Zanjan, Iran
Zanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in Iran. It lies north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey and approximately from the Caspian Sea. The city is located about 20 kilometers south of the Qaflankuh Mountain Range. At the 2016 census, its population was 521,302 which is the 20th largest city in Iran. The population of Zanjan consists mostly of Iranian Azeris who can also speak the Azerbaijani language. Zanjan is 21733 square kilometers.
Zanjan is known for its beautiful handcrafts such as knives, traditional sandals, called charoogh, and malileh, a handcraft made with silver wires. Zanjani artists make many things like various decorative dishes and their special covers as well as silver jewelry. In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its stainless and sharp knives. But this tradition is gradually becoming extinct by introduction of Chinese-made knives into the market which are far cheaper, more abundant and less artistic. Many villagers today are traditional carpet weavers, perhaps Zanjan's most popular handcraft. Zanjan's population boasts the highest level of happiness among the people of 30 other provinces in Iran, according to a detailed survey conducted by Isna.
History
, the Iranian traveler and historian, in his book claims that Zanjan was built by Ardashir I, the first king of the Sassanid Empire and named as "Shahin". One important moment in the history of the city was in 1851 when the city became a center for the suppressed Babi religious movement, along with Neyriz and a fortress known as Shaykh Tabarsi. The forces of the central government captured the Babi fort in Zanjan after a long siege on the orders of Grand Vizier Amir Kabir and killed or expelled the Bab's followers. According to Bosworth, who quotes Hamdollah Mostowfi, the inhabitants during the Ilkhanid era spoke "pure Pahlawi", a Median or northern form of Persian.Geography
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, rainfed agriculture makes up around 42% of Zanjan's land cover and grasslands account for another 37%. The remainder is bareland, irrigated agriculture, forest, orchard and riverbanks. Only 1.07% of the land is urban development.Climate
Zanjan has a cold semi-arid climate with hot, dry summers and cold, moist winters, often with snowfall. Precipitation is very low, and mostly falls between October and May.Main sights in the city of Zanjan
Zanjan bazaar
Zanjan's bazaar is a public marketplace that started in Agha Mohammadkhan Ghajar-era in 1784 CE, and completed in 1792 CE during the Fath-Ali Shah-era. Mosques and a bath were added later. This bazaar has 940 shops, which consist of two defined parts, namely Bazaar-e Bala and Bazaar-e Paieen. Vendors are organized by their professions and commodities.[Jameh Mosque of Zanjan]
The central mosque of Zanjan is also known as the Seyyed Mosque, this was constructed in 1826 during the Qajar-era, by one of Fath-Ali Shah's sons. This mosque was built in the old area of the city and it's the religious center of Zajan.Saltmen museum at Zolfaghari House
It's built on Imam Street. This building holds six naturally preserved human remains called saltmen or “namaki”, which had been discovered in 1993 in the Chehrabad salt mines. These remains are originally from Achaemenian-era.Tofighi’s building
Tofighi's building is related to last parts of Qajar-era and Pahlavi-era. It's built on Imam Street. It was a house of the greatest man of Zanjan that was mayor of city. This building has 2 floors and consists of a symmetrical form.Match company (3 stars match company)
Match company is related to Pahlavi's era and located on Safa street. It has a beautiful head. It is the second company of city and constructed before the second world war by Mahmud Shalchi. It has an exclusive brick chimney.Dadamaan Hotel Zanjan
The old abbey was constructed 200 years ago in the area of Enghelab square which is the most central and oldest part of Zanjan. It initially served as a caravanserai and then for approx. 80 years it was the house of one of Zanjan's scholars, Sheikh Jalal Ashabi.It had been uninhabited for 20 years after the passing of the Seikh from 1997. It began to be renovated in 2017 and now serves as a traditional hotel.
Sangi Caravanserai
The Sangi Caravanserai is an ancient roadside inn, constructed in Safavi-era and was converted into a restaurant in the 1990s. It's a single story stone building that has four iwans and a ceiling that is arcuate.[Rakhtshooy Khaneh Edifice]
A historical wash-house and Iranian national heritage site, that is currently being used as Zanjan anthropological museum.Industries
•Lead•Zinc
•Pasteurized milk
•Chemical productions
•Weaving
•Cotton
•Food productions
•Transformator
•Electrical productions
Handicrafts
The most famous handicrafts are knives, charuq, filigree and gilding. Gilding is the one important art for decoration the books and calligraphies. Other handicrafts include coppersmithing, rug weaving and carpet weaving.Colleges and universities
Zanjan is also home to several universities such as:- University of Zanjan
- Zanjan University of Medical Sciences
- Islamic Azad University of Zanjan
- Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences
Sports
Notable people
For a complete list see: :Category:People from Zanjan, Iran- Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, was a Persian philosopher and founder of the Iranian school of Illuminationism, an important school in Islamic philosophy that drew upon Zoroastrian and Platonic ideas.
- Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani, is an Iranian theologian, Islamic philosopher, writer and Grand marja of Islam.
- Hujjat, was an early leader of the Bábí movement of 19th-century Persia.
- Reza Mirkarimi, is a contemporary film writer, director, and producer.
- Mousa Shubairi Zanjani, is an Iranian shia Marja.
- Yousef Sobouti, is a contemporary Iranian theoretical physicist.
- Mehdi Sohrabi, is an Iranian professional racing cyclist.
- Amir Hatami, is an Iranian regular army officer with the rank of Brigadier general and the current minister of defense of Iran.
- Abbas-Ali Amid Zanjani, was an Iranian politician and cleric.
- Saeid Mahdioun, was an Iranian fighter pilot.
- Majid Shahriari, was a nuclear scientist and engineer who worked with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
- Jamileh Sheykhi, was an Iranian actress.
- Mirza Abutaleb Zanjani, was an Iranian jurist and Shia scholar.
- Mohammad Ezodin Hosseini Zanjani, is an Iranian shia Marja.
- Farah Ossouli, is an Iranian painter.
- Jamshid Ansari, is an Iranian reformist politician.
- Abdulkarim Zanjani, was a Shiite man.
- Mohammad Yeganeh, was an Iranian economist who was the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran from 1973–1975.
- Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Zanjani, is an Iranian shia Marja.
- Reza Zanjani, was a Shia Iranian cleric.
- Masoud Roghani Zanjani, s an Iranian academic, economist, scholar.
- Fatemeh Rakeei, is an Iranian politician, linguist, poet.
- Ali Shakouri-Rad, is an Iranian physician and reformist politician.
- Mahsa Javar, is an Iranian competitive rower.
- Mohsen Mohammadseifi, is an Iranian wushu athlete.
- Abdul Karim Kho'ini Zanjani, was an Iranian scholar and cleric.
- Ali Akbar Saremi, was an architect from Iran.
- Mohammad Kiavash, was an Iranian politician.
- Meisam Nassiri, is an Iranian freestyle wrestler.
- Ebadollah S. Mahmoodian, is a retired professor of Mathematics.
- Hossein Monzavi, was a prominent Iranian poet.
- Hossein Abedini, is an Iranian actor.
- Ahmad Hakimipour, is an Iranian reformist politician.
- Davoud Maleki, a retired Iranian featherweight weightlifter.
- Seyed Esmaeil Mousavi Zanjani, Iranian Politician.
- Sadollah Nasiri Gheydari, is a University professor.
Photo gallery