Ramhormoz (Persian: رامهرمز)[a] is a city in the Central District of Ramhormoz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.[4] In ancient times it had been known as Samangan, having been established by the Sasanian emperorHormizd I,[5] although an Elamite tomb has been found as well. The historical territory of Ramshir is in this area, only 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the city.
Silver coin of the Caliphate, mint at Ramhurmuz minted Dated AH 96 (AD 714/5) during Al-Walid I's reign
The proper history of the city begins in the Sasanian era, although there have been Elamite remains found in and around the city as well. The tomb of the Sasanian founder of the city, Hormizd I, is commonly thought to be situated within the city. "With the gradual Muslim conquest of Khuzestan in the 7th century, Rāmhormoz was the scene of a peace agreement between the local Sasanian satrap, Hormozān, and the commander of the Muslim army.".[9]
During the Islamic times, it was remarked by Muslim geographers that the city contained a library comparable only to the one in Basra in the wealth of its collection, and that silk was produced in the city and distributed to distant lands.[10][11] The city enjoyed incredible opulence before entering a state of decline.
Ramhormoz was the location in which Elamite was last reported to be spoken. This report was written circa 988 AD by Al-Muqaddasi, characterizing the local Khuzi people as bilingual in Arabic and Persian but also speaking an "incomprehensible" language. The town had recently become prosperous again after the foundation of a market. As it received an influx of foreigners and being a "Khuzi" was stigmatized at the time, the language probably died out in the 11th century.[12]
The 14th-century Muslim Laguatan traveler and explorer ibn Battuta visited the city during his travels and described the city as "a fine city with fruit-trees and rivers."[13]
From late Safavid until Qajar Iran, the allegiance of the city frequently shifted between Khuzestan and Fars province. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Lurs and Arabs started to settle within and around the city from nearby lands.[14]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 49,822 in 10,966 households.[18] The following census in 2011 counted 69,869 people in 17,046 households.[19] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 74,285 people in 20,127 households.[2]
^Ramhormoz can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3080776" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
^The History of Al-Tabari: The Sasanids, the Lakhmids, and Yemen. SUNY Press. 1999. p. 43. ISBN9780791443569.
^Milad Milani (2014). Sufism in the Secret History of Persia. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN9781317544593. In one particular hadith, Salman mentions he is from Ramhormoz, though this is a reference to his ancestry as his father was transferred from Ramhormoz to Esfahan, residing in Jey (just outside the military camp), which was designed to accommodate the domestic requirements of military personnel.
^Mukhtaṣar Sīrat Al-Rasūl. Translated by Sameh Strauch. Darussalam. 2006. p. 94. ISBN9789960980324.
