Mazandaran Province :
Mazandaran Province is located between the latitudes 35-47 and 38-05 N. and longitudes 50-34 and 56-14 E. It is bounded on the north by the Caspian Sea --which itself shares border with Russia, Kazakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan --on the east by Khorasan on the south by Semnan Province and Tehran Province and on the west by Gilan province. On the North-west, Mazandaran Province has border with the Turkmenistan . Its area is 46,645 square kilometers.
According to the 1995 divisions, the province has 19 counties, 51 towns, 49 rural districts and 142 villages. The provincial counties are: Sari, Amol, Babol, Babolsar, Qaem Shahr, Behshahr, Mahmud Abad, Bandar-e-Torkaman, Ton-e-kabon, Ramsar, Savad Kuh, Ali Abad, Kordkuy, Gorgan, Gonbad Kavus, Minu Dasht, Noor, Now-Shahr and Neka. Mazandaran is less wet than Gilan (38 inches at Babol, 25 at Qaem-shahr) and was settled earlier, probably because the forests were less dense and the climate slightly less unhealthy.
In any case, whereas Gilan was still more of less uninhabited in the far-off days of the legends of the Book of Kings, Mazandaran was mentioned there and contained such early settlements as Sari, the ancient Sariya, the oldest provincial capital, and Amol, which in the 8th century became the capital of the first Moslem governors, both with origins lost in legend. There is also Babol more than 35,000 inhabitants), known as Barfurush until a short time ago, which was founded at the beginning of the 16th century on the ruins of the ancient city of Mamtir.
The first two have some ancient buildings but they are not particularly interesting. The monuments of Sari are of no great interest to the tourist passing through the town on his way to Gorgan. There are a few imamzadeh the largest of which, the Imamzadeh Abbas, is in the eastern part of the town. Sari is a busy town surrounded with prolific gardens where rice, cotton and sugar cane prosper. Firdowsi called it one of the loveliest cities in Persia. For the modern traveler, however, it holds little of interests.
Chalus city in Mazandaran province
Chalus is a small town only 5 km.
west of Noshahr, now virtually a suburb of its larger neighbor, is 200 km. to the north of Tehran in an altitude of 20 m. above sea level. Tehranis consider Chalus the nearest seaside resort providing them with forest and greenery as well.
Ramsar city in Mazandaran province
Ramsar is a green jewel of a city on the shore of Caspian Sea. Its boundaries go up north to Caspian, south to highlands of Zanjan province, west to Gilan province, and east to the city of Tonnekabun. The city has nearly 688 square kilometers area composed of two distinct sections: Mountainous and low valleys. The former section is a part of Alburz Mountain Range.
Mountains of these sections are covered by the extensive woods and green pastures. Its valleys are the lower slopes of Alburz Range, divided by different rivers extending to Caspian Sea. The most important of these rivers are Safa Rud, Chalek Rud, Nesar Rud, and Turk Rud. Ramsar mountains are close to the sea, hence the high humidity and excessive rainfall. For the past ten centuries Ramsar has been a prosperous center of population and seat of great houses. The oldest name of this area was Sakhtsar (Hardihood), changed in A.D. 1935 to its opposite.
Sari city in Mazandaran province
Sari, covering an area of 3923 square kilometers, is bordered by the Caspian Sea to the north, the Alburz Mountains to the south, Qa'imshahr to the west, and Behshahr to the east. Its distance from the Caspian Sea is 37 kilometers.Important rivers of Sari are the Tajan and Neka.
The Neka nourished the northeastern farms of the city. Sari is one of the Iranian cities that receives an abundance of rain, so much so that rain can be seen in all seasons.Its annual rainfall in some years exceeds 70 centimeter. Climates of Sari is rather humid most of the years which is the main factor contributing to its frost-free winters. The famous historical monuments of Sari are Mulla Majd al-Din tomb (early centuries of Islam), Immamzadeh Yahya Dome (15th century A.D.) Sultan Muhammad Reza Memorial Tomb (19th century A.D.), Sultan Zaynulabedin Tower (A.D. 1430), Immamzadeh Abbas Shrine (A.D. 1518), and the Jami Mosque (A.D. 765).
The coastal plains of the Caspian Sea, more than 680 kilometers long, along with mountainous slopes and beautiful towns and villages, kind and hospitable people, are amongst the important recreational regions of Iran. There are various and enough accommodation facilities as well as other necessary services providing suitable conditions for tourists.
There are in the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea, dense forests of different spacies, forest parks, sandy beaches, clean waters, and several large and small cities are mostly located alongside the coastal road and are centers of socio-economic activities of the region. From the border-town of Astara in the extreme northwest to the banks of the Atrak River in the southeast of the Caspian Sea. There are important cities and tourism centers with accomodation facilities like Astara, Talesh, Bandar Anzali, Rasht, Lahijan, Ramsar, Chaloos, Nowshahr, Babol, Amol, Sari, Behshahr, Gorgan, and Bonbad-Kavoos.
In addition to the recreational characteristics of the Caspian Sea coast, there are other worth seeing places. Among them, the existence of historical sites in the cities of Rasht, Fooman, Lahijan, Gorgan and Gonbad Kavoos may be pointed out. In the cities of the Caspian Sea coastline, different wooden, bamboo, and mat-like products are supplied in huge quantities. Vast fields of rice, tobacco, tea, oleaginous seeds, cotton, and citrus orchards along with beautiful wooden houses, have created a very interesting social life and livelihood, worth seeing for every tourist.
Azarbaijan, Zanjan and Qazvin
Ardebil Province :
Ardebil Province is located north-west of Iran , between latitudes 37-06' and 39-42' N. and longitudes 47-17' and 48-55 E. It is bounded on the north by Azerbaijan Republic, on the west by East Azarbaijan province , on the east by Gilan, and on the south by Zanjan province .
Its area is 18,451 square kilometers. According to the latest divisions, Ardebil Province has 6 counties-- Ardabil, Bileh Savar, Pars Abad, Khalkhal, Garmi and Meshkin Shahr --17 rural districts and 62 villages. The provincial center is Ardabil.
East Azarbaijan Province :
This province is called after Aturpat the Governor (the one whom fire guards him ) , he declared his independence during Alexander the Great's attack to Iran (328 B.C.) so he ruled over this land (small Medes) in southwest of the country which became Iran later. The history of Azerbayejan began from the independence of Aturpat and during 23 centuries. has passed through different political stages, and whenever a powerful government ruled over the central part, Azerbayejan became dependent on that government. Azarbayejan-e-Sharqi Province with an area of 67,101 sq. Kms. and a population of 4,726,648(1992), is counted as one of the most important provinces in the country from commercial , industrial and agricultural points of view.
About Arg-e Alishah in Tabriz
Masjid-i Ali shah or (Arg-i-Ali Shah or citadel) is the impressive remainder of a great and imposing building in Tabriz.
It belongs to the 8th century A.H. (14th century A.D.) when it was built by Taj al-Din Ali Shah of Tabriz, the famous minister of the Mogul Ilkhan, Ghazan Khan.
The great structure has gradually fallen into ruins and what remains of it today consists only of parts of its strong and thick walls, the rest having completely disappeared.
The construction of Arg must have taken place between the Hijrah years 716 and 736 (1316 & 1335 A.D.).
Citadel of Tabriz (also called Masjed-e Alishah and Arg-e Tabriz) in Imam Khomaini Ave., is the impressive remainder of a great and imposing building in the town.
The Arg, a huge and crumbing brick citadel, is a notable landmark that was built in the early 14th century on the site of a massive mosque which collapsed over 500 years ago, and which must have been one of the largest ever constructed.
But inside the Citadel there is nothing except two arches and an indication of the position of the mihrab; All shah`s court has been covered with ignoble buildings, the sanctuary walls have been rebuilt and propped up, and it is hard to believe that any part of this place was ever a mosque.
In earlier times criminals would be hurled from the peak of the citadel into a ditch below, and it is said that one woman sentenced to this end was saved from death by the parachute-like effect of her chador.
About Azarbaijan Museum in Tabriz
Azarbaijan Museum, constructed in 1957 and inaugurated in 1962, is on Imam Khomaini Ave (next to the Blue Mosque). With an area of 3000 square meters, it consists of the following three main sections:
A) Ethnological Section, representing costumes and characteristics of various tribes and people of Iran;
B) Archaeological Section, exhibiting objects dating back to the fourth millennium BC. Here one can see coins, weapons, decorative objects, domestic utensils and tile works.
These objects were excavated in Mushlan, Hassanlu, Qara Tappeh, Khosrow Shah, and Marlik.
C) History of Constitutional Revolution Section, containing photographs and documents of interest from the Constitutional Revolution of Iran.
Visiting Hours: Everyday 07:30 am-14: 30 PM. Tel: (0411) 66343, 65298
About Bazaar-e Tabriz in East Azarbaijan province
Strolling in the center of Tabriz, particularly Motahari Avenue, one is remained very forcibly that that it is a commercial city: one cannot miss its very large and 15th-century covered bazaar occupying an area of one square kilometer.
It is already much diminished in its variety of goods, but still a great place for getting hopelessly lost amid its dusty architectural splendors. Its architectural style, numerous caravansaries, mosques, and schools have added further beauty and glory to this complex. Exact information on the history and origin of the bazaar is not available; however, historical buildings such as the Jam`e Mosque, Talebieh School, and Sadeqieh School indicate that the complex is one of the oldest structures of the City.
The present structure of bazaar dates back to the closing years of the Zand dynasty (1750- 1779 AD). While seeing the real bazaar, the visitor will understand with the amusement of recognition the shocked tone of the Moor, that indefatigable traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited Tabriz in 1334: I passed through the jewelers` bazaar, and my eyes were dazzled by the varieties of precious stones that I beheld. They were displayed by beautiful slaves wearing rich garments with a waist-sash of silk, who stood in front of the merchants, exhibiting the jewels to the Turks` wives, who bought them in large quantities to outdo each other.
A riot broke out among them-may Allah preserve us from such a din! We went on to the ambergris market, and witnessed the same rowdiness, if anything even worse. The complex has high brick domes and arches. It includes several small bazaars, or bazaarches, each for specific guild and craft. Carpet making is the main trade, but Tabriz is also renowned for its silverware and jewelry. The spice bazaar, one of the most pungent and impressive in Iran, is an excellent place for picking up henna. Look out also for the traditional Azari hats resembling those worn by the gypsies of Western Europe.
About Blue Mosque in East Azarbaijan province
Blue mosque (or Masjed-e Kabud) on the north side of Imam Khomaini Avenue, is a 15 th-century destroyed by one of Tabriz`s recurrent earthquakes. Despite showing a sorry ruin, it was recently restored with the utmost skill. Because of the blue tiles used in the decoration of both interior and exterior of the mosque, it has become to be known as the Turquoise of Islam.
What remains of the mosque is a witness to its earlier grandeur and splendor. Completed in 1465 by Nimatullah ibn Mohammad Bavvab, architect of Prince Jahan Shah Torkman Salimi (of the Qara Qoyunlu rulers) even today its Timurid tile work (main entrance) with a blue-on-white inscription band of mosaic tile in Riqa` calligraphy is of a magnificence rivaling that of the Sanctuary of Mashhad, as well as a remarkable aspect of the new techniques, designs and wider range of colors used here.
The entrance portal with its two minarets appears to have been connected with the main prayer hall (Shabesatn) under the largest cupola of the mosque, by means of vaulted corridor. On both sides along the corridor, there stand the remains of the chambers with vaulted roofs. The walls of the mosque have been riveted with marble slabs and decorated with superb mosaic tiles. Some of the blue mosaics in the mosque`s portal are heavily damaged and half missing. The mosque is now almost permanently closed, but renovation work and eventual reopening seem inevitable.
About Golestan Garden in East Azarbaijan province
Also called the National Park, this garden in Honarestan Square is one of the main recreation centers of the city and covers an area of 53,000 square meters.
It was built in place of an old cemetery some 60 years ago and has many huge pools surrounded by green and trees.
About Bagh-e Melli or EL Goli in East Azarbaijan province
Before you leave Tabriz, do not miss EL Goli or the National Park (former Shah Goli, il goli), a pleasant hillside garden and park around an artificial lake to the area of 54,675 square meters in the style of the much smaller Bagh-e Takht north of Shiraz or the Qasr-e Qajar north of Tehran. EL Goli, only 4 km south of downstream Tabriz, is so lovely a place that it deserves an illustration.
It is a popular weekend resort for the locals. A hill in the eastern side of the park leads down to the pool with steps, and a fountain from top of the hill flows down to the pool. In the center of the pool there is a grand hexagonal building. The pool itself is said, have been built during the reign of Aq Qoyunlu kings. However, it was extended by the Safavids. During the rule of Qahraman Miraza, son of Abba Mirza of Qajar dynasty, it was fundamentally repaired. Recently a big park has been built on the Airport Road, which attracts many visitors.
About Poets Mausoleum in East Azarbaijan province
Known as the shoara Cemetery, the mausoleum is the resting place of more than fifty famous Iranian poets, mystics, scientists, and theologians in Seqat ol-Eslam Avenue. Bodies of Assadi Tussi, Khanju Shervani, Zahir-e Faryabi, Qatran Tabrizi, Mohammad shirin Maqrebi, Homan Tabrizi, Salman savaji, Falaki Shervani, Qazi Beizavi, and the celebrated contemporary poet of Tabriz, the late Mohammad Hossein shahryar are buried he
About Constitutional House in East Azarbaijan province
The edifice is located next to the Tabriz grand bazaar, On Motahari Ave. During the years which led to the constitutional Revolution and afterwards, the house was used as the gathering place of the leaders, activists, and the sympathizers of the movement, among them Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Seqat ol-Eslam and Haji Mirza Aqa Farshi.
Haj Vali Memar-e Tabrizi constructed the two-story building in 1868. It has numerous rooms and halls. The most beautiful part of the house is a skylight and a corridor decorated with colorful glasses and mirrors.
West Azarbaijan Province :
This Province is located in north west of Iran and has borders with Iraq, Turkey and the former U.S.S.R. The largest lake in Iran is Orumiyeh (formerly Rezaiyeh) which has divided Azarbayejan into two eastern and western parts. This lake is protected as a national park and is the most important residence of immigrant birds and enjoys an unparalleled beauty and variety in Asia.
By the arrival of Turk tribes to Azarbayejan especially from the Saljuq period, Turkish dialect became habitual in this area as the colloquial language. Western Azarbayejan (Gharbi) Province with an area of 37,588 sq. Kms. and a population of 2,329,315(1992), is counted as one of the most important provinces in the country from agriculture and economic point of view.
About Ghara Church in West Azarbaijan province
This church, which is the graveyard of Saint Thaddaeus, was built during the 8th centery AD in Chaldoran village (near Maku) at the foot of a hill. Black and white stones were applied in the construction of this church, but it was restored during the 13th century AD after it was destroyed as a result of an earthquake. The martydom anniversary of Saint Thaddaeus, is a day when special rituals are performed in the church and this place is one of the most important places of worship for the Iranian Armenians.
The dome of the church resembles a pyramid with 12 buttresses and the eastern exterior has been decorated with black stone and that is one reason why the church is called Ghara Kelisa, meaning black church. In the eastern and ancient side of the church which belongs to the 10th centery, there is a courtyard and preaching hall on the entrance of which an inscription in Armenian presents some details about the main building and other inscriptions indicate that the building of the church was repaired in 1814 AD on the order of crown prince Abbas Mirza Qajar. In various interiors and exteriors of the church there are relief exhibits which demonstrate religious meetings, the picture of the saints and the scenes of the historical tales of the holy book along with numerous decorative and ornamental designs, all with great worth and value from the artistic and archaeological point of view.
About Urumieh Lake in West Azarbaijan province
The largest inland water body in Iran, Lake Urumiyeh 20 kilometer to the east of the town, with an area of 5,000 square kilometers and an average depth of 5 meters, is so full of salt (though less so than the Dead Sea) that it cannot support any animal or vegetable life. However, because of containing natural salts and mud, the same water is used by patients who suffer from dermal and rheumatic troubles.
At Golman Khaneh harbor, there are coastal beaches ready to welcome the travelers. It is almost 140 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide; and there are several uninhabited but environmentally protected beautiful islands in the southern parts, where wild beasts and animals live. Kabudan (formerly Shahi), occasionally a peninsula when a strip of mud dries long enough to connect it to the shore, is the second longest island of the lake, after the inhabited Islami Island. Its surface area is 3170 hectare; 12 kilometers in length and 25 kilometers in width, it has an altitude of 1275 meters. A large number of birds such as flamingos, pelicans, wild geese, and gulls are living on and around the island.
Hunting is prohibited here and entrance therein is subject to authorization given by the Environment Protection Department of the Province. Apart from a road under construction across the lake, there are some boat facilities for passengers between the Eastern and Western Azarbaijan as well. The Kabudan Island is the place where Hulagu Khan was buried together with his riches. Kabudan is the prototype of the Treasure Island.
Zanjan Province :
Zanjan province, in the central and northwestern part of the country, is located between latitudes 35 28' and 37 18' N. and longitudes 47 17' and 50 48' E.
It is bounded on the northeast by Mazandaran province, on the north by Gilan, on the northwest by East Azarbaijan and on the west by West Azarbaijan and Kordestan provinces, on the south by Hamedan province and on the southeast and the east by Markazi and Tehran provinces.
Zanjan province has an area of 23,767 square kilometers.
According to the latest divisions in 1995, it has 5 counties namely Zanjan, Abhar, Takestan, Khoda bandeh, Qazvin, 9 towns, 16 rural districts and 50 villages.
Zanjan city in Zanjan province
On the way of Zanjan, Tabriz, Ardabil and Rasht by road, you will have the opportunity to visit some of Iran's historical sites in towns along the highway from Tehran to the north and northwest Iran. Your probable stay in Zanjan will give you the chance to see the Mausoleum of Oljaitu at Sultanieh, and prepare your imagination to visualize the metropolis that was once Tabriz.
Sultanieh- the town of Sultans 285 km to the northwest of Tehran in Zanjan province, in an altitude of 1,9000 m above sea level, is six km along a road that turns south off the main road from Qazvin to Zanjan, 37 km southeast of Zanjan, The y-junction (the Serah-Sultanieh) can be reached by bus from Qazvin or Zanjan, and from there you hitch. Like the latter, Sultanieh was built by the Mongols as belated expiation for the wholesale destruction they wrought during the conquest of Iran. Arghun Khan founded Sultanieh in the last decade of the 13th century, and it was enhanced during the reign of his sons Ghazan and Oljaitu during the early 14th century.
By the command of Oljaitu, Ghazan's younger brother and successor (1304-16), there arose beautiful open meadows of Sultanieh of wonder city planned to be the imperial capital. Begun in 1305 and dedicated in 1313, it was built magnificently and rapidly. The result was a complex almost the size of Tabriz, dominated by Oljaitu's mausoleum, one of Iran's supreme architectural achievements. The building was the climax of a congeries of subordinate buildings no longer extant.
Founder's is one of the most curious stories in Central Asian religious history. He was baptized Nicholas as an infant and had been converted to Buddhism before he became a Sunni Muslim of the Hanafi sect. But after visiting Najaf in the winter of 1309-10 this most impressionable Mongol was persuaded to Shiite Islam and decided to dedicate the great mausoleum at Sultanieh not to himself (as its popular name indicates) but as the final glorious resting-place of the remains of Ali (the Prophet's son-law) and Hossein, the first and third Imams reserved by Iranian Shiites.
Faced with the Najafis' refusal to part with the remains of their imams, Oljaitu found himself in rather an awkward position; but he himself was the only one to be there upon his death in 1316. It is difficult to recall a mausoleum equaling the grandeur of this one anywhere else in Iran. Visible from far across the surrounding plain, the mausoleum's very striking egg-shaped dome is said to be the largest Islamic version ever built. The mausoleum is 53 meters high and 25 meters in diameter.
Octagonal in shape, it is dominated by a superb dome that soars almost as impressively without the eight elegant minarets or superb portals that no longer survive. The second-story galleries open outward, anticipating monuments such as Taj Mahal. Its impressive scale provides for an interior of great power. Here space is ample and majestic-not mere emptiness but space more intensely realized than an open landscape.
The walls are made less conspicuous by the stately rhythm of eight huge and soaring arches. Mediated by shallow stalactites, the angles between these arches seem to melt quietly into the circular base of the enormous dome. The walls were originally faced with light gold-toned brick, punctuated with small, dark blue faience tiles strung out to form large inscriptions of rectangular Kuffic, but in 1313 the interior was redecorated with plaster. Designs were varied; huge lacy medallions or painted mosaic and floral patterns, sacred inscriptions proclaimed the divine message, their undulating scripts kept alive a gentle flowing movement.
The vaults of the outer 24 galleries (three on a side) were decorated with painted panels of intricate geometric ornament, exceedingly lovely in design and vibrant in color. Unfortunately, very considerable restoration work had rendered it inaccessible for several years in past. There is a less interesting 14th-century octagonal Mongol tomb tower in the village. Like the Gonbad-e Oljaitu nearby, it was spared destruction by the Timurids when they sacked the town in 1384.
About Sultanieh in Zanjan province
The mausoleum of Oljeitu Khudabanda was built in Sultaniya in 1304-13 (A.H. 703-13). The basic structure is an octagon about 80 feet (24.5 m.) across on the inside.
At the base the walls are almost 23 feet (7 m.) thick, giving a total width of approximately 126 feet (39 m.).
The interior height of the single dome is about 175 feet (about 53 m.). Andre Godard has described this monument as (... the skillful, confident work of a great builder, a consummate technician who was at the same times an artist. Here is a dome with a span of 80 feet built solely of bricks, without any buttresses, pinnacles, or shoulders of any kind, which stands simply by virtue of a perfectly conceived and constructed profile.)
Glazed tile and carved stucco
Details of the original glazed tile and fine, carved stucco in the main chamber evoke speculation as to why blue was so much preferred by the early Iranian artists. Did a superstitious belief in the power of blue as protection against the evil eye have any significance? Many beads and amulets were-and still are- in that cooler for magic reasons. Might the selection have been determined by some association with the sky and the heavens? Or did it stem from something more mundane, such as the availability of copper compound with which to make the glaze?
Cornice on the east side
This is the earliest major monument in Iran in which color has been used for massive effects. The dome was covered with tiles of turquoise, while the facade was decorated in shades of deep blue. Stalactites adorn the cornice and increase the play of light and shadow. Through the arch the elaborate patterns on the walls of the upper galleries can be seen. The construction of the splendid capital in little more than a decade appears an incredible achievement. At this time, however, artisans were protected and greatly valued by the Eastern warlords.
The capture of a town often meant the massacre of the inhabitants - with the exception of the craftsmen. These artisans were promptly conscripted and sent to work in the conqueror`s cities. A vast number of men elaborated on the monuments of Sultaniya. As late as the Safavid period, the skill of its artisans was still regarded as an inestimable wealth of a kingdom. At that time some traders paid a tax into the royal treasury, but craftsmen, especially in the building field, owed their tribute in labor. The chief architect of a monument was not only highly respected but was also well remunerated, receiving as salary up to twenty percent of the assessed value of the work.
The Upper Galleries
The upper galleries of the mausoleum of Oljeitu present vistas of painted and carved stucco designs which glow in shades of red. The brick walls were covered with a smooth surface of hard plaster into which the patterns were cut to a depth of about three-eighths of an inch (about a centimeter) and then painted with distemper. It is extremely likely that decorative details from illuminated manuscripts were used in the ornamentation of buildings. A Koran in the National Assembly Library, Cairo, which was written in Hamadan for Oljeitu, contains patterns almost identical with the stucco decoration in the galleries shown here.
Height of the Dome
From the outside the height of the dome of the Oljeitu mausoleum is partially concealed by the bulk of the octagon. From inside, however, where the height at the center of the dome is 175 feet, the silent majesty of space is overwhelming. Fragments of the original decoration of glazed tile and stucco can be seen on the arch leading to the sanctuary.
The land of Azarbaijan in one of the oldest civilization centers of the Iranian Plateau. Azarbaijan has several historical and natural tourist attractions, not only for its natural, geographical and mountainous features (Sahand and Sabalan mountains), but for having famous valuable thermal springs and rich mineral water springs like Sar'ain, Bostan-Abad, Ghotursoo, and especially the shores of Orumiyeh lake. Sar'ain thermal springs, which is one of the most important water therapy centers of Iran, is located 20 km. far from Ardebil, the capital city of Ardebil Province. These thermal springs, with sulfuric and other mineral compounds, are among the first treatments have been discovered by mankind for treating illnesses.
Orumiyeh Lake, with its wonderful and famous islands, Ghoyoon-Daghi (Kaboodan), Arezoo, Ashk-Daghi and Espir are visited annually by thousands of flamingos and pelikans in the summer. The lake having beautiful natural views as well as water and sludge therapy virtues is amongst the tourims attractions of Azarbaijan. Cities such as Golmankhaneh, Sefid-Gonbad and Rahmanloo, on the shores of Orumiyeh Lake, are equipped with anchorage and accommodation facilities as well.
The cities of Azarbaijan such as Tabriz, Orumiyeh, Ardebil, Maragheh, Khoy, Marand, and Mahabad hold several historical sites worth seeing. The most important historical sites in Azarbaijan are: Kabood Mosque, Jame' Mosque, citadel, bazaar, and Ilgholi Promenade in Tabriz; Shaykh Safiuddin Mausoleum and Azam Mosque in Ardebil; Babak Castle in Kalibar (Ahar township); Maragheh Observatory and rotating tower; Pol Dokhtar and Ghaleh Dokhtar (old bridge and castle) in Miyaneh; the Armenian Church and Monastery of St. Thaddeus known as Tatavus Church (Kara Kelisa or Black Church) in Maku: Shams Tabriz tower in Khoy; ancient hill and village of Hassanloo close to Naghadeh; and Takht-e-Solayman 45km. northeast of Takab, all together are unique and interesting from an architectural point of view. The handicrafts of Azarbaijan, especially carpets, are very reputable.
In Zanjan province there are also several historical monuments like Soltanieh Dome, wash house building, Sang Ezhdeha (Dragon Stone), and the bazaar which have considerable artistic and architectural value.
Ghazvin Province :
Those who favor ambitious excursions and unusual historical episodes are recommended to go near the source of the Alamut river on the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains. There, fortified eagles' nest recall unbelievable but authentic adventures of the Old Man of the Mountains - Hasan Sabbah, the Grand Master (1040-1124) - and of his sect of Assassins or Hashashins. The historical fortresses are known as the Castle of the Assassins, which were first introduced into European literature by the returning Crusaders, and made famous this century in Dane Freya Stark's classical Valleys of the Assassins.
These were the heavily fortified lairs of the adherents of a bizarre religious cult, based loosely on the precepts of the Ismaili Sect. The Cult was founded in the 11th century by Hasan Sabah. This heretical and widely feared Sect sent out killers throughout the region to murder the leading political and religious figures. Its followers, the Hashishiyun, were so called because of their leader's alleged cunning ruse of taking them into beautiful secret gardens (filled with equally enticing young maidens), getting them stoned on hashish and then sending them out on their homicidal assignments under the illusion of Hasan Sabah had the power to transport them to paradise. The cult at its height extended from Syria to Khorasan.
Until 1256, when the Mongols captured its castles, the Assassins spread fear throughout the region, although some scholars claim that their reputation was exaggerated. As one might expect. the outlaw mountain hideaways were designed to be impregnable and inaccessible, and to this day it is still extremely difficult to visit them; a complete tour of the castle in this region would take about a week on horseback with a local guide. Many of them are only accessible to experienced and well-equipped mountaineers.
About Alamout in Ghazvin province
Those who favor ambitious excursions and unusual historical episodes are recommended to go near the source of the Alamut river on the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains. There, fortified eagles` nest recall unbelievable but authentic adventures of the (Old Man of the Mountains) - Hasan Sabah, the Grand Master (1040-1124) - and of his sect of (Assassins) or (Hashashins).
The historical fortresses are known as the Castle of the Assassins, which were first introduced into European literature by the returning Crusaders, and made famous this century in Dane Freya Stark`s classical Valleys of the Assassins. These were the heavily fortified lairs of the adherents of a bizarre religious cult, based loosely on the precepts of the Ismaili Sect. Hasan Sabah founded the Cult in the 11th century. This heretical and widely feared Sect sent out killers throughout the region to murder the leading political and religious figures.
Its followers, the Hashishiyun, were so called because of their leader`s alleged cunning ruse of taking them into beautiful secret gardens (filled with equally enticing young maidens), getting them stoned on hashish and then sending them out on their homicidal assignments under the illusion of Hasan Sabah had the power to transport them to paradise. The cult at its height extended from Syria to Khorasan. Until 1256, when the Mongols captured its castles, the Assassins spread fear throughout the region, although some scholars claim that their reputation was exaggerated.
As one might expect. The outlaw mountain hideaways were designed to be impregnable and inaccessible, and to this day it is still extremely difficult to visit them; a complete tour of the castle in this region would take about a week on horseback with a local guide. Many of them are only accessible to experienced and well-equipped mountaineers.
About Shazdeh Hoseyn Tomb in Ghazvin province
Brother of the Eighth lman Reza, shazedeh Hussein was killed,according to local tradition, when a roof fell on him after he had performed a miracle.
The dome over the tomb dates from the reign of shah Tahmasp (1524-76), When Ghazvin was the Safavid capital, and has been surrounded by a courtyard/cemetery paved with tombstones. the decoration was considerably elaborated in the nineteenth century.
The city of Qazvin, once the capital city of Iran during the Safavid period, holds interesting historical buildings and vestiges. The Alamoot Castle, the refuge and base of Hassan Sabah, the leader of the Ismaili Assasin movement, is one of the most interesting sites to visit in Qazvin province.