TEHRAN - The Governor of Punjab, Sardar Salim Haider Khan, accompanied by the consul general of Pakistan in Mashhad, visited key tourist attractions in Neyshabur, including the Khayyam Complex, Attar Complex, and Baghrud Camp on Thursday.

The Pakistani governor also held discussions with the governor of Neyshabur following his tour of the city’s historical and cultural landmarks, said Hassan Giyahi, head of Neyshabur’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Office.

Haider Khan admired the city’s historical and tourism potential, expressing his desire to visit Neyshabur again in spring. “I have heard much about the beauty of Neyshabur in spring and am eager to see it during that season,” he remarked.

He also highlighted Neyshabur’s importance as a stopover for Pakistani pilgrims traveling to Karbala, emphasizing the warm hospitality of the city’s residents.

In addition to the tourist sites, the governor toured the agricultural exhibition and related product displays held at Baghrud Camp, as well as the Qadamgah-e-Razavi cultural and historical complex.

Situated some 70 km west of Mashhad, Neyshabur was founded around the third century CE. Narratives say the town derived its name from its alleged founder, the Sasanian king Shapur I. It grew to prominence in the eighth century and was ruined by invasions and earthquakes in the thirteenth century. After that time, a much smaller settlement was established just north of the ancient town, and the once-bustling metropolis lay underground—until a team of excavators from the Metropolitan Museum arrived in the mid-twentieth century.

The ancient city was once situated on the famed Silk Roads, which ran from China to the Mediterranean Sea, crossing Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey along the way.

AM