Qaen (Persian: قائن, also Romanized as Ghayen, Qayen or Ghaen) is a city in and the capital of Qaen County, in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Qaen is also called the City of Saffron[citation needed]. Saffron from Qaen is prized for its unique aroma and strong colour[citation needed]. The population at the 2006 census, was 32,474 in 8,492 families.