Sari, Iran
Encyclopedia
Sari (/Sārī/ , ; also Romanized as Sārī; also known as Shahr-i-Tajan and Shari-i-Tajan) is the provincial capital of Mazandaran and former capital of Iran
(for a short period), located in the north of Iran
, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of the Caspian Sea
. At the 2006 census, its population was 259,084, in 71,522 families.
.
Qa'emshahr (Formerly known as Shahi) is to its south-west, Juybar is to its north-west,
and Kiyasar, Damghan
, and Semnan are cities located to the south.
attributes the foundation of Sari to king Tahmoures Divband
of the Pishdadi dynasty. Ferdowsi
mentioned the name of the city in Shahnameh
at the time of Fereydun
and Manuchehr
when Manuchehr
is returning to Fereydun
's capital, Tamisheh in Mazandaran, after victory over Salm
and Tur
:
Coming from this evidence and other similar evidences in Shahnameh
, native people of Sari have a folklore that the city was populated when Smith Kaveh
(native of city) revolted against the tyranny of Zahak
. After that success, Fereydun of Pishdadi
(From Tamishan) feeling indebted to Kaveh
, chose this city so as to live near him until his death. For this reason, when Touraj and Salam murdered Iraj
(son of Fereydun), they buried him here.
Espahbod Tous-e Nouzar (great-grandson of Fereidun) systematically founded it to remain as family monument. Also recognition by Greek historians goes back to the 6th century BC (Achaemenid dynasty) when they recorded it as Zadrakarta (Persian name Sadrakarta),
According to Arrian, this was the largest city of Hyrcania.
The term signifies, " the yellow city ;" and it was given to it
from the great number of orange, lemon, and other fruit trees
which grew in the environs of that city. Hence it is by
D'Anville, Rochette, and other geographers, identified with
Saru, which Pietro Delia Valle says, in his Travels, signifies
yellow. It is probable that Zadracarta and Saru are the same
with the Syringis of Polybius, taken from Arsaces ii. by An-
tiochus the Great, in his fruitless attempt to reunite the re-
volted provinces of Hyrcania
and Parthia
to the Syrian crown.
Han way, who visited Saru a. d. 1734, mentions four ancient
Magian temples as still standing, built in the form of rotun-
das, each thirty feet in diameter, and near 120 in height. But
Sir W. Ouseley, who was there in 1811, has pronounced
these to be masses of brick masonry of the Mohammedan age.
One of them only is now standing-, the others having been
overturned by an earthquake. This and other remains of
similar buildings, bear the names of Firedoon, Salm, Toor,
and other mystic personages, M^hose celebrity had been es-
tablished about 2000 years anterior to their erection. One of
them Avas called the tomb of Kaus, and was supposed to con-
tain the ashes of Cyrus. Sir William Ouseley thinks it was
that of Kabus, or Kaus, the son of Washmakin, who governed
Mazanderan in the fourth century of the Hejira. It was at
Saru that the ashes of the youthful hero, Sohraub, were de-
posited by his father, Roostum, after he had unwittingly slain
him in single combat. Saru is celebrated for its abundance
of gardens, which emit a pleasing fragrance in the vernal and
summer months. Oriental hyperbole declares, that the gates
of paradise derive sweetness from the air of Saru, and the
flowers of Eden their fragrance from its soil. The city was again a regional capital in the Sassanid dynasty.
because his son's name was "Sarouyeh", he called it by this name. Sari once again became the capital of Tabaristan during that century (previously the capital was Amol
).
After invasions by the inheritors of Mongols, Timour Ling of Uzbeks
, Turcoman
, and Tatars
the city lost its high status and was periodically burnt to ashes.
(Ashraf),
he merged Mazandaran into his empire, and founded Farahabad
as his alternate capital of Persia in the north of the city and created the gardens in Ashrafi.
After the Safavid dynasty
, there is no evidence of any notable events in Sari.
Shah proclaimed Sari as his imperial capital. Sari was the site of local
wars in those years, which led to the transfer of the capital from Sari to
Tehran
by Fath Ali Shah.
, Reza Shah Pahlavi systematically changed Sari; as Sari Train Station, Most of the streets and Governmental buildings date from that era. During World War II
the Soviet army
occupied the city, but left it after the war.
Muslim leaders Yahya and Zayn Al-Abedin, Emamzade-ye Abbas,
and Shazdeh Hussein from the 15th century.
, canned meat, oilseed and exporting fruits especially oranges, lemons, etc. During the 1950s and 1970s the big factory complex of MM
company was the city's largest industrial facility; it was one of the country's biggest plant oil producers. It was nationalized after the revolution, and went bankrupt.
Sari's property prices are quite variable. This allows most residents to own their homes, but most neighborhoods are quite expensive because of the pleasant climate. Land prices vary between $1000 USD per square meter to more than $8,100 USD per square meter.
. Winters are cool and rainy whilst summers are hot and humid. Sari's 2005-2006 statistical weather
information, in comparison with that of other Mazandaran cities, shows that Sari has an average climate, but it is somewhat sunnier and has more spring rain.
However, recent rainfall in Sari has declined.
Mirzazamani , Azad Goleh, Bagher Abad,Booali & Posht-e-Hotel(both located in Pasdaran Blvd.), Barbari Mahalleh, Bazaar-e Nargesiyeh,
Bazaar-e Rooz, Chenar-Bon, Gol-Afshan, Golma, Kooy-e Azadi,
Kooy-e DadGostari, Kooy-e Daneshgah, Kooy-e Djahad, Kooy-e
Golha, Kooy-e-Karmandan, Kooy-e Mahyar, Kooy-e MirSarorozeh,
Kooy-e Qelich, Lesani, Mehdi-Abad , Na'l-Bandan,
No-Tekiyeh, Peyvandi, Pir Tekiyeh, Pol-e Gardan, Posht-e Nim-e
Shaban, Posht-e Zendan, Rahband-e Dokhaniyat , Dokhaniyat, Kooy-e Etehad , Rahband-e
Sangtarashan, Sang, Sari Kenar, Sarvineh Bagh, Seyyed AlShohada,
Shafa, Shahband, Shazdeh Hossein, Shekar Abad, Tabaristan,
Tavakkoli, Torki Mahalleh, Torkmen Mahalleh, etc.
Afghoun Mahalleh, Bahar Abad, Balouchi Kheyl, Balouchi
Mahalleh, Birameter (Bahram-Ottor), Chaleh Bagh, Dar Masdjed,
Isfahouni Mahalleh, Kohneh Baq Shah,Kurd Mahalleh, Mir Mashad Mahalleh, Mir Sar Rozeh, Na'l Bandan, Naqareh Khaneh, Ossanlou Mahalleh, Paay-e Chenar, QelichLi Mahalleh, Sabzeh Meydan, Shazdeh Hossein, Shepesh Koshan, Shishehgar Mahalleh
the internal area codes as shown below, three digits are the beginning of seven-digit numbers (e.g., 221-xxxx):
.
Whereas neighborhoods were identified during the Qajar dynasty by the ethnicity of their inhabitants, this is no longer so. Historically, some areas were labeled as being home to immigrants from Kurdistan and Balochistan
. Sari, as well as other regions in northern Iran, is well known for its hospitality. Most residents speak Mazandarani
and the Saravi dialect. Sari used to be the home of Georgians
, Armenians
, and Zoroastrians, but today their percentage of the population is low. Local languages are spoken in some neighborhoods, but almost everyone understands and uses Persian
as second language.
Zoroastrians from Sari who migrated to India
in the 10th Century founded there a city which they named "Navu Sari" (English: "New Sari"), a name which was by now shortened to Navsari
; the town is still a center of the Zoroastrian Parsi
community of India.
Airport, which is located in the northeast of the city. it has four daily flights in summer and six weekly flights in other seasons scheduled to and from Tehran
(cost: $20 USD). Also, it has weekly flight destinations to Mashhad
and Jeddah
. Seasonal destinations include Isfahan
, Kish Island, and sometimes other cities, depending on demand.
Tickets should be reserved one week in advance.
and Tehran
by Shomal Railways, since it is on a major branch of the Iran's Railroad
. The Sari train station is
the city's first modern rail station and it dates from the Pahlavi dynasty
. Currently, there are three major passenger trains (Sari Exclusive Train, No. 220, and No. 221) everyday to Sari. If you travel to Sari from Tehran, you may use the Gorgan train, which runs in the evening. Only some major express trains have announcements in English
, but this train does. The fare is $3.5 USD, and the trip takes either 7 hours (Tehran-Sari) or 71/2 hours (Sari-Tehran), because the trip is through mountains. For more than 60 years, Sari's exclusive train has been arriving about 4 PM.
and other famous visitors. Today, the universities are as follows:
complete facilities. Most popular are Jahan-Pahlavan Takhti
Sports Complex, which is located on Farhang Street;
Hashemi-Nassab Sports Complex, which is located on the railway side
of the autobahn; and Montazeri Sports complex, which is located in
Shahband. Sari has the Mottaqi football stadium as well, but it is seldom used.
.
Notable are Famous Houses such as Kolbadi House and Amir Divan House (Ramedani House) , Archeological sites including
Hutto Cave (70th millennium BC), Kamarband Cave (70th-millennium BC); also the Resket Tower from the Qaran era and the Farrah-Abad Complex Place from the Safavid era.
is probably the most famous one. She was born and raised in Sari but then moved to Teheran to study journalism and work as a journalist at newspapers like Kayhan
. Today Mina Assadi lives in exile in Stockholm
, Sweden
.
Touraj, Salam, Fereidun, Sohrab (son of Rostam) that Ferdowsi
remind them in shahnama are buried near this place).
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...
(for a short period), located in the north 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...
, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 259,084, in 71,522 families.
Location
The Mazandaran Sea provides a beautiful coastline in north of Sari; northeast of the city is NekaNeka
Neka is a city in and the capital of Neka County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 26,152, in 11,941 families....
.
Qa'emshahr (Formerly known as Shahi) is to its south-west, Juybar is to its north-west,
and Kiyasar, Damghan
Damghan
Damghan is a city in and capital of Damghan County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 57,331, in 15,849 families.Damghan is situated from Tehran on the high-road to Mashad, at an elevation of...
, and Semnan are cities located to the south.
Early history
The Muslim historian Hamdollah MostowfiHamdollah Mostowfi
Hamdollah Mostowfi was a Persian historian, geographer and epic poet.Mostowfi is the author of Nozhat ol-Gholub , Zafar-Nameh , and the Tarikh e Gozideh . His tomb is a structure with a blue turquoise conical dome, at Qazvin.-References and notes:...
attributes the foundation of Sari to king Tahmoures Divband
Tahmuras
Tahmuras or Tahmures , New Persian transliteration ', older Persian Tahmurat or Tahmurath, from Avestan Taxma Urupa, is the third Shāh of the world according to Ferdowsi's Shāhnāma. He is considered as the builder of Merv; we have no proof for his existing as an earlier Aryan chief.-Tahmuras in the...
of the Pishdadi dynasty. Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran and related societies.The Shahnameh was originally composed by Ferdowsi for the princes of the Samanid dynasty, who were responsible for a revival of Persian cultural traditions after the...
mentioned the name of the city in Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
at the time of Fereydun
Fereydun
Fereydūn also pronounced Farīdūn or Afrīdūn , also called Apam Napat, "Son of the Waters", is the name of an Iranian mythical king and hero who is an emblem of victory, justice and generosity in the Persian literature.-Etymology:All of the forms of...
and Manuchehr
Manuchehr
Manūchehr , older Persian Manōčihr, Avestan Manuščiθra, is a character in Shahnameh. He is the first of the legendary Shāhs who ruled Iran after the breakup of the world empire of Manūchehr's great-grandfather, Fereydūn....
when Manuchehr
Manuchehr
Manūchehr , older Persian Manōčihr, Avestan Manuščiθra, is a character in Shahnameh. He is the first of the legendary Shāhs who ruled Iran after the breakup of the world empire of Manūchehr's great-grandfather, Fereydūn....
is returning to Fereydun
Fereydun
Fereydūn also pronounced Farīdūn or Afrīdūn , also called Apam Napat, "Son of the Waters", is the name of an Iranian mythical king and hero who is an emblem of victory, justice and generosity in the Persian literature.-Etymology:All of the forms of...
's capital, Tamisheh in Mazandaran, after victory over Salm
Salm (son of Fereydun)
Salm is a character in the Persian epic Shahnameh. He is the oldest son of legendary hero and king Fereydun. It is believed that his name was given to him by his father, after Salm chooses to seek safety and run instead of fighting the dragon that had attacked him and his brothers .When Fereydun...
and Tur
Tur (son of Fereydun)
Tur is a character in the Persian epic Shahnameh. He is the second son of the legendary Iranian king Fereydun and brother of both Salm and Iraj. His name, meaning "brave", was given to him by his father when the young prince bravely fights the dragon that had attacked him and his brothers. When...
:
Coming from this evidence and other similar evidences in Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
, native people of Sari have a folklore that the city was populated when Smith Kaveh
Kaveh
Kāveh the Blacksmith, also known as The Blacksmith of Isfahan or Kaveh of Isfahan is a mythical figure in Persian mythology who leads a popular uprising against a ruthless foreign ruler, Zahhāk. His story is narrated in the Epic of Shāhnāma, the national epic of Iran by the 10th century Persian...
(native of city) revolted against the tyranny of Zahak
Zahhak
Zahhāk or Zohhāk is an evil figure in Iranian mythology, evident in ancient Iranian folklore as Aži Dahāka, the name by which he also appears in the texts of the Avesta...
. After that success, Fereydun of Pishdadi
Fereydun
Fereydūn also pronounced Farīdūn or Afrīdūn , also called Apam Napat, "Son of the Waters", is the name of an Iranian mythical king and hero who is an emblem of victory, justice and generosity in the Persian literature.-Etymology:All of the forms of...
(From Tamishan) feeling indebted to Kaveh
Kaveh
Kāveh the Blacksmith, also known as The Blacksmith of Isfahan or Kaveh of Isfahan is a mythical figure in Persian mythology who leads a popular uprising against a ruthless foreign ruler, Zahhāk. His story is narrated in the Epic of Shāhnāma, the national epic of Iran by the 10th century Persian...
, chose this city so as to live near him until his death. For this reason, when Touraj and Salam murdered Iraj
Iraj
Iraj is a Sri Lankan and Persian given name.Iraj may refer to:*Īrāj, a character in Shahnameh*Lord HanumanPeople with the given name Iraj:* Iraj Danaeifard, Iranian footballer* Iraj Ghaderi, Iranian actor...
(son of Fereydun), they buried him here.
Espahbod Tous-e Nouzar (great-grandson of Fereidun) systematically founded it to remain as family monument. Also recognition by Greek historians goes back to the 6th century BC (Achaemenid dynasty) when they recorded it as Zadrakarta (Persian name Sadrakarta),
According to Arrian, this was the largest city of Hyrcania.
The term signifies, " the yellow city ;" and it was given to it
from the great number of orange, lemon, and other fruit trees
which grew in the environs of that city. Hence it is by
D'Anville, Rochette, and other geographers, identified with
Saru, which Pietro Delia Valle says, in his Travels, signifies
yellow. It is probable that Zadracarta and Saru are the same
with the Syringis of Polybius, taken from Arsaces ii. by An-
tiochus the Great, in his fruitless attempt to reunite the re-
volted provinces of Hyrcania
Hyrcania
Hyrcania was the name of a satrapy located in the territories of present day Gilan, Golestan, Mazandaran and part of Turkmenistan, lands south of the Caspian Sea. To the Greeks, the Caspian Sea was the "Hyrcanian Sea".-Etymology:...
and Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
to the Syrian crown.
Han way, who visited Saru a. d. 1734, mentions four ancient
Magian temples as still standing, built in the form of rotun-
das, each thirty feet in diameter, and near 120 in height. But
Sir W. Ouseley, who was there in 1811, has pronounced
these to be masses of brick masonry of the Mohammedan age.
One of them only is now standing-, the others having been
overturned by an earthquake. This and other remains of
similar buildings, bear the names of Firedoon, Salm, Toor,
and other mystic personages, M^hose celebrity had been es-
tablished about 2000 years anterior to their erection. One of
them Avas called the tomb of Kaus, and was supposed to con-
tain the ashes of Cyrus. Sir William Ouseley thinks it was
that of Kabus, or Kaus, the son of Washmakin, who governed
Mazanderan in the fourth century of the Hejira. It was at
Saru that the ashes of the youthful hero, Sohraub, were de-
posited by his father, Roostum, after he had unwittingly slain
him in single combat. Saru is celebrated for its abundance
of gardens, which emit a pleasing fragrance in the vernal and
summer months. Oriental hyperbole declares, that the gates
of paradise derive sweetness from the air of Saru, and the
flowers of Eden their fragrance from its soil. The city was again a regional capital in the Sassanid dynasty.
Capital of Tabaristan local rulers
In the seventh century, Farrukhan, the Great of the Dabuyid dynasty reconstructed the city, andbecause his son's name was "Sarouyeh", he called it by this name. Sari once again became the capital of Tabaristan during that century (previously the capital was Amol
Amol
Amol is a city in and the capital of Amol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 197,470, in 55,183 families.Amol and the old part of town is the first of the four towns that populate the world in which there is Nzamyh...
).
After invasions by the inheritors of Mongols, Timour Ling of Uzbeks
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
, Turcoman
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
, and Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
the city lost its high status and was periodically burnt to ashes.
Integration into the national administration
Because Shah Abbas I's mother was from BehshahrBehshahr
Behshahr is a city in and the capital of Behshahr County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 83,537, in 22,034 families.It is approximately forty kilometers from Sari. The name Behshahr literally means The Best city...
(Ashraf),
he merged Mazandaran into his empire, and founded Farahabad
Farahabad
Farahabad was a palace and city built by Shah Abbas I in Mazandaran, Iran. It was built on a site formerly known as Tahan and linked to the town of Sari, 17 miles away, by a stone causeway. The shah intended the city as his winter capital.Shah Abbas was fond of the province of Mazandaran, the...
as his alternate capital of Persia in the north of the city and created the gardens in Ashrafi.
After the Safavid dynasty
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, there is no evidence of any notable events in Sari.
Former Capital of Iran
On March 21, 1782, Agha MohammadShah proclaimed Sari as his imperial capital. Sari was the site of local
wars in those years, which led to the transfer of the capital from Sari to
Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
by Fath Ali Shah.
Early 20th Century
Boasting of developments found after the Qajar dynastyQajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
, Reza Shah Pahlavi systematically changed Sari; as Sari Train Station, Most of the streets and Governmental buildings date from that era. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Soviet army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
occupied the city, but left it after the war.
About Sari
The Clock Tower, in the Clock Square (Meydan-e-Sa'at) located in downtown Sari, attracts many visitors and has become its most famous landmark. Sari also contains the tombs of theMuslim leaders Yahya and Zayn Al-Abedin, Emamzade-ye Abbas,
and Shazdeh Hussein from the 15th century.
Economy
The economy of Sari is based on food production such as cakes, milled rice, yogurt, dooghDoogh
Doogh is a yogurt-based beverage. Popular in Iran and also found in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, as well as the Balkans, it is sometimes carbonated. Outside of Iran and Afghanistan it is known by different names.-History:...
, canned meat, oilseed and exporting fruits especially oranges, lemons, etc. During the 1950s and 1970s the big factory complex of MM
MM
-Computers:* .mm, the Myanmar's Internet country code top-level domain* mm tree, the Andrew Morton's Linux kernel tree* Columbia MM, an early e-mail client* MediaMonkey, a digital media player and media library application-File extension :...
company was the city's largest industrial facility; it was one of the country's biggest plant oil producers. It was nationalized after the revolution, and went bankrupt.
Sari's property prices are quite variable. This allows most residents to own their homes, but most neighborhoods are quite expensive because of the pleasant climate. Land prices vary between $1000 USD per square meter to more than $8,100 USD per square meter.
Climate
Sari has a borderline humid subtropical/Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. Winters are cool and rainy whilst summers are hot and humid. Sari's 2005-2006 statistical weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
information, in comparison with that of other Mazandaran cities, shows that Sari has an average climate, but it is somewhat sunnier and has more spring rain.
However, recent rainfall in Sari has declined.
City districts
Sari contains the following major sections:Mirzazamani , Azad Goleh, Bagher Abad,Booali & Posht-e-Hotel(both located in Pasdaran Blvd.), Barbari Mahalleh, Bazaar-e Nargesiyeh,
Bazaar-e Rooz, Chenar-Bon, Gol-Afshan, Golma, Kooy-e Azadi,
Kooy-e DadGostari, Kooy-e Daneshgah, Kooy-e Djahad, Kooy-e
Golha, Kooy-e-Karmandan, Kooy-e Mahyar, Kooy-e MirSarorozeh,
Kooy-e Qelich, Lesani, Mehdi-Abad , Na'l-Bandan,
No-Tekiyeh, Peyvandi, Pir Tekiyeh, Pol-e Gardan, Posht-e Nim-e
Shaban, Posht-e Zendan, Rahband-e Dokhaniyat , Dokhaniyat, Kooy-e Etehad , Rahband-e
Sangtarashan, Sang, Sari Kenar, Sarvineh Bagh, Seyyed AlShohada,
Shafa, Shahband, Shazdeh Hossein, Shekar Abad, Tabaristan,
Tavakkoli, Torki Mahalleh, Torkmen Mahalleh, etc.
Previous districts
Sari's old city structure changed in the first Pahlavi era, as new avenues and streets in the city center date from that era. In the Qajar dynasty, Sari had famous neighborhoods identified as follows:Afghoun Mahalleh, Bahar Abad, Balouchi Kheyl, Balouchi
Mahalleh, Birameter (Bahram-Ottor), Chaleh Bagh, Dar Masdjed,
Isfahouni Mahalleh, Kohneh Baq Shah,Kurd Mahalleh, Mir Mashad Mahalleh, Mir Sar Rozeh, Na'l Bandan, Naqareh Khaneh, Ossanlou Mahalleh, Paay-e Chenar, QelichLi Mahalleh, Sabzeh Meydan, Shazdeh Hossein, Shepesh Koshan, Shishehgar Mahalleh
Telephone area codes
Sari's area code is 151 (+98151 outside of Iran). Also Sari hasthe internal area codes as shown below, three digits are the beginning of seven-digit numbers (e.g., 221-xxxx):
| 22 System | 23 System | 24 System | 32 System | 34 - 37 System | 38 System |
| 221 Downtown (2003)D | 233 | 243 | 321 North of Downtown (2004)A | 340 Northeast of Downtown (2006)D | 381 |
| 222 Downtown (First)D | 234 | 244 | 322 Far South (2005)D | 382 | |
| 225 Northwest of Downtown (2005)D | 235 | 245 | 323 South of Downtown (2002)D | 383 Sari's Primary Industrial Area D | |
| 223 Southwest of Downtown (2000)D | 236 | 246 | 324 North of Downtown (1997)D | 384 Dangesarak, Koula A | |
| 227 Far West (2002)D | 237 | 247 | 325 North of Downtown (1998)D | 385 | |
| 238 | 248 | 326 West of Downtown (2003)D | 387 | ||
| 328 Far East (2000)A | 388 Wood Industries | ||||
| * Numbers in parentheses show the year the phone office was established. D = Digital System, A = Analog System | |||||
Population
The population density of some neighborhoods in downtown (for example: Mirzazamani , Peyvandi , Sang) is greater than 20,000 per square kilometer. Note that before 1950, the population of the city during the summer was less than in winter. This influenced estimations, such that an estimate done in summer might be inaccurate.- 1808 = 21,000 est.
- 1827 = 19,000 est.
- 1832 = 20,000 est.
- 1850 = 15,000 est.
- 1856 = 9,000 est.
- 1872 = 15,500 est.
- 1874 = 16,000 est.
- 1883 = 16,100 est.
- 1905 = 25,000 est.
- 1923 = 35,000 est.
- 1956 = 26,278 cen.
- 1966 = 44,547 cen.
- 1976 = 70,753 cen.
- 1986 = 141,020 cen.
- 1996 = 195,882 cen.
- 2006 = 262,627 est.
- 2008 = 300,000 est.
People and culture
Residents are known as Saravis or Sariyan. The population is a mixture of native Mazandaranis, Persians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Balochis, and TurcomansTurkmen people
The Turkmen are a Turkic people located primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language, which is classified as a part of the Western Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages family together with Turkish, Azerbaijani, Qashqai,...
.
Whereas neighborhoods were identified during the Qajar dynasty by the ethnicity of their inhabitants, this is no longer so. Historically, some areas were labeled as being home to immigrants from Kurdistan and Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. Sari, as well as other regions in northern Iran, is well known for its hospitality. Most residents speak Mazandarani
Mazandarani language
Mazandarani or Tabari is an Iranian language of the Northwestern branch, spoken mainly in Iran's Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan provinces...
and the Saravi dialect. Sari used to be the home of 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....
, and Zoroastrians, but today their percentage of the population is low. Local languages are spoken in some neighborhoods, but almost everyone understands and uses Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
as second language.
Zoroastrians from Sari who migrated to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the 10th Century founded there a city which they named "Navu Sari" (English: "New Sari"), a name which was by now shortened to Navsari
Navsari
Navsari is a city and municipality in the Surat Metropolitan Region and also the administrative headquarters Navsari District of Gujarat, India. Navsari is also the Twin City of Surat, and only 37 km south of Surat.-Geography:...
; the town is still a center of the Zoroastrian Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
community of India.
By air
Sari is served by Dasht-e Naz InternationalAirport, which is located in the northeast of the city. it has four daily flights in summer and six weekly flights in other seasons scheduled to and from Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
(cost: $20 USD). Also, it has weekly flight destinations to Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
and Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
. Seasonal destinations include 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...
, Kish Island, and sometimes other cities, depending on demand.
Tickets should be reserved one week in advance.
By train
The city is connected to GorganGorgan
Gorgan Some east of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park. The city has a regional airport and several universities. Gorgan Airport was opened in September 2005.-Etymology:...
and Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
by Shomal Railways, since it is on a major branch of the Iran's Railroad
Trans-Iranian Railway
The Trans-Iranian Railway was a major railway building project started in 1927 and completed in 1938, under the direction of the Persian monarch, Reza Shah, and entirely with indigenous capital. It links the capital Tehran with the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea...
. The Sari train station is
the city's first modern rail station and it dates from the Pahlavi dynasty
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
. Currently, there are three major passenger trains (Sari Exclusive Train, No. 220, and No. 221) everyday to Sari. If you travel to Sari from Tehran, you may use the Gorgan train, which runs in the evening. Only some major express trains have announcements in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, but this train does. The fare is $3.5 USD, and the trip takes either 7 hours (Tehran-Sari) or 71/2 hours (Sari-Tehran), because the trip is through mountains. For more than 60 years, Sari's exclusive train has been arriving about 4 PM.
By car
Local highways have been well developed after the Iran–Iraq War. Sari area contains highway 62w, which has the Qa'emshahr exit and 62e, which has the Neka exit. You can travel from Sari to Tehran via Firoozkooh under 3 hours.By bus
There are five bus terminals, but just one, Terminal-e Dowlat, is popular. The others serve cities that are located within 150 kilometers of Sari: Gorgan, Nowshahr and Chaloos, Kiyasar, etc.| By Train | |||||
| Gorgan Gorgan Gorgan Some east of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park. The city has a regional airport and several universities. Gorgan Airport was opened in September 2005.-Etymology:... | 153 Kilometers* | 138 Kilometers | Neka, Behshahr, Gaz, Nokandeh, Gorgan | ||
| Bojnourd | ----- | Behshahr, Gorgan, Minoodasht, Ashkhaneh, Bojnourd | |||
| Mashad | 1152 Kilometers* | 730 Kilometers | Behshahr, Gorgan, Bonjnourd, Quchan, Mashad | ||
| height="14"> | |||||
| height="14">Babol | 45 Kilometers* | Qa'emshahr, Babol | |||
| height="14">Nowshahr | 170 Kilometers | Jouybar, Babolsar, Fereydoon Kenar, Nour, Royan, Nowshahr | |||
| height="14">Lahidjan | Babolsar, Nour, Nowshahr, Shahsavar, Ramsar, Chaboksar, Lahidjan | ||||
| height="14"> | |||||
| By Train | Via Savadkooh Road | Via Kiasar Road | Via Azadshahr Road | Via Haraz Road | |
| Tehran Tehran Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to... | 354 Kilometers* | 270 Kilometers* | ----- | ----- | 245 Kilometers |
| 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... | 354 Kilometers* | ----- | ----- | ||
| Shahroud | 555 Kilometers* | ----- | |||
| * indicates that destination is actually nearer than the kilometers shown | |||||
Getting around
The layout of the city lends itself to using taxis. There is a wide choice of taxi systems including ceremony taxis, wireless taxis, airport or rail station taxis, and telephone taxis. City buses are also popular because they connect Sari's suburbs to the center of city, and most of the population lives in the suburbs. Although pedestrians must take care crossing busy streets, Sari is safe for pedestrians even at night.Outdoors
Sari is balmy and pleasant. Most major places of interest are listed below:- Farah Abad Coast
- Gohar Baran Coast
- Darya Kenar Coast
- Khezer Shahr Coast
- Dehkadeh Aramesh Tourist Village
- Tajan River Park
- Zare' Forest Park
- Salardareh Forest Park
- Dasht-E-Naaz National Park
- Pol-e-Gardan hiking trail
- Nemashoun Lake
- Lak-Dasht Lake
- Soleyman-Tangeh Lake
- Bam-e-Shahr Hill (offers a great panoramic view of the city)
- Qor-Maraz (natural spa, Neka)
- jamaloddin kola(damaneh kohe shahdezh)
Colleges and universities
Unlike today, Sari was once one of the most cultured cities in the history of Iran. The scientific knowledge of Saravis was noted throughout history and recorded by Pietro Della VallePietro Della Valle
Pietro della Valle was an Italian who traveled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the Holy Land, the Middle East, Northern Africa, and as Far as India.-Biography:...
and other famous visitors. Today, the universities are as follows:
- University of Agricultural
- Mazanderan University of Medical Science (MazUMS)
- University of Natural ScienceNatural scienceThe natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
- Islamic Azad University of Sari
- Imam Mohammad Bagher University of Technology
- Sarian University of ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
& ArchitectureArchitectureArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art... - Payam-e-Noor University
- University of Tech & Engineering (Khalil Moqadam)
- University of Tarbiyat-e Modaress
- Sama Technology Faculty of Azad University
- Rouzbehan University
- science and research branch islamic azad university
- hadaf University
Sports
Many complexes feature sports in Sari, but most do not havecomplete facilities. Most popular are Jahan-Pahlavan Takhti
Sports Complex, which is located on Farhang Street;
Hashemi-Nassab Sports Complex, which is located on the railway side
of the autobahn; and Montazeri Sports complex, which is located in
Shahband. Sari has the Mottaqi football stadium as well, but it is seldom used.
Wrestling
Sari is the birthplace of many popular wrestlers and athletes, and it was the host of 2006 Wrestling World Cup Competitions. Notable wrestlers from Sari include Asgari Mohammadian and Morad MohammadiMorad Mohammadi
Seyed Morad Mohammadi Pahnehkalaei is an Iranian wrestler and an Olympic bronze medalist who competed in the 2006 Asian Games in the 60 kg division and won the gold medal.-References:*...
.
Cultural attractions
Although Sari is the most important cultural place in the north of Iran, earthquakes and other causes destroyed most of its cultural buildings. Still, Sari has been described as Safa City (City of Curvet).Notable are Famous Houses such as Kolbadi House and Amir Divan House (Ramedani House) , Archeological sites including
Hutto Cave (70th millennium BC), Kamarband Cave (70th-millennium BC); also the Resket Tower from the Qaran era and the Farrah-Abad Complex Place from the Safavid era.
Authors and poets
Sari has raised many authors and poets. Mina AssadiMina Assadi
-Biography:Mina Assadi is a famous poet, author, journalist and songwriter who lives in exile in Stockholm, Sweden. She is known for writing about controversial and provocative subjects, especially when she describes the fight against the Iranian regime. In 2007 she wrote the poem called "Pimps"...
is probably the most famous one. She was born and raised in Sari but then moved to Teheran to study journalism and work as a journalist at newspapers like Kayhan
Kayhan
Kayhan is an influential newspaper in Iran. Directly under the supervision of the Office of the Supreme Leader, it is regarded to be "the most conservative Iranian newspaper."...
. Today Mina Assadi lives in exile in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Religious sites
- Emamzadeh Yahya (son of Imam Moosa-ebn Jafar)
- Emamzadeh Abbas (son of Imam Moosa-ebn Jafar)
- Emamzadeh Abdollah, Koula
- Masjed-e-Jaame' Mosque (constructed before Islam by Zoroastrians, where many important kings and heroes of Persia such as Iraj,
Touraj, Salam, Fereidun, Sohrab (son of Rostam) that Ferdowsi
remind them in shahnama are buried near this place).
- Emam-Sajjad Mosque (formerly Shah-Qazi, first was Marqad-'Ala-Adolleh School but Rostam Shah Qazi reconstructed it in 1169 and renamed it Shah-Qazi during the Qaznavi era)
- Haaj Mostafa Khan Mosque (Sourteci)
- Reza Khan Mosque (Hozeh Elmiyeh)
- Molla-Majd-Addin Place
- Shazdeh-Hossein Place
- Pahneh-Kalla Place.