Mashhad ( ; ) is the
second most populous city in
Iran and capital of
Razavi Khorasan Province. It is located in the northeast of the country, close to the borders of
Turkmenistan and
Afghanistan. Its population was 2,749,374 at the 2011 census and its built-up (
or metro) area was home to 2,782,976 inhabitants including Mashhad Taman and Torqabeh cities. It was a major oasis along the ancient
Silk Road connecting with
Merv in the East.