Qazvin Province

Iran / Qazvin / Takestan /
 province, draw only border
Qazvin (Persian: قزوین Qazvīn) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is located in the northwestern part of the country, and its center is the city of Qazvin. The province was created in 1996 out of parts of Zanjan and Tehran provinces. It covers an area of 15821 km² and is bounded on the north by Mazandaran and Gilan, on the west by Hamedan and Zanjan, on the south by Markazi and on the east by Tehran Provinces. Qazvin has a population of 1,166,861 people (2005) of which 62 % live in the cities and 38 % in the villages.

The climate of Qazvin in the northern parts is cold and snowy in winters and temperate in summers. In the southern parts, the climate is mild with comparatively cold winters and warm summers. Qazvin has many famous mountains like, Siälän, Shäh Alborz, Khashchäl, Sephidkouh, Shojä e din, Alehtareh, Rämand, Ägh dägh, Kharaghän, Saridagh, Soltan pïr, and Siähkouh, in which Siälän with a height of 4175m and Shäh Alborz which is 4056m are the highest. All are part of the central chain of Alborz. The lowest point of the province is in Tärom e Soflä.

Archeological findings in the Qazvin plain reveal the existence of urban agricultural settlements as far back as 7000BC. The name “Qazvin” or “Kasbin” is derived from Cas, an ancient tribe that lived south of the Caspian Sea, thousands of years ago. The Caspian Sea itself in fact derives its name from the same origin. Qazvin geographically connects Tehran, Isfahan, and the Persian Gulf to the Caspian seacoast and Asia Minor, hence its strategic location throughout the ages.

Qazvin has been a hotbed of historical developments in Iranian history. In the early years of the Islamic era Qazvin served as a base for the Arab forces. Destroyed by Genghis Khan (13th century), the Safavid monarchs made Qazvin the capital of the Safavid empire in 1548 only to have it moved to Isfahan in 1598. During the Qajar Dynasty and contemporary period, Qazvin has always been one of the most important governmental centers due to its proximity to Tehran. Bombed and occupied by Russian forces in both World Wars, Qazvin is also where the famous coup d’etat was launched that led to the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1921. Qazvin is also situated near Alamut, where the famous Hasan-i Sabbah, founder of the secret Ismaili order of the Assassins, operated from.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qazvīn_Province
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   36°8'8"N   49°47'34"E

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