Natanz

Natanz (Persian: نطنز) is the centre of a township of the same name in the Isfahan province of Iran. It is located 70km south-east of Kashan. The population of the township as of 1999 was 39,964.^[1] Its bracing climate and locally-produced fruit (especially Natanz pears) are well-known in Iran. The famous Karkas mountain chain (Kuh-e Karkas) (meaning mountain of vultures), at an elevation of 3,899 meters, rises above the town, and locals point in its direction telling how the Achaemenian King, Darius III, was killed nearby.^[2] Various small shrines dot the area, such as the shrine of Abd as-Samad. The elements in the present complex date from 1304 with subsequent additions and restorations, such as the Khaneqah and Muqarnas vault. The tomb honors the Sufi Sheikh Abd al-Samad, and was built by the Sheikh's disciple, the Ilkhanid vizier Zain al-Din Mastari.

Nuclear facility

Anti-aircraft guns guarding Natanz Nuclear Facility.

In 2002, Alireza Jafarzadeh revealed the existence of a secret nuclear facility designed to enrich uranium extracted from the Yazd province using centrifuge technology. The Natanz site, located some 30 km NNE from the town (33°43′N, 51°43′E) near a major highway, is generally recognized as Iran's central facility for enrichment with 164 centrifuges, and as of April 2007 there is speculation that there are upwards of 3000 in the underground facility.^[3][4] However, there is some speculation that the site could be a front, while expansion of the centrifuge program goes on elsewhere.^[5]

See also

• Nuclear program of Iran
• Iran and weapons of mass destruction
• Plans for strikes against the Iranian nuclear program

References

1. ^ http://www.isfahanportal.ir/framework.jsp?SID=44
2. ^ The place where Darius III was murdered by his relative, the satrap Bessus, is believed by historians to lie in the region of Ahevanu in Semnan province, much more to the east and north than Natanz.
3. ^ How to Keep the Bomb From Iran, Foreign Affairs, September/October 2006
4. ^ The West wants sanctions against Iran; Russia and China still prefer diplomacy, Ha'aretz, August 23, 2006
5. ^ Iran's nuclear program stalled?

External links

• Stanford University entry on Natanz
• www.globalsecurity.org entry on Natanz
• Shrine Complex of Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad
• The Sheikh Abdolsamad Mosque in Natanz Iran

Coordinates: 33°30′25″N, 51°54′49″E