Qom Province (Persian: استان قم) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran with 11,237 km², covering 0.89% of the total area of the country. Its capital is the city of Qom.
The province is in the central part of the country and was formed from part of Tehran province in 1996. The province was designated as part of Region 1 following the division of Iranian provinces into 5 regions which took place on June 22, 2014, for the purposes of coordination and development. As of 2016, the province had a population of 1,292,283.
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History
Qom is thought to have existed in pre-Islamic ages. Archeological discoveries indicate Qom as a residential area from the 5th millennium BCE. According to the pre-Islamic remaining relics and historical texts, Qom was a large city. 'Kom' was the name of the ancient rampart of the city of Qom, thus, the Arabs called it Qom during the Arab conquests of Iran.
It was during the reign of the second caliph Umar, that the Muslims captured Qom's center. In 644–645 CE, Abu Moosa Ashari, dispatched forces under his command to Qom. Conflicts arose between the invading Arabs and the residents of the area.
During the persecution of the Alavids by the Abbasids and Umayyads, many Alavids fled to Qom, making it their permanent home. The Caliph Al-Ma'mun sent forces to Qom in the year 825 CE, resulting in a public massacre and destruction of the city.
On hearing of the demise of al-Ma'mun, the inhabitants of Qom revolted and were successful in overthrowing the representative of the Caliph in 831 CE. However, al-Ma'mun's successor, al-Mu'tasim, dispatched forces to Qom in order to curb the riots and once again the city was set aflame. The unrest continued until the Buyid dynasty came to power, being of the Alavid community. It was during this time that the city of Qom expanded and thrived.
In the Seljuk era, the city flourished once more. During the first wave of the Mongol invasion, the city witnessed destruction, but after Mongol rulers, particularly after Sultan Öljeitü Khoda bandeh of the Ilkhanate converted to Islam, the city received special attention, thus witnessing a revival once again.
In the late 14th century, the city came under the plunder of Tamerlane when the inhabitants were massacred. During the periods of the rule of the Qarah Qoyoonloo, Aq Qoyoonloo, and especially during the Safavid era, Qom gained special attention and gradually developed.
By 1503, Qom became one of the important centers of theology in relation to the Shia Islam and became a vital pilgrimage site and religious pivot.
Demographics
Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 1,036,714, in 262,313 households. The following census in 2011 counted 1,151,672 people in 320,977 households, of whom 95.2% resided in urban areas of the province. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,292,283 in 383,532 households.
Administrative divisions
The population history and structural changes of Qom province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
Cities
According to the 2016 census, 1,229,964 people (over 95% of the population of Qom province) live in the following cities:
Geography
The climate of Qom Province varies between a desert and semi-desert climate and comprises mountainous areas, foothills, and plains. Due to being located near an arid region and far inland, it experiences a dry climate, with low humidity and scanty rainfall. Thus, agriculture is not possible in most of its areas, especially near the salt lake regions. Qom province has two large salt lakes, namely: Howz e Soltan Lake, which lies 36 km due north of Qom, and Namak Lake which lies 80 km due east of Qom. Nearly a fifth of Namak Lake lies within Qom Province.
City of Qom
Today, Qom is considered one of the focal centers of the Shiah branch of Islam. Its theological center and the shrine of Ma'soomeh are prominent features of the provincial capital of Qom. Outside the city is Jamkaran, another site of religious pilgrimages.
Qom has at times again been considered as a possible candidate for moving the political capital of Iran, as Tehran faces an increasing probability of an overdue major earthquake and is notorious for its pollution and traffic congestion. The conservative factions are favorable to this idea while the business and economic base of Tehran opposes any such moves.
In 2009, it was disclosed that a mountain range near Qom is the site of Iran's second uranium enrichment facility, containing 3000 gas centrifuges.
Politics
Qom Province is a politically conservative region.
Culture
Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 195 sites of historical and cultural significance in Qom. The most visited sites are:
Fatima Masumeh Shrine
Kahak cave
Vashnuh cave
Howz e Soltan Salt Lake
Namak Great Salt Lake
Mar'ashi Najafi Library, with over 500,000 handwritten texts and copies.
Astaneh Moqaddaseh Museum
Qom Bazaar
Feyzieh Seminary
Jamkaran Mosque
Qom Jame' Mosque
Qom Atiq Mosque
A'zam Mosque
Colleges and universities
College of Farabi, University of Tehran
University of Qom
Mofid University
Islamic Azad University of Qom
The Research Institute of Hawzeh va Daneshgah
Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences
Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute
Qom University of Medical Sciences, (website Archived 10 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine)
Qom's Feyzieh Seminary (called The Hawzah)
Payam Noor University of Qom