Description : Abiward or Abi-ward, was an ancient Sassanid city in modern-day Turkmenistan. Archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Abiward have been made in the last century about 8 km west of Kaka (Russian: Каахка) in an area of 12,000 m2. The central tell is 60 feet high and 700 feet round. It corresponds to the modern town Dargaz. The Bandiyan complex is located near Abiward. For the period before the advent of the Safavids (r. 1501-1722), the historic city of Abivard was one of the educational centers of Islamic and Arabic scholarship in eastern Iran. Under the Saljuqids, Muhammad born Ahmad al-Abivardi (died 1114), was one of the renowned poets and litterateurs who, later in his life, settled for a while in Baghdad, but on the account of his Shi'ite proclivities was persecuted by the Abbasids. He then attended the court of the Saljuq Sultan Muhammad and was appointed to the position of Chief Accountant of the court. Another contemporary famous name from Abivard is Ali born Muhammad Anvari-Abivardi (died c. 1191), one of the great classical poets of Iran. After the Mongol invasion of Iran and Iraq, Husam al-Din Abivardi (died after 1324) is mentioned as one of the theologians attending the court of the Abbasid caliphs of Egypt.
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