Esfahan Province
Encyclopedia
Isfahan Province also transliterated
as Esfahan, Espahan, Sepahan or Isphahan, is one of the 31 provinces
of Iran
. It is located in the center of the country. Its capital is the city of Isfahan
.
(Central) Province and the provinces of Qom
and Semnan
. To its south, it is bordered by the provinces of Fars, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. Aminabad
is the most southern city of Esfahan province just 2km north of the border. To the east, it is bordered by the province of Yazd
. To the west, it is bordered by the province of Lurestan
and to the southwest by the province of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiyari.
The city of Esfahan is the provincial capital; and the counties of this province are as follows: Aran va Bidgol
, Ardestan
, Esfahan, Shahinshahr
and Meymeh
, Khomeini Shahr, Khansar
, (The Upper) Semirom
, Fereydan
, Fereydunshahr, Falavarjan
, Kashan
, Golpayegan, Khomeini-shahr
, Lanjan, Mobarakeh
, Nain
, Najaf Abad, Lower Semirom (Dehaghan), Shahreza
, Anarak
and Natanz
; 18 townships, 38 counties, 67 cities, and 2470 villages in all. According to the census in the year 2006, the population of the province was 4,559,256 of which approximately 83.3 percent were urban residents and 16.7 percent resided in the rural areas. The literacy rate was 88.65 percent.
The province experiences a moderate and dry climate on the whole, ranging between 40.6 °C and 10.6 °C on a cold day in the winter season. The average annual temperature has been recorded as 16.7 °C and the annual rainfall on an average has been reported as 116.9 mm. The city of Esfahān however experiences an excellent climate, with four distinct seasons.
Historians have recorded initially as a defense and military base. The security and protection of the gradually increasing castles and fortifications, thereby, would provide the protection of residents nearby, therefore leading to the growth of large settlements nearby. These historical castles were Atashgah, Sarooyieh, Tabarok, Kohan Dej, and Gard Dej to name a few. The oldest of these is Ghal'eh Sefeed and the grounds at Tamijan from prehistoric times. The historic village of Abyaneh
, a nationwide attraction, also has Sassanid ruins and fire temples among other historical relics.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Esfahan province enjoyed high standards of prosperity as it became the capital of Safavid Persia. While the city of Esfahan was their seat of monarchy, Kashan
was their place of vacation and leisure.
Esfahan province encompasses various sects today. The majority of the people in the province are Persian speakers, but Bakhtiari Lurs
, Georgians
, Armenians
, Qashqai
s and Persian Jews
also reside in the province. The official language of the province is Persian, though different ethnic groups and tribes abide by their own language such as Judeo-Persian, Armenian
, Georgian
, Qashqai
Turkic or Bakhtiari Lurish. Esfahan province is noted for its reputed personalities such as writers, poets and other imminent figures who have been born and brought up or have lived in this territory.
The central historical region and the area called Seeosepol (the name of a famous bridge)
- Naghsheh Gahan square
- Shaigh Lotofolah Masque
- Imam Masque
- Ali Ghapoo palace
- Seeosepol bridge
- Ghaisarieh bazaar
- Ghaisarieh bazaar entrance
- Chehel setoon building
- Chahar Bagh complex
- Jameh Mosque
- Hasht Behesht Building
- Charhar Bagh school
- Recreation center
- Ashraf saloon
- Khajoo bridge
- Flower Gorden
- Birds Garden
- Water Fulls Park
- Bozorg bazaar
- Zargarha bazaar
- Honar bazaar
- Honar Museum
- Rangrazha bazaar
- Ferdosi Bridge
- Darol shafa bazaar
- Shishehgarha bazaar
- Mokhels saray
- Golshan saray
- Haj Karim saray
- Kodak Boston
- Tofang and shamshir bazaar
- Najvan park
- Shahrestan Bridge
- Safeh park
- Folad Takht
- Leleh park
- Baba Roknoldin cemetery
- Shahsheham Boghah
- Ghasr Darb
- Baghoshkaneh park
- Isargarn park
- Zalyandeh rood Bostan
- Melat Bostan
- Aeneh Khaneh Bostan
- Abozar bridge
- Sadi Booston
- Osan commercial complex
- Carpet shopping center
- Vanak church
- Maryam church
- Chehel Dokhtaran Monareh
- Dardasht Monareh
- Sareban Monareh
- Shaigh Bahaee public bath
- Ghazvineha house
- Baitollham church
- Darolziafeh Monareh
- Petros house
- Darid house
- Jewish church
- Mesri Mosque
- Koshk Darb
- Malek Gorestan
- Ghazviniha Museum
- Lebnon Mosque
- Khat Museum
- Shohada Museum
- Halal Ahmar Museum
- Shaikholeslam house
- Safa Mosque
- Ali Agha public bath
- Jolfa chuch
- Bazi shahr
- Atashgah
- Monar Jonban
- Ghadir cultural complex
- Japense garden
- Daeme exhibition
- Ibrahim Emam zadeh
- Khan Mosque
- Ghodsi house
- Laleh park
- Haghighi house
- Baba Ghasam cemetery
- Massod Boghaeh
- Haronieh Imam Zadeh
- Ismeel Imam zadeh
- Ahmad Imam Zadeh
- Ali Mosque
- Malek shahr complex
- Hassan Abad bazaar
- Yakob church
- Marta house
- Narsis church
- Bidabad bazaar
- Soltani complex
- Shahzadeghan Bogheh
- Mirza Kochek khan park
- Ghadir recreational cultural complex
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
as Esfahan, Espahan, Sepahan or Isphahan, is one of the 31 provinces
Provinces of Iran
Iran is subdivided into thirty one provinces , each governed from a local center, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital of that province...
of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It is located in the center of the country. Its capital is the city of Isfahan
Isfahan (city)
Isfahan , historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 km south of Tehran. It has a population of 1,583,609, Iran's third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad...
.
Geography
The province of Esfahan covers an area of approximately 107,027 square km and is situated in the center of Iran. To its north, stand the MarkaziMarkazi Province
Markazi Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. The word markazi means central in Persian. Markazi lies in western Iran. Its capital is Arak. Its population is estimated at 1.35 million...
(Central) Province and the provinces of Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
and Semnan
Semnan Province
Semnan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its center is Semnan. The province of Semnan covers an area of 96,816 square kilometers and stretches along the Alborz mountain range and borders to Dasht-e Kavir desert in its southern parts.Counties of...
. To its south, it is bordered by the provinces of Fars, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province. Aminabad
Aminabad
Aminabad may refer to:* Amin Abad, a small village south of Shahreza, in Isfahan Province, Iran* Aminabad, Gujranwala, a town located in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan* Aminabad, Sindh, a town located in Hyderabad District, Sindh, Pakistan...
is the most southern city of Esfahan province just 2km north of the border. To the east, it is bordered by the province of Yazd
Yazd Province
Yazd Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the centre of the country, and its administrative center is the city of Yazd.The province has an area of 131,575 km², and according to the most recent divisions of the country, is divided into eleven counties: Maybod, Mehreez, Taft,...
. To the west, it is bordered by the province of Lurestan
Lorestan Province
Lorestan Province is a historic territory and province of western Iran, amidst the Zagros Mountains. The population of Lorestan was estimated at 1,716,527 people in 2006.Lorestan covers an area of 28,392 km²...
and to the southwest by the province of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiyari.
Aran va Bidgol
Aran va Bidgol is a city in and the capital of Aran va Bidgol County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 55,651, in 15,556 families...
, Ardestan
Ardestan
Ardestan is a city in and the capital of Ardestan County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 14,698, in 4,077 families....
, Esfahan, Shahinshahr
Shahinshahr
Shahin Shahr is a city in and the capital of Shahin Shahr and Meymeh County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 126,070, in 33,515 families....
and Meymeh
Meymeh
Meymeh is a city in and the capital of Meymeh District, in Shahin Shahr and Meymeh County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 5,733, in 1,790 families....
, Khomeini Shahr, Khansar
Khansar
Khvansar is a city in and the capital of Khvansar County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 20,490, in 6,019 families....
, (The Upper) Semirom
Semirom
Semirom is a city in and the capital of Semirom County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 26,260, in 6,593 families....
, Fereydan
Fereydan
- Georgians in Fereydan :The Fereydan Georgians are an ethnographic group of the Georgian people who mostly live in the city of Fereydoon Shahr and in the Fereydan region of Iran.- Origins :...
, Fereydunshahr, Falavarjan
Falavarjan
Falavarjan is a city in and the capital of Falavarjan County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 37,740, in 9,097 families....
, Kashan
Kashan
Kashan is a city in and the capital of Kashan County, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 248,789, in 67,464 families....
, Golpayegan, Khomeini-shahr
Khomeini-shahr
Khomeyni Shahr and Homayoon Shahr; known as Sedeh - prior to the 1930s) is a city in and the capital of Khomeyni Shahr County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 218,737, in 57,551 families....
, Lanjan, Mobarakeh
Mobarakeh
Mobarakeh is a city in and the capital of Mobarakeh County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 62,454, in 16,583 families....
, Nain
Nain
Nain may refer to:* Nain rug, name of a traditional pattern and design of Persian carpet* North American Interfaith Network* Nain, assistant court ladies of KoreaPlaces* Nain, Iran, a city in Iran* Nain County, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
, Najaf Abad, Lower Semirom (Dehaghan), Shahreza
Shahreza
Shahreza , also Romanized as Qomīsheh, Qumisheh, and Qowmsheh) is a city in and the capital of Shahreza County, Isfahan Province, Iran...
, Anarak
Anarak
Anarak is a city in and the capital of Anarak District, in Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 1,285, in 462 families. It is situated at an altitude of ....
and Natanz
Natanz
Natanz is a city in and the capital of Natanz County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 12,060, in 3,411 families. It is located south-east of Kashan....
; 18 townships, 38 counties, 67 cities, and 2470 villages in all. According to the census in the year 2006, the population of the province was 4,559,256 of which approximately 83.3 percent were urban residents and 16.7 percent resided in the rural areas. The literacy rate was 88.65 percent.
The province experiences a moderate and dry climate on the whole, ranging between 40.6 °C and 10.6 °C on a cold day in the winter season. The average annual temperature has been recorded as 16.7 °C and the annual rainfall on an average has been reported as 116.9 mm. The city of Esfahān however experiences an excellent climate, with four distinct seasons.
History and culture
Abyaneh
Abyaneh is a famous historic Iranian village near the city of Natanz in Isfahan Province.Characterized by a peculiar reddish hue, the village is one of the oldest in Iran, attracting numerous native and foreign tourists year-round, especially during traditional feasts and ceremonies.An Abyunaki...
, a nationwide attraction, also has Sassanid ruins and fire temples among other historical relics.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, Esfahan province enjoyed high standards of prosperity as it became the capital of Safavid Persia. While the city of Esfahan was their seat of monarchy, Kashan
Kashan
Kashan is a city in and the capital of Kashan County, in the province of Isfahan, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 248,789, in 67,464 families....
was their place of vacation and leisure.
Esfahan province encompasses various sects today. The majority of the people in the province are Persian speakers, but Bakhtiari Lurs
Lurs
Lurs are an Iranic people living mainly in south-western Iran. Their population is estimated at above two million. They occupy Lorestan, Bakhtiari, and Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed. "....
, Georgians
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
, Qashqai
Qashqai
Qashqai are the largest group of nomadic pastoralists people of Azeri descent who mainly live in the provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and southern Isfahan on the territory of modern Iran, especially around the city of Shiraz in Fars. They speak the Qashqai language which is a member of the Turkic...
s and Persian Jews
Persian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...
also reside in the province. The official language of the province is Persian, though different ethnic groups and tribes abide by their own language such as Judeo-Persian, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
, Qashqai
Qashqai
Qashqai are the largest group of nomadic pastoralists people of Azeri descent who mainly live in the provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and southern Isfahan on the territory of modern Iran, especially around the city of Shiraz in Fars. They speak the Qashqai language which is a member of the Turkic...
Turkic or Bakhtiari Lurish. Esfahan province is noted for its reputed personalities such as writers, poets and other imminent figures who have been born and brought up or have lived in this territory.
Tourist Attractions
Isfahan is unique city. It is an important historical center for main different group of tourists in the domestic and international in the world.The central historical region and the area called Seeosepol (the name of a famous bridge)
- Naghsheh Gahan square
- Shaigh Lotofolah Masque
- Imam Masque
- Ali Ghapoo palace
- Seeosepol bridge
- Ghaisarieh bazaar
- Ghaisarieh bazaar entrance
- Chehel setoon building
- Chahar Bagh complex
- Jameh Mosque
- Hasht Behesht Building
- Charhar Bagh school
- Recreation center
- Ashraf saloon
- Khajoo bridge
- Flower Gorden
- Birds Garden
- Water Fulls Park
- Bozorg bazaar
- Zargarha bazaar
- Honar bazaar
- Honar Museum
- Rangrazha bazaar
- Ferdosi Bridge
- Darol shafa bazaar
- Shishehgarha bazaar
- Mokhels saray
- Golshan saray
- Haj Karim saray
- Kodak Boston
- Tofang and shamshir bazaar
- Najvan park
- Shahrestan Bridge
- Safeh park
- Folad Takht
- Leleh park
- Baba Roknoldin cemetery
- Shahsheham Boghah
- Ghasr Darb
- Baghoshkaneh park
- Isargarn park
- Zalyandeh rood Bostan
- Melat Bostan
- Aeneh Khaneh Bostan
- Abozar bridge
- Sadi Booston
- Osan commercial complex
- Carpet shopping center
- Vanak church
- Maryam church
- Chehel Dokhtaran Monareh
- Dardasht Monareh
- Sareban Monareh
- Shaigh Bahaee public bath
- Ghazvineha house
- Baitollham church
- Darolziafeh Monareh
- Petros house
- Darid house
- Jewish church
- Mesri Mosque
- Koshk Darb
- Malek Gorestan
- Ghazviniha Museum
- Lebnon Mosque
- Khat Museum
- Shohada Museum
- Halal Ahmar Museum
- Shaikholeslam house
- Safa Mosque
- Ali Agha public bath
- Jolfa chuch
- Bazi shahr
- Atashgah
- Monar Jonban
- Ghadir cultural complex
- Japense garden
- Daeme exhibition
- Ibrahim Emam zadeh
- Khan Mosque
- Ghodsi house
- Laleh park
- Haghighi house
- Baba Ghasam cemetery
- Massod Boghaeh
- Haronieh Imam Zadeh
- Ismeel Imam zadeh
- Ahmad Imam Zadeh
- Ali Mosque
- Malek shahr complex
- Hassan Abad bazaar
- Yakob church
- Marta house
- Narsis church
- Bidabad bazaar
- Soltani complex
- Shahzadeghan Bogheh
- Mirza Kochek khan park
- Ghadir recreational cultural complex
Islamic Azad University
- Islamic Azad University of Majlesi
- Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan
- Islamic Azad University of Khomeini Shahr
- Islamic Azad University of Naeen
- Islamic Azad University of Najaf Abad
- Golpayegan
- Kashan University
Further readings on the Georgians of Isfahan Province
- Muliani, S. (2001) The Georgians’ position in the Iranian history and civilization (Jaygah-e Gorjiha dar Tarikh va Farhang va Tammadon-e Iran) , Esfahan: Yekta
- Rahimi, M.M. (2001) The Georgians of Iran; Fereydunshahr (Gorjiha-ye Iran; Fereydunshahr), Esfahan: Yekta
- Sepiani, M. (1979) Georgian Iranians (Iranian-e Gorji), Esfahan: Arash
- Isfahan's tourist exhibition mentions the Georgians from Fereydunshahr and Fereydan. The report of this exhibition is available in the web site of the Iranian Cultural Heritage News agency. http://www.chn.ir/news/?Section=1&id=12497
- Saakashvili visited Fereydunshahr and put flowers on the graves of the Iranian Georgian martyrs' graves, showing respect towards this community http://www.iran-newspaper.com/1383/830420/html/internal.htm