- Abaskun
Abaskun was a port that existed in the
Middle Ages on the southwestern shore of theCaspian Sea in the area ofGorgan .Bosworth, C. E. " [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f1/v1f1a032.html Abaskūn] ". "Encyclopaedia Iranica". Accessed onJune 6 ,2007 .]In his "
Geographia ",Ptolemy mentions a river Sokanda inHyrcania , which may have given the name to the city. The exact location of Abaskun remains unclear; most likely, it was situated near the mouth of theGorgan River . According toArab geographers, Abaskun was within a one- or three-day journey from Gorgan.Its coordination's may be near to today's village ofKhaje-nafas orGomishan city coord|37|01|N|54|00|E| [ [http://www.cgie.org.ir/shavad.asp?id=123&avaid=25 The Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia(in Persian)] ]Abaskun was a prosperous trading hub from which merchants travelled to
Daylam ,Derbent , andAtil in the land ofKhazars on theVolga trade route . The city's products includedshagreen , woolen cloth, fish, and seabirds' feathers, which were used for decorating garments. In the 10th century, Abaskun possessed acitadel built of fired brick and a congregationalmosque in the market quarter. The city's wealth and vulnerable location made it a target of theCaspian expeditions of the Rus . The Rus staged their first small-scale raid on Abaskun sometime between 864 and 884, [Golden, P.B. (2006) "Rus." "Encyclopaedia of Islam " (Brill Online). Eds.: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill.] pillaging the city in 909 or 910 and again in 913.In 1220,
Muhammad II of Khwarezm , the fugitive ruler of theKhwarezmid Empire , hid from theMongols on an island near Abaskun. After that, the city is not mentioned in documents. In the 14th century, thePersia n geographerMostawfi wrote that Abaskun was an island which was submerged due to the rise of the Caspian Sea caused by a temporary change in the course of theOxus , which briefly flowed into the Caspian instead of theAral Sea .References
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