Krasnodar vs Mashhad

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Krasnodar (; Russian: Краснода́р, IPA: [krəsnɐˈdar]) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai. The city stands on the Kuban River in Southern Russia, with a population of 932,629 residents, up to 1 million residents in the urban agglomeration. Krasnodar is the sixteenth-largest city in Russia, and the second-largest city in Southern Russia, as well as the Southern Federal District. The city originated in 1793 as a fortress built by the Cossacks, and became a trading center for southern Russia.

The city sustained heavy damage in World War II but was rebuilt and renovated after the war. Krasnodar is a major economic hub in southern Russia. In 2012, Forbes named Krasnodar the best city for business in Russia. Krasnodar is home to numerous sights, including Krasnodar Stadium. Its main airport is Krasnodar International Airport.

Source: Wikipedia

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Mashhad (Persian: مشهد‎, romanized: Mašhad [mæʃˈhæd] (listen)), also spelled Mashad or Meshad, is the second-most-populous city in Iran and the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province. It is located in the northeast of the country. It has a population of 3,001,184 (2016 census), which includes the areas of Mashhad Taman and Torqabeh. It was a major oasis along the ancient Silk Road connecting with Merv to the east. The city is named after the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Shia Imam. The Imam was buried in a village in Khorasan, which afterward gained the name Mashhad, meaning the place of martyrdom. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine. The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid is also buried within the same shrine. Mashhad has been governed by different ethnic groups over the course of its history.

The city enjoyed relative prosperity in the Mongol period. Mashhad is also known colloquially as the city of Ferdowsi, after the Iranian poet who composed the Shahnameh. The city is the hometown of some of the most significant Iranian literary figures and artists, such as the poet Mehdi Akhavan-Sales, and Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, the traditional Iranian singer and composer. Ferdowsi and Akhavan-Sales are both buried in Tus, an ancient city that is considered to be the main origin of the current city of Mashhad. On 30 October 2009 (the anniversary of Imam Reza's martyrdom), Iran's then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Mashhad to be "Iran's spiritual capital".

Source: Wikipedia