Tous is a city in the Khorasan Razavi Province. It might be the city that in the Greek documents is known as Susia, and described as one of the capitals of Parthians in north-east of Iran. In the Avesta, the holly book of Zoroastrians, Tous is mentioned as one of the sixteen sacred cities. Historically, however, the name of Tous is not seen anywhere until couple of centuries after the Arabs invasion. In Achaemenid documents, the city located in northeast of the country is known as Parthoveh. It is Ferdowsi, the great epic poet of the country that highlights the name of the city. The masterpiece of Ferdowsi, Shahname, is an epic tale of heroes and their struggling, love, and beliefs. The city of Tous has a major part in these stories, many incidents happens here and it is frequently mentioned. The city is also where the great poet himself lived and died.
After the Arab’s invasion, and with the advancing of Neishabour, the city of Tous loses its importance. However, when Mongols attacked the country both cities were destroyed by Genghis Khan, and reconstructed by his descendants. The tale of travelers tells us that by the time Nader of Afsharid tribe became the king, nothing but ruins remained from the city. The archeological excavations of the city’s historic highlights has brought to the visitors attractions like Tous Citadel, Bareh Tous, city’s ancient fortification, Harounieh, Akhangan Tower, Imam Mohammad Ghazali Mausoleum, and the Mausoleum of Ferdowsi.
