Mashhad is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about 900 kilometres from Tehran. In the Central District of Mashhad County, it serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan province, the county, and the district. It has a population of about 3,400,000, which includes the areas of Mashhad Taman and Torqabeh. The city was governed by different ethnic groups over the course of its history.