Abarkouh is called so, because this city was built on the foot of a nearby mountain and thus called “Barkouh” which means ”on the mountain”.

The township, stretching over an area of 6000 sq. km, lies in Yazd-Shiraz highway to the west of Yazd 140 km from the city and 300 km from Shiraz.

The center of this township is Abarkouh City, which covers an area of 6 sq. km. There are four rural areas within the city limits.

Abarkouh has a several thousand years record of urbanity behind it and had been one of the major passes on the famous Silk Road. It was only in the late 15th century, with Iranian roads becoming insecure and Portuguese discovery of India's sea routs that the Silk Road lost its importance and was forsaken.

It is believed that Abarkouh had been, in the early centuries of the Islam, a seat of learning where Islamic jurisprudence and principles as well as, Arabic literature, and astrology were taught.

Shrines of Tavous Alharamain, Pir Hamzeh Sabzpoush, Ezeddin Nasafi and some other sages and men of God are in this region. Ezeddin Nasafi was a famous researcher, who authored a number of books and was contemporaneous with Sultan Jalaluddin of Kharazm Dynasty.