Qazvin from Pre-Islam to Modern Times Based on Historical Sources and Archaeological Studies

The city in the Islamic period, in terms of structure, was the continuation of Sassanid era urban planning, and its physical elements are mostly taken from the rich culture of Islam and indicate the Islamic civilization. Qazvin is one of the cities of the Islamic period, the core of which was formed during the Shapur rule, the Sassanid king, and gradually developed and expanded. This city, in terms of its special geographical location, has been the focus of various governments since the pre-Islam era, and its location on the east-west and north-south communication highways has guaranteed the survival of the social, political, and economic life of this city. Knowing the characteristics of such cities can be useful in gaining a deep and broad insight into the social and political history of Iran in the Islamic era. Historians of the Islamic era have examined the city of Qazvin from various aspects. In this article, an attempt has been made to study the characteristics of the urban context of Qazvin from the historical point of view and archaeological research, as well as the communication routes of this city with neighboring areas based on historical sources. The main question is to what extent the historical information corresponds to the features of this city. The results of this study and the field visit to the city show that the urban context of Qazvin is largely consistent with historical sources. The field surveys and studies carried out and their comparison with archaeological research showed that the city underwent many changes in the late Islamic era, in such a way that during the Qajar period, as well as in the Pahlavi period, the urban context was expanded and modern buildings were built in the city.