Historical Geography of Khath

Kath, a city located east of the Jeyhun River, was the town of Khwarazm, the ancient capital, and the first political, social and economic centre of the Khwarazm region. This city, together with Jurjaniyeh (Gurganj, Organj), turned the province of Khwarazm into one of the bright centres of Islamic civilization in the east of the Islamic world. Kath was considered an important city in the early Islamic centuries, but gradually its importance and status decreased and Jurjaniyeh took Kath's place as the seat of Khwarazm. What were the factors of Kath's prosperity and importance and why it lost its prestige and prosperity is the issue that this article seeks to investigate? The research method is descriptive and analytical, relying on library sources. The findings of this research show that Kath was a prestigious and prosperous city long ago, due to the centrality of the province of Khwarazm. Abad markets and extensive trade with the Turks were a sign of the commercial prosperity of this city, and the abundance of scholars and scientists was a sign of its scientific prosperity, especially during the reign of the scholarly family of Al-Iraq over this land. The prosperity of Kath did not end until the 4th century of Hijri, and from this time, due to the frequent floods of the Jeyhun River and the destruction of parts of Kath, and more importantly, the prosperity of Jurjaniyeh (as the new centre of Khwarazm), Kath lost its importance and prestige, Degenerate.