According to the Arab geographer
Yaqut al-Hamawi, the name of the city is derived from the famous figure of
Shahnameh Piran. Piran is a
Turanian figure in
Shahnameh, the
national epic of
Greater Iran. Beside Shahnameh, Piran is also mentioned in other sources such as
Tabari and
Tha'ālibī. He is the king of
Khotan and the
spahbed of
Afrasiab, the king of Turan. He is described as a wise and intelligent man, seeking to bring peace to Iran and Turan. In old Iranian writings, Piran and
Aghrirat are the only Turanians that have been described positively. Piran plays a vital role in the story of
Siavash, the story of
Kay Khosro and the story of
Bizhan and Manizhe. In
Persian culture, Piran is a symbol of wisdom. It has been said that
Karim Khan called
Mohammad Khan Qajar "Piran". Piran is often compared to
Bozorgmehr. == Parsua civilization ==