Khonj City of Fars Province

Where Is Khonj City?

Khonj City is the center of Khonj County. The area of this city is more than 5000 square kilometers and has a population of about 50 thousand people. The presence of vast palm plantations in this city, along with citrus groves, has boosted its agricultural sector. The people of this city are of Fars and Qashqai descent. Most of the people of this city are Muslims and followers of the Shafi’i School of Thought.

This central city of the Khaoj County is 270 km away from Shiraz. Being 110 kilometers from the Persian Gulf, standing at a height of 670 meters above sea level, and located on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains makes the weather of this city very humid for most parts of the year. However, the climate of Khonj is generally hot and dry and it gets very hot in summer.

The History of Khonj

Khonj City was, probably, formed around a castle named Tavangar. This castle is located in the northern part of the city and its age is estimated to be around three thousand years.

The name of this city is derived from the Avestan and Zoroastrian word “Hong”. It is assumed that the name of this city is synonymous with “joy” and “celebration”, which, due to its proximity to the village of “Sadeh” - the place where Zoroastrian celebrations were held - seems to be authentic.

Historical Sites of Khonj

Khonj has an ancient history and, therefore, houses many historical sites.

Seljuq Jame’ Mosque

This mosque, which was built in the 11th century AD, is very similar to the Atiq Mosque of Shiraz and was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 1999.

Mirsharif Ab Anbar

This place is a covered water reservoir and is considered to be the largest one in the region.

Khani Bathhouse

This bathhouse, which like other traditional bathhouses of Iran, consists of such parts as a dressing room, a “Garmkhaneh” (lit. warm area), and a “Khazineh” (where people bathed), and the longevity of which dates back to the Qajar era (19th century AD) was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 1975 AD.

Shah Arian Castle

This castle is located on the slope of a mountain called Qalatu, and traces of stone buildings and water reservoirs can be noticed around it.

Old Silk Road Stoned Causeway

This road was also called “Dig Ashkan”. In the past, Khonj was located on the access road to Siraf, the most important commercial port of the Silk Road. Siraf was the connecting point of Iran to the Maritime Silk Road, which started from the ports of southern China and reached the Persian Gulf after crossing the Indian Ocean. This road was also called “Spice Road”. The evidence shows that being located on the Siraf route Khonj was economically prosperous and continued to grow even after the decline of this port. The existence of many monasteries in this city is proof of this claim. In the past, parts of this route were paved with stones and gravel, the remains of which can still be noticed.

Danialiyeh Complex

This complex is a remnant of the 15th century AD and houses a monastery, a minaret, and a tomb belonging to a person named Sheikh Daniyal Khonji.

Shrines of Khonj

There are several shrines in Khonj, including the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Salam Khonji, the shrine of Sheikh Shamsuddin Muhammad Abunjam Khonji, and the shrine of Kaka Fakhruddin.

Tomb of the Seljuq Emperors

This tomb houses the graves of several Seljuq sultans (11th century AD).

Khonj Lake

Khonj Lake, which is a seasonal lake over an area of 600 square kilometers in the south of Fars Province, and holds up to 60 million cubic meters of water in the rainy season, is a popular resort in the south of Fars and is considered a suitable rest stop for the migrating birds, which use it as a suitable place for laying and nesting due to the proximity of this lake to Hiram Lagoon.

The presence of this lake in the hot southern desert regions of Iran shows a spectacular face of Iran’s four seasons. The water of the lake is supplied by the Khonj mountains and part of the surface water of Larestan and Gerash counties from the east and Jahorm, Qir, and Karzin counties from the north, west, and south.