Isfahan [1] ( Pers. اصفهان - Esfehan [2] ) is one of the 31 provinces ( left ) of Iran . Located in the center of the country. The administrative center is the city of Isfahan , other major cities are Kashan (250 thousand), Khomeinishehr (220 thousand), Nejefabad (210 thousand), Shahinshehr (130 thousand), Shehreza (110 thousand), Mobarek (63 thousand ), Zerroshehr (57 thousand), Aran-i-Bidgol (56 thousand), Golpayegan (48 thousand), Falavejan (38 thousand), Semir (27 thousand), Nain (25 thousand), Honsar ( 21 thousand), Dekhakan (17 thousand), Erdestanan (15 thousand), Fereydunshekhr (14 thousand), Nettenz (12 thousand).
| Isfahan | |
|---|---|
| Persian. استان اصفهان | |
    | |
| A country | Iran |
| Enters into | - |
| Includes | 22 shakhrestanov |
| Adm Centre | Isfahan |
| History and geography | |
| Square | 107,029 km² |
| Timezone | UTC + 3: 30 |
| Largest cities | Kashan Khomeinichehr Nedgefabad |
| Population | |
| Population | 4,559,256 people ( 2006 ) |
| Density | 42.6 persons / km² |
| official languages | Farsi Bakhtiari Qashqai Georgian Armenian |
| Digital identifiers | |
| ISO 3166-2 code | |
| Telephone code | |
The area is 107,029 km² [3] , the population is 4,559,256 people [3] ( 2006 ). The main population is Persians ; in the south of the province, the Kashkashians roam, there are also Georgian ( Fereidan ) and Armenian communities.
Geography
The climate in the province is temperate and dry, with temperatures ranging from 40.6 ° C to 10.6 ° C. The average annual temperature is 16.7 ° C, the annual rainfall is 116.9 mm.
History and Culture
Historical documents show that from ancient times there were fortresses and military fortifications in the region to protect the settlements. The most ancient of them belong to prehistoric time.
Abyani is a historical settlement , in which there are ruins of the Sassanian era , temples of fire and other historical objects.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Isfahan became the capital of the Safavids, which contributed to the prosperity of the region.
Small peoples and various religious groups, including Armenian and Jewish communities, live in Isfahan. Numerous Georgian diasporas live in the Fereidan Valley of the province, moved here by Shah Abbas I and formally adopting Shiite Islam. Nevertheless, most of the Fereidan Georgians secretly remained adherents of Orthodoxy . Due to the tolerance and high culture of the local population, many well-known writers and famous people came out of Isfahan.
Administrative division
The province is divided into 22 Shahrestan:
- Aran-i-Bidgol (Aran-o-Bidgol)
- Borkhar-e-Meime (Borkhar-o-Meymeh)
- Golpayegan
- Isfahan (Isfahan)
- Kashan (Kashan)
- Lenjan
- Mobarakeh
- Nain
- Nethenz (Natanz)
- Nedjababad (Najafabad)
- Semirom
- Semirom-e-Sofla (Lower Semirom)
- Tiran-i-Karvan (Tiran-o-Korun)
- Faridan (Fereydan)
- Felaverjan (Falavarjan)
- Fereydunshahr
- Khansar (Khansar)
- Khomeinishahr
- Chadegan ( Chadegan )
- Shahinshahr about Meime (Shahinshahr o Meymeh)
- Shehreza (Shahreza)
- Erdestan (Ardestan)
Economy
Isfahan Province is a large industrial center of Iran . The rapid development of the industrial sector has made the province one of the most significant economic centers, not counting the undisputed leader in this area - the province of Tehran , to which Isfahan’s indicators are very close.
The main branches of the economy are textile, metallurgical, chemical, oil refining, electrical engineering, aviation, automobile, pharmaceutical, food, footwear, energy (including nuclear), trade, transport, agriculture (wheat, legumes, vegetables, citrus, grapes, pomegranates, cotton, pistachios, flowers, especially roses), tourism, mining of copper, lead-zinc ores and building stone.
The city of Isfahan is based on the metallurgical companies Mobarake Steel Company (Imidro) and Isfahan Steel Company (Imidro), the pharmaceutical company Farabi, and the manufacturer of household appliances Entekhab Industrial Group. Among the largest enterprises in the city are the National Iranian Petrochemic Company, a petrochemical plant, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, a refinery, the Electronic Electronics Plant of Iran, and the Nosa Research Center.
Aircraft Company “Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company” / “Hesa” is based in the city of Shahinshehr . The city of Fuladshekhr is the metallurgical plant Isfahan Steel Company, the cement plant Siman Sepahan. In the city of Zarrishnehr Isfahan Steel Company metallurgical plant is located. Mobarak Steel Company is located in the city of Mobarak . Natanz Steel is located in the city of Natanz. In the city of Golpayegan there is a car factory “Diar Automobile Company”, a factory of car accessories “Zar”. In the city of Kashan, there is a Special Economic Zone, the Samiyar Automobile Plant (Saypa Group).
The province has over one hundred registered places of historic importance, annually attracting thousands of tourists from other regions of Iran and from abroad.
Attractions
Imam Square with Imam (Shah) mosques and Sheikh Loftally, Ali-Gapu Palace and the Great Safavid Bazaar, Chehel-Sotun, Hasht-Behesht and Talar-Ashraf, Friday Mosque, Hakim, Sayyid, Nayin, Darb mosques are located in Isfahan. e Kushk and Monar-Jonban with “swaying minarets”, the bridges of Ci-o-Seh Paul (or Allaverdi-khan), Haju, Marnan, Shahrestan and Jubi, the Armenian New Julfa district with the Wank Cathedral (the main cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Iran) , Bethlehem Church, Churches of the Most Holy Theotokos, the All-Savior, St. Gregory, Svyatog o Stephen, St. Gevork (George), St. James, St. Minas, St. Nerser, St. Mary, St. Nicholas, John the Baptist and the Monastery of St. Catherine.
Also in Isfahan interesting minarets Sareban and Chehel-Dohtran, the minaret of the mosque, Ali , madrasas Chahar Bagh (Shakhskoye), Sadr and Hajj, Zoroastrian temple Atashgah Sassanid era, the temple of Avicenna, the tomb of Nizam al-Mulk and Malek Shah, saunas Sheikh Bahai, Khosro Aga, Ali Gholi Aga, Hadzhukha, Shahzadeha and Bigdeli, “pigeon towers”, the Shahi bazaar and the Shah caravanserai. In the city of Nain are located the ruins of the ancient fortress Narin, the ancient Friday Mosque, the "wind towers" and the Ab-Anbar water reservoirs.
Meydan, Aga-Bozorg mosque and Friday mosque, Zeynoddin minaret, Habib ibn-Musa mausoleum with Shah Abbas I tomb, Ab-ul-Ulu mausoleum, several aristocratic palaces with gardens and the old Kashan bazaar are located in the city of Kashan . The ruins of two ancient ziggurats are located near Kashan on the Sialk hill. In the city of Nethenz there are the Friday Mosque with the mausoleum of Abdol-Samad, the Kuchekh-Mir Mosque, the “Temple of the Eagle”, the Gadamgah-Ali complex with the trail of Imam Ali, the ruins of the Zoroastrian temple. The Arisman mines are located near Natanz, where in ancient times gold and copper were mined.
In the city of Shehreza are located the tomb of Shah-Reza, the Pudeh mosque and the old bazaar, in the vicinity - the caravanserai Mahyar and Shah-Reza, the village of Amin-Abad with the Safevidov caravanserai, the cave of Shah Ghanbad. In the city of Nejafabad Arg-e Sheikh Bahaye fortress is located. The old Friday Mosque is interesting in the city of Golpayegan . The ruins of the fortress and Zoroastrian sanctuary of the Sassanid era are located near the town of Khomeinishehr .
In the city of Erdestan there are the Friday Mosque, the ruins of the tombs of Hussein and Ismael of the Seljuk period, the ancient bazaar, houses and reservoirs for water “ab-anbar”. Near the city of Aran-i-Bidgol are located Sizan fortress, Maranjab caravanserai, Muslim tombs and mausoleums, salt lakes. In the city of Khansar there are the Friday Mosque and the fortress of Baba Mohamed, in the vicinity there is the Zoroastrian temple of Tir Kuk and the hot mineral springs of Golestan Kuk. In the city of Fereydunshehr interesting Georgian and Armenian quarters. The mausoleum of Pirbakran is located in the town of Falavarjan.
Notes
- ↑ Isfahan // Dictionary of geographical names of foreign countries / resp. ed. A.M. Komkov . - 3rd ed., Pererab. and add. - M .: Nedra , 1986. - P. 137.
- ↑ Instruction on the Russian transfer of geographical names of Iran. - M .: Science, 1979. - p. 47.
- ↑ 1 2 Statoids.com (English)