Dāmghān

Dāmghān, town, northern Iran. It lies at an elevation of 3,900 feet (1,200 metres), just southeast of the Elburz Mountains on a large, barren gravel plain. It is on the road and railway between Tehrān and Meshed. In 856 ce, Dāmghān was the epicentre of a powerful earthquake that destroyed the fortified walls of the city and caused extensive damage to a 200-mile (320-km) radius. Possibly the oldest mosque in Iran, the Tārīk Khāneh (c. 9th century), and several tomb towers of the Seljuq period still stand in the town. Archaeological excavations at nearby Tappa Ḥiṣār (Tepe Hissar) reveal occupation from prehistoric times through the Sasanian period. Dāmghān was an important town and capital of the medieval province of Qumis but was destroyed by Afghans in 1723. The town trades in pistachios and almonds. Pop. (2011) 58,770; (2016) 59,106.