Many grand ayatollahs hold offices in both Tehran and Qom; many people simply commute between the two cities as they are only 156 km apart.
South East of Qom is the ancient city of Kashan
Kashan
Kashan is a city in and the capital of Kashan County, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 248,789, in 67,464 families....
. Directly south of Qom lie the towns of Delijan
Delijan
Delijan is a city in and the capital of Delijan County, Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,852, in 8,779 families.Delijan is located 80 km from Qom and 160 km from Isfahan....
, Mahallat
Mahallat
Mahallat is a city in and the capital of Mahallat County, Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 35,319, in 10,285 families....
, Naraq, Kahak, and Jasb
Jasb
Jasb is a rural agglomeration located 15 km NE of Delijan, in Iran.The rural agglomeration comprises seven local villages which are situated along the Azna River *Bijegan *Veshtekan *Vesquneqan *Harazjan...
. The surrounding area to the east of Qom is populated by Tafresh
Tafresh
Tafresh is a city in and the capital of Tafresh County, Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 13,914, in 4,254 families.Tafresh is located amidst high mountains southwest of Tehran...
, Saveh
Saveh
Sāveh is a city in the Markazi Province of Iran. It is located around 100 km southwest of Tehran. As of 2006, the city had a population of 179,009 people.-History:In the 7th century BC it was as stronghold of the Medes...
, and Ashtian
Ashtian
Ashtian is a city in and the capital of Ashtian County, Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 8,324, in 2,597 families....
and Jafarieh
History
Qom as an urban settlement existed in the pre-Islamic ages. Architectural discoveries indicate that Qom was a residential area from the 5th millennium BC5th millennium BC
The 5th millennium BC saw the spread of agriculture from the Near East throughout southern and central Europe.Urban cultures in Mesopotamia and Anatolia flourished, developing the wheel. Copper ornaments became more common, marking the Chalcolithic. Animal husbandry spread throughout Eurasia,...
. Pre-Islamic remaining relics and historical texts point to the fact of Qom being a large regional city. Kum was known to be the name of this ancient city, thus, the incoming 7th century Arabs called it Qom during the conquests of Iran.
During the caliphate
Caliphate
The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...
of ʻUmar ibn al-Khattāb
Umar
`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....
, the area of Qom fell to the invading Arab armies of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. In 645 AD, Abu Musa Ash'ari also dispatched forces under his command to the area. Conflicts resulted between the incoming Arab army and the residents of the area.
In Seljuki times, the city flourished as well. During the Mongol invasion of Persia the city witnessed widespread destruction, but after the Mongol ruling dynasty, also known as the Ilkhanate
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate, also spelled Il-khanate , was a Mongol khanate established in Azerbaijan and Persia in the 13th century, considered a part of the Mongol Empire...
, converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
during the reign of Öljeitü (Persian Muhammad Khudabænde), the city received special attention, thus undergoing a revival once more.
In the late 14th century, the city was plundered by Tamerlane and the inhabitants were massacred. But during the periods of rule of the Qara Qoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu and especially during the reign of the Safavids, Qom gained special attention and gradually developed due to its religious shrine.
The city suffered heavy damages again during the Afghan invasions, resulting in consequent severe economic hardships. Qom further sustained damages during the reigns of Nadir Shah and the conflicts between the two households of Zandieh
Zand dynasty
The Zand dynasty ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century.- Karim Khan Zand :The dynasty was founded by Karim Khan, chief of the Zand tribe which was Lur or Lak deportees. Modern scholarships such as Wadie Jwaideh suggested his Kurdishness. He became one of Nader Shah's generals...
and Qajariyeh
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
in order to gain power over Iran.
Finally in 1793 Qom came under the control of Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar. On being victorious over his enemies, the Qajar Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Fæteh Æli Shah was responsible for the repairs done on the sepulchre and Holy Shrine of Hæzræt Mæ'sume, as he had made such a vow.
The city of Qom began another era of prosperity in the Qajar era. After Russian forces entered Karaj
Karaj
Karaj is a city in and the capital of Karaj County, Alborz Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,377,450, in 385,955 families, , making it the fifth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan and Tabriz.) It is situated west of Tehran, at the foothills of the Alborz...
in 1915, many of the inhabitants of Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
moved to Qom due to reasons of proximity, and the transfer of the capital from Tehran to Qom was even discussed. But the British and Russians defeated prospects of the plan by putting Ahmad Shah Qajar
Ahmad Shah Qajar
Ahmad Shah Qajar was Shah of Iran from July 16, 1909, to October 31, 1925 and the last of the Qajar dynasty.- Reign :...
under political pressure. Coinciding with this period, a "National Defense Committee" was set up in Tehran, and Qom turned into a political and military apex opposed to the Russian and British colonial powers.
As a center of religious learning Qom fell into decline for about a century from 1820 to 1920, but had a resurgence when Shaykh Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi accepted an invitation to move from Sultanabad (now called Arak, Iran
Arak, Iran
-Industries:thumb|right|250px|wagon parsArak is one of the main industrial cities of Iran, possessing many plants for heavy industries especially for the metal and machinery industries, including:...
), where he had been teaching, to Qom.
In 1964 and 65, before his exile from Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini led his opposition to the Pahlavi dynasty
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
from Qom. After the Islamic revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
in 1979, Khomeini also spent some time in the city before and after moving to Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
.
Heritage sites
Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 195 sites of historical and cultural significance in Qom. But the more visited sites of Qom are:- Kahak Cave
- Vashnaveh Cave
- Howz-e Soltan Salt Lake
- Namak Great Salt LakeNamak LakeNamak Lake is a salt lake in Iran. It is located approximately east of the City of Qom at an elevation of above sea level. The lake has a surface area of about 1800 km², but most of this is dry. Water only covers 1 km². The lake only reaches a depth between 45 centimetres to 1 metre...
- Mar'ashi Najafi Library, with over 500,000 handwritten texts and copies.
- Astaneh Moqaddaseh Museum
- Qom Bazaar
- Feyzieh Seminary
- Jamkaran Mosque
- Jami' Mosque Qom
- Atiq Mosque in Qom
- A'zam Mosque
- Shrine of Fatimah al-Masumah
- Timcheh-ye-Bozog(Grand Timcheh) in Bazaar
Universities and Institutions
- University of Religions and DenominationsUniversity of Religions and DenominationsThe University of Religions and Denominations is a teaching and research center focusing on the study of religions and Islamic sects. The president of the university is Prof. Dr. Seyed Abolhasan Navvab, one of its founding members...
- University of QomUniversity of QomUniversity of Qom is a public university located in Qom. Established in 1980 by Mohammad Beheshti and Mohammad Javad Bahonar.The university offers degrees in five colleges....
- Mofid UniversityMofid UniversityMofid University is a university located in Qum, Iran.It was founded by Abdolkarim Mousavi Ardebili in 1989.Mofid University’s main area of teaching is comparative studies between Islamic sciences and modern humanities. However, departments such as Economics, Law, Philosophy, and Political science...
- Fatemieh School of Medical Sciences
- Islamic Azad University of Qom
- Payame Noor University
- The Research Institute of Hawzeh va Daneshgah
- Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences
- Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute
- Qom University of Medical Sciences
- Qom Students Organisation
- Haghani CircleHaghani CircleHaghani school is a Shi'i school of thought in Iran by a group of hardliner right-wing clerics based in the holy city of Qom and headed by Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi, an influential theologian. The Haghani Circle has its origin in the Haghani seminary, founded in 1964, which previously...
- Qom Photos
Seminaries
Qom is currently the largest center for Shi'a scholarship in the world. There are an estimated 50,000 seminarians in the city coming from 70 countries including 6000 from Pakistan. Qom has seminaries for women and some non-Shia students. Most of the seminaries teach their students modern social sciences and Western thought as well as traditional religious studies.Clerical associations
- Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and ResearchersAssembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and ResearchersThe Assembly of Qom Seminary Scholars and Researchers is an association of Shia Islamic clerics in Iran's religious capital of Qom.-International notice:...
(reformist) - Qom Seminary Scholars Association (conservative)
Senior clerics related to Qom
The following is a list of some Grand Ayatollahs and the most senior ranking Ayatollahs in or directly related to Qom.Current
- Grand Ayatollah Ali KhameneiAli KhameneiAyatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...
- Grand Ayatollah Hossein Vahid KhorasaniHossein Vahid KhorasaniGrand Ayatollah Hossein Vahid Khorasani is an Iranian Twelver Shia Marja. He was born in Nishapur, Iran and moved to Najaf, Iraq in 1960 and studied in seminaries of Grand Ayatollah Khoei until he moved back to Iran in 1972 and currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran. He is...
- Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem ShiraziNaser Makarem ShiraziGrand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi is an ayatollah in Iran. He is a spiritual guide for many Shia Muslims.-In Iran:He started his formal Islamic studies at the age of 14 in the Agha Babakhan Shirazi seminary....
- Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini ShiraziSadiq Hussaini ShiraziGrand Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi Grand Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi (Arabic: سيد صادق الحسيني الشيرازي; born 20.12.1360 H (Islamic calendar) 8 January 1942CE (Gregorian) is an Iraqi Shi'a Marja, and the brother of the late Grand Ayatollah Sayed...
- Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi GolpayganiLotfollah Safi GolpayganiGrand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani is an Iranian Twelver Shia Marja. He was born in Golpaygan, Iran. He has studied in seminaries of Najaf, Iraq under Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi. He currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran....
- Grand Ayatollah Mousa Shubairi ZanjaniMousa Shubairi ZanjaniGrand Ayatollah Mousa Shubairi Zanjani is an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. He was born in Qom, Iran. He has studied in the seminaries of Qom under Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi and Mohaqeq Damad. He currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran...
- Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Alavi GorganiMohammad Alavi GorganiGrand Ayatollah Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini Alavi Gorgani is an Iranian Twelver shi'a marja. He was born in a religious family in Golestan, Iran. He rose to a leading scholar in Najaf, and moved to Qom in 1979...
- Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei
Deceased
- =Grand Ayatollah KhomeiniRuhollah KhomeiniGrand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...
- Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi
- Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali MontazeriGrand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali MontazeriGrand Ayatollah Hussein-Ali Montazeri Najafabadi was a prominent Iranian scholar, Islamic theologian, Shiite Islamic democracy advocate, writer and human rights activist. He was one of the leaders of the Iranian Revolution in 1979...
- Allameh TabatabaeiAllameh TabatabaeiAllameh Seyyed Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei was one of the most prominent thinkers of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam...
- Ayatollah Jawad TabriziJawad TabriziAyatollah Mirza Jawad Tabrizi was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. He was born in Tabriz, Iran in 1926 AD . At 22 he moved to Qom and later to Najaf, Iraq until he was deported. He then moved back to Qom and was a teacher in the hawza of Qom until his death...
- Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Behjat
- Ayatollah Mohammad Shirazi
- Ayatollah Mohammad BeheshtiAyatollah Mohammad BeheshtiAyatollah Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti , was an Iranian scholar, writer, jurist and one of the main architects of the constitution of the Islamic Republic in Iran. He was the secretary-general of the Islamic Republic Party, and the head of Iran's judicial system...
- Ayatollah Hassan Modarres
- Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari
- Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani
Fordow uranium enrichment facility
Fordow lies just north of Qom. Its uranium enrichment facility is under construction and is planned to be operational in 2011. Although Iran has clearly stated that the facility is for civil purposes, there is a lot of skepticism about it among the western powers.At the 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit
2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit
The 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh Summit was the third meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy.The G-20 is the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economiccooperation....
, U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
of the United Kingdom, and President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
of France made statements regarding a purportedly undisclosed nuclear enrichment facility still under construction at Qom, drawing parallels with a similar facility at Natanz
Natanz
Natanz 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 south-east of Kashan....
. This happened just after Iran announced that it was working on the construction of the new facility, and it had more than one and a half year before nuclear material would be introduced at the plant.
Qom space center
Qom space centerSpaceport
A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
is, with the Emamshahr space center, one of the two places where the Iranian Space Agency
Iranian Space Agency
The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009...
is launching its suborbital Shahab 3 ballistic missiles.
See also
- Qom hawzaQom hawzaQom Hawza is largest Hawza established in 1922 by Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi in Qom....
- Iranian architectureIranian architectureIranian architecture or Persian architecture is the architecture of Iran . It has a continuous history from at least 5000 BCE to the present, with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Turkey to North India and the borders of China and from the Caucasus to Zanzibar...
- MashhadMashhadMashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
- Qom rugQom rugQom rugs are made in the Qom Province of Iran, southwest of Tehran. The silk carpets of Qom are known for their high quality. The Qom carpets are the most small dotted carpets....
- Shi'a Islam
- NatanzNatanzNatanz 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 south-east of Kashan....
Religiously affiliated
- Holy City of Qum: Past and Present
- Noor Fiqh Library, Qom
- Imam Ali commemorative website, based in Qom.
- Society of Islamic Teachers of Qom's Hawzah (in Persian)
- Qom Seminary Islamic Propagation Office 1
- Qom Seminary Islamic Propagation Office 2
- Qom Seminary Islamic Propagation Office 3
- Qom Seminary Islamic Propagation Office 4
- Qom Seminary Publishers
- Sharah Hawzah Seminary Information Network
- Islamic International Foundation of Cooperation(IslamIFC)IslamIFCThe Islamic International Foundation of Cooperation is a nonprofit, non governmental organization that partners with North American Muslims, non-Muslims and organizations. It promotes mutual understanding and cultural exchange. This organization supports business ventures in order to finance...
IslamIFC - Qom Photos
Non-religiously affiliated
- Qom Province Dwelling Foundation of Islamic Revolution
- Qom Management and Planning Organization
- Governor of Qom website
- Qom Province Transportation and Terminals Organization
Others
- Province of Qom on Iran Chamber Society
- Sādeq Sabā, Visiting Iran's ayatollahs at Qom, Tuesday, 17 June 2008, BBC.
- Supreme Leader's Visit to Qom - PressTV video