City of Ferdows, center of Ferdows county is located in north-west of Southern Khorasan Province on 58°, 10´, 34˝ latitude and 1275 meters altitude with 200 meters distance from Birjand. Ferdows is neighbor of Bajestan in north, Aysak in south, Islamieh in east and Boshrooyeh in west. Ferdows was destroyed severely in earthquake on September 1, 1968 and nothing was left but a pleasant memory and some historical works and buildings.
Installation signs in south side of Khoncheh Hill in Ferdows indicate a four-thousand years history for this city, namely Bronze Age. The region of Baghestan throne is also mentioned as a Neolithic site.
Toon historical city has been considered as one of the cities in early Islamic period enjoying urban context and old-fort, districts, fence and rampart. Congregational [central great mosque] and Kooshk Mosques are two of the oldest works in Toon. Due to its great cradle arches and half-columns hidden under newly repaired wall in later years, Kooshk mosque is comparable with mosques in the first Islamic period such as Tarikhaneh of Damghan. A historical inscription dated 554 Hegira (1175 AC) as the most ancient historical inscription in Toon is embedded in this adobe building. Ashkalol-Alam [Forms of World] by Jeyhani is the first historical book in fourth century of Hegira in which the name of Toon has been described as a city in Ghohestan province. Moghaddasi in his book entitled “Ahsanol-Taghasim” [the best divisions] says: “Toon is a thriving and populated city. Its people are weavers. It has also great scientists. The city has a citadel in which the entire context exists. People drink water in a drain canal in public”. Naser-Khosro (444 Hegira) describes Toon in his itinerary book as following: “Toon had been a great city, but it was almost destroyed when I traveled there. The city had flowing water and canals. There were many gardens in east side and the city had a strong rampart. It was told that 400 workshops had been working in the city to weave pileless carpets, and too many pistachio trees there were in the city”.
Obviously, Toon has been one of the important cities from early Islamic period and has had a specific economical and social position. In 1929 Toon was renamed to Ferdows by governmental approval. Toon (Ferdows) was destroyed severely in an earthquake in 1968 and nothing was left but a memory and some historical works and buildings.
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