| Qazvin Province |
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Information AboutQazvin Province |
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Qazvin is one of the 30 , Takestan , Abyek , Booin Zahra , Eqhbalieh , Mohammadieh , Alvand , Isfarvadin , Mahmood Abad Nemooneh , Khoram Dasht , Ziä Abad , Avaj , Shäl , Danesfahan , Abgarm , Ardägh , Moallem Keläyeh , Razmian Kouhin and Bidestan in the form of four townships (chief cities) contains 18 sections, 44 rural districts, and 1543 villages. The population of the province is more than one million people (2003) of which 62 % live in the cities and 38 % live in the villages. Concerning the sex-ratio, the ratio of men to women is 50.7 to 49.3 %. 99.6% of the province population are Muslims and 0.4% of the rest come from other religions. The literacy rate is a bit higher than 82 % which represents the 7th rank in Iran . GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE The province covers 15821 km&2 between 48-45 to 50-50 east of Greenwich Meridian of longitude and 35-37 to 36-45 north latitude of the equator. The province 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 Province s. The famous mountains of the province are those of 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. The climate of the province 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. INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY Qazvin was the location of a former capital of the Persian Empire and contains over 2000 architectural and archeological sites. It is a provincial capital today that has been a cultural center of mass throughout history. 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 millennia ago. Qazvin is historically also rendered as '''Kazvin''', '''Kasvin''', and '''Casbin''' in western texts. 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 Russia n forces in both World Wars, Qazvin is also where the famous coup d’etat was launched from that led to the rise of the first 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. Qazvin has been able to survive all this turmoil, today having a population of 290,000 (1996). QAZVINI ATTRACTIONS .]] Qazvin contains several archeological excavations dating back 9000 years ago. There are also 23 castles from the Ismaili Assassins nearby as well. And in the middle of the city, there lies the ruins of Meimoon Ghal'eh , one of several Sassanide edifices in the area. Qazvin contains few buildings from the Safavi era when it was capital of Persia. Perhaps the most famous of the surviving edifices is the ''Ali Qapu mansion'', today a museum in central Qazvin. Historical Mosques After Islam, the abundant attendance of mystics (ascetics), as well as the prevalence of tradition (Hadith), religious jurisprudence (Fegh´h), and philosophy in Qazvin, led to the emergence of many mosques and religious schools among which the most magnificent ones are:
Churches and Russian architecture Qazvin actually contains three buildings built by The Russians in the late 19th/early 20th century. Among these is the current Mayor's office (former Ballet Hall), a water reservoir, and the Cantor church where a Russian pilot is buried. According to explorers Pietro Della Valle (1588-1713), Jean Baptist Tavenier (1605-1689), Johannes Chardin (1643-1713), and others, there have been many Christians of various sects living in Qazvin for centuries. Qazvin is where The Saint Hripsime Church is located, and it is also where four Jewish prophets gave tidings of the arrival of Jesus Christ. Their tomb is now a popular shrine called ''Peighambariyeh''. Castles and forts These are castles and fortifications left over mostly from the Isma'ili movement of the middle ages:
Tombs, Shrines, and Mausoleums AD, Qazvin province.]] Another grand attraction in Qazvin Province, is the tombs of two Saljuki era princes, ''Aboo Saeed Bijar'' son of Sad and ''Aboo Mansoor Iltai'' son of Takin, that are located in two separate towers known as the Kharaghan twin towers. Constructed in 1067, these are the first monuments in Islamic Architecture which include a non-conic two-layered dome. Unfortunately, both towers were severely damaged by a devastating earthquake on March 2003. Some popular shrines and Mausoleums in Qazvin province are:
Traditional Reservoirs In the old days, Qazvin was nicknamed the 'city of water reservoirs'. Of the 100 or so water reservoirs of Qazvin, only 10 remain today, all protected by the Provincial Cultural Heritage Organization. ''See: List Of Famous Ab Anbars Of Qazvin '' Bazaars and Caravanserais Qazvin has some fine examples of centuries old Bazaar s and Caravanserai s:
Old City Gates and other popular edifices During the 9th century A.D. seven gates made entrance to the city possible. In Qajar period there existed nine gates surrounding the city which were connected to each other through a wall around the city. These gates (''darvāzeh'' in Persian) were: #Panbeh Riseh #Sheikh Abad #Rasht #Maghlävak #Khandaghbar #Shahzadeh Hossein #Mossala #Tehran #Räh e Koushk Due to 20th century hasty urban expansion, unfortunately only the last two gates remain standing. Other popular attractions of Qazvin province include:
FAMOUS QAZVINIS Aside from Shahzadeh Hossein, a shiite saint, where a handsome shrine has been built, there are an abundance of scientists and mystics who lived in Qazvin, or came from Qazvin, or whose tombs are scattered throughout the cities and villages of the province. Some of these are:
QAZVIN TODAY Agriculture 13000km&2 is under cultivation in Qazvin, covering 12% of the cultivable lands of the country. These are fed by numerous subterranean canals, deep and semi-deep wells, and a large irrigating canal which originates from The Sangbän dam in Taleghän and Ziärän. The agricultural produce of the land is grape, hazelnut, pistachio, almond, walnut, olive, apple, wheat, barely, sugar beet, pomegranate, fig, and cereals. Animal husbandry, and aquatic and poultry breeding are developed throughout the province. Industries In recent decades, Qazvin has become a developing pole of the country, primarily due to its preferable location. Qazvin today is a center of Textile trade, including Cotton , Silk and Velvet , in addition to Leather . It is on the Railroad line and the Highway between Tehran and Tabriz . Qazvin has one of the largest power plants feeding electricity into Iran's national power grid, the ''Shahid Raja'i'' facility, which provides 7% of the country's electricity. Colleges and universities # Imam Khomeini International University # Islamic Azad University of Takestan # Islamic Azad University of Qazvin # Qazvin University of Medical Sciences # Shahid Babaee Technical Institute EXTERNAL LINKS Official links
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