History of Saffron

With its scientific term entitled "Crocus Sativus", saffron is of Iridaceae family.
In some reliable resources and references like Americana Encyclopedia, this word has been coined from Corycus, name of a region in Cilicia, which is located at East Mediterranean. Some people are of the opinion that origin of saffron is ancient Median in Iran. Some others believe that origin of saffron is located on a vast area of the Earth like Greece, Turkey, Iran and Central Asia.
While exporting its produced saffron to many ancient world countries, Iranians were introducing its properties to the Greek, Roman, Chinese and Sami ethnic including Arabs. In 1st to 4th centuries (Hejira), Iranians taught methods of cultivating saffron to the Islamic nations residing at the environs of the Mediterranean.
Therefore, the first saffron cultivators and farmers resided at the outskirt of Sham by the Iranians who were exiled by Mo'aviyah.
Then, cultivation of saffron became prevalent in North Africa and Andelse (Islamic Spain) Vasqaliyeh (Cecil) and Iranian ethnics like Rostamian and Banu Tabari played a very constructive role in conveyance and transfer of culture of planting and cultivating saffron.
Historical documentations and evidences indicate that from the old times, Iranians were deeply interested in cultivating and planting saffron eagerly.
In ancient times, Iranians used saffron for feasts, ceremonies like wedding. They (Iranians) used saffron for welcoming the Great, pilgrims as well.
For organizing rites and rituals more gloriously, while adoring and decorating mirrors, golden and silver coins, Iranians were pouring confetti on bride and groom's heads along with saffron and flower. At some special ceremonies, saffron solely was smoked along with aloes wood, musk, ambergris and then rosewater was used as well.
In Aechamenid era, saffron was used for adorning or decorating loaves of bread and also for making foods and provisions with fragrant taste.
While describing biography of Darius, Ferdinand Yousti said: "King of Iran was rubbing his body with fragrant oil, comprised of mixture of sunflower oil, which was provided with saffron and date liquor." In Parthian period, saffron produced in Iran was forwarded to both Greece and Rome. The, China became on of the main customers of Iranian saffron.
In Sassanid period, cultivation and planting saffron became prevalent both in Qom and Boun and superiority and excellence of the product became famous since then.
In that time, saffron was applied in finishing expensive papers but before that, solution of saffron was used as ink for writing purpose.
Since then, saffron was used for making quality writing inks.
It should be noted that various low- and high color saffron inks (ranging from pale yellow to blood-color red (crimson) were used for writing titles of orders, letters of kings, caliphates and rulers, and also in writing of titles, head chapters of books, treatise, and also in illumination and calligraphy, pictures, icons, images, motifs at the margin of books and text, etc.
Most English sources have known saffron coined from word entitled "Al-Safran" and Arabic term. But, accuracy of this subject seems strange, for, saffron dates back over 10,000 years and it is aboriginal plant of Alborz mountain range and Central Asia. As a matter of fact, rhythm of this word is not Arabic and principally, most names which are ended in Arabic language to "AN", have Farsi root like Mehrjan, Jaljalan, etc.
Maybe, saffron was basically called as "zarparan" i.e. a flower which its stigma is valued the same as gold like precious and expensive metal. Finally, this word was then turned into saffron. In Farsi and Turkish languages, saffron is called Zefrun, in Arabic language, it is called Zaferan, in English, "saffron", and in Spanish "Azafran", in French "Safrane", in Italian "Zaferano" and in Indian, it is called "Zuffron".