Sari, Iran

For the administrative subdivision, see Sari County. For other places named Sari in Iran, see Sari, Iran (disambiguation).
Sari
ساری
Zadracarta
city

Saat Square, Sari

Seal
Sari
Coordinates: 36°33′48″N 53°03′36″E / 36.56333°N 53.06000°E / 36.56333; 53.06000Coordinates: 36°33′48″N 53°03′36″E / 36.56333°N 53.06000°E / 36.56333; 53.06000
Country  Iran
Province Mazandaran
County Sari
Bakhsh Central
Founded By Farrukhan, Daboyan Dynasty of Tapuria
Government
 • Mayor Mehdi Obouri (مهدی عبوری)
Elevation 5 northwest up to 50 in southeast m (15 – 150 ft)
Population (2006)
 • Total 259,084
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
 • Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Postal Code 48xxx-xxxxx
Area code(s) 011
Vehicle Plate IRAN 62
Website www.sari.ir e-sarycity.ir www.sarycity.ir

Sari ( pronunciation ) (/Sārī/ Mazanderani: ساری, Persian: ساری‎‎; also Romanized as Sārī; also known as Shahr-i-Tajan and Shari-i-Tajan)[1] 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. Sari is the largest and most populous city of Mazandaran.[2]

Location

The Mazandaran Sea provides a beautiful coastline in north of Sari; northeast of the city is Neka. Qa'emshahr (Formerly known as Shahi) is to its south-west, Juybar is to its north-west, and Kiasar, Damghan, and Semnan are cities located to the south.

Map showing position of Sari county as well as Sari city in Mazandaran province

History

Early history

Excavations in the Hutto cave present evidence for the existence of settlements around Sari as far back as the 70th millennium BC.[3] The Muslim historian Hamdollah Mostowfi attributes the foundation of Sari to king Tahmoures Divband of the Pishdadian 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:[4]

ز دریای گیلان (مازندران) چون ابر سیاه / دمادم به ساری رسید آن سپاه / چو آمد به نزدیک شاه آن سپاه / فریدون پذیره بیامد به راه

Coming from this 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.[5] Sari may be synonymous with the city of Zadracarta (Persian: Sadrakarta) mentioned by Ancient Greek sources as early as the 6th century BCE (Achaemenid dynasty).[6] However, other sources suggest that modern Gorgan is located closer to, or on, the site of Zadracarta.

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 oranges, lemons, and other fruit trees which grew in the outskirts of that city. Hence it is by D'Anville, Rochette, and other geographers, identified Saru, which Pietro Della Valle says, in his "Travels", signifies "The yellow city". It is probable that Zadracarta and Saru are the same with the Syringis of Polybius, taken from Arsaces ii. by Antiochus the Great, in his vain attempt to reunite the revolted provinces of Hyrcania and Parthia to the Syrian crown. Han Way, who visited Saru in 1734, mentions of four ancient Magian temples as still standing then, built in the form of several rotundas, each thirty feet in diameter, and about 120 in height. However Sir W. Ouseley, who had traveled to the site in 1811, has speculated that these to be masses of brick masonry of the Mohammedan age. Out of four, one of the rotunda is still standing since the rest were overturned by an earthquake. This and other remains of similar buildings, bear the names of Firedoon, Salm, Toor, and other mythical figures, M^hose celebrity had been established about 2000 years prior to their erection. One of them Avas called the tomb of Kaus, and was supposed to contain the ashes of Cyrus the Great. 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 deposited by his father, Roostum, after he had unwittingly slayed Sohrab in a hand-to-hand battle. Saru is celebrated for its abundance of gardens, which emit a pleasing fragrance in the vernal and summer months. An oriental proverb declares that the "gates of paradise derive sweetness from the air of Sari and the flowers of Eden receive their fragrance from its soil". The city was again a regional capital in the Sassanid dynasty era.[7]

Capital of Tabaristan local rulers

In the seventh century, Farrukhan the Great of the Dabuyid dynasty reconstructed the city, and because his son's name was "Sarouyeh", he called it by this name. Sari once again became the capital of Tabaristan during that century (Amol was the capital previously ).

After invasions by the successors of Mongols, Timur the Lame of Uzbeks, Turcoman, and Tatars the city lost its high status and was periodically burnt to ashes.

Safavid-Qajar era

Because Shah Abbas I's mother was from Behshahr (Ashraf), he founded Farahabad as his alternate capital of Persia in the north of the city and created the gardens in Ashraf. Mazandaran alongside neighboring Gilan were subsequently settled during Abbas' reign by large amounts of Georgians, Circassians, Armenians and other Peoples of the Caucasus, whose descendants still live across Mazandaran.[8][9][10] Still many towns, villages and neighbourhoods in Mazandaran bear the name "Gorji" (i.e. Georgian) in them, although most of the Georgians are already assimilated into the mainstream Mazanderanis. After the Safavid dynasty fell and until the rise of Agha Mohammad khan to power there, is no evidence of any notable events in Sari.

Early 20th century

Major developments took place after the Qajar dynasty. During the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi, the face of the town was changed drastically. Sari Rail Station and 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.

About Sari

Tajan Riverside Park

The Clock Tower, in the Clock Square (Meydan-e-Sa'at) located in downtown Sari, attracts visitors and has become a famous landmark. Sari also contains the tombs of the Muslim cleric leaders Yahya and Zayn Al-Abedin, Emamzade-ye Abbas, and Shazdeh Hussein the architecture of which are from the 15th century.

Economy

The economy of Sari is based on food production such as milled rice, dairy products, canned meat and cookies. Sari is a major citrus fruits especially orange, tangerine and lemon producer. Oil seeds such as soybean and rape being cultivated in vast lands around villages for producing of vegetable ghee and cooking oil. During the 1950s to 1970s factory of MM company was the city's largest industrial complex and one of the country's biggest vegetable oil producers. After 1979 revolution, the company was nationalized but got bankrupt and closed later on.[11] Other sources of economy include, but not limited to, paper, wood, fabrics and construction material. Mazandaran Wood and Paper Industries, the biggest factory of its kind in the middle east, is situated in a 2000-acre ground on Semnan Road. Mazpaper is presently producing more than 20% of country's paper requirements and is a major economical entity not only for the city but also for the province. The MWPI's major subsidiary is the NEKA CHOUB Co., that is manufacturing plywood and chipboard. Among smaller setups is Alipour Lighting manufacturing company (Techno Light), the first in designs & producing handmade chandelier in North of Iran since 1970, that is also engaged in export and import of decorative lighting. The company's main office is on Amir Mazandarani Ave.

Climate

Sari has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa).[12] 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.

Climate data for Mahdasht, Sari
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.2
(86.4)		 31.2
(88.2)		 35.0
(95)		 37.0
(98.6)		 39.0
(102.2)		 44.0
(111.2)		 39.0
(102.2)		 40.5
(104.9)		 39.0
(102.2)		 38.0
(100.4)		 34.0
(93.2)		 30.0
(86)		 44.0
(111.2)
Average high °C (°F) 11.9
(53.4)		 11.9
(53.4)		 14.0
(57.2)		 20.9
(69.6)		 25.2
(77.4)		 29.2
(84.6)		 31.2
(88.2)		 31.2
(88.2)		 28.5
(83.3)		 24.1
(75.4)		 19.0
(66.2)		 14.4
(57.9)		 21.8
(71.2)
Average low °C (°F) 3.3
(37.9)		 3.4
(38.1)		 5.0
(41)		 9.4
(48.9)		 13.8
(56.8)		 17.8
(64)		 20.7
(69.3)		 21.2
(70.2)		 18.6
(65.5)		 13.8
(56.8)		 9.3
(48.7)		 5.2
(41.4)		 11.8
(53.2)
Record low °C (°F) −2.5
(27.5)		 −5.0
(23)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 1.0
(33.8)		 2.0
(35.6)		 4.0
(39.2)		 8.5
(47.3)		 10.0
(50)		 2.5
(36.5)		 0.0
(32)		 −2.0
(28.4)		 −5.0
(23)		 −5.0
(23)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 105.2
(4.142)		 91.5
(3.602)		 100.6
(3.961)		 60.5
(2.382)		 53.2
(2.094)		 36.2
(1.425)		 35.5
(1.398)		 58.8
(2.315)		 88.9
(3.5)		 98.1
(3.862)		 104.4
(4.11)		 114.4
(4.504)		 947.3
(37.295)
Average rainy days 8 8 10 7 6 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 83
Average relative humidity (%) 77 76 76 72 69 66 66 70 73 75 76 76 72.7
Source: Iranian Meteorological Organization[13]

City districts

Sari's major districts are:
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, Tabarestan, Tavakkoli, Torki Mahalleh, Torkmen Mahalleh, etc.

Previous districts

Sari's old city structure changed in the first Pahlavi era. New avenues and streets in the city center date from that period. 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). Sari has the 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

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.

People and culture

Local residents are known as Saravis or Sariyan. The population is a mixture of native Mazandaranis, Persians, Azerbaijanis, Caucasians, Kurds, and Turcomans. Whereas neighborhoods were identified during the Qajar dynasty by the ethnicity of their inhabitants, this is no longer so. Sari, as well as other regions in northern Iran, is well known for its hospitality. Sari used to be the home of Georgians, Armenians, and Zoroastrians, but today they only form small minorities. Local languages are spoken in some neighborhoods, but almost everyone understands and uses mainstream Persian as a lingua franca.

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.

Transport

Arriving

By air

Sari is served by Dasht-e Naz International Airport, which is located in the north-eastern part of the city. List of arrival and departure flights can be found in the Airport's website.[15]

By train

The city is connected to Gorgan and Tehran by the Shomal Railway route. That is a major branch of Iran's Railroad.

By boat

The port of Amir Abad is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.

By car

Local highways have been well developed after the Iran–Iraq War. The Sari area is served with the No. 62W Freeway.

By bus

There are five bus terminals, but one, Terminal-e Dowlat, is the most used. The others serve cities that are located within 150 kilometers from Sari: Gorgan, Nowshahr, Chaloos, and Kiyasar are within this range.

By Train By Road
Gorgan 153 km* 138 Kilometers Neka, Behshahr, Gaz, Nokandeh, Gorgan
Bojnourd Behshahr, Gorgan, Minoodasht, Ashkhaneh, Bojnourd
Mashad 1152 km* 730 Kilometers Behshahr, Gorgan, Bonjnourd, Quchan, Mashad
Babol 45 Kilometers* Qa'emshahr, Babol
Nowshahr 170 Kilometers Jouybar, Babolsar, Fereydoon Kenar, Nour, Royan, Nowshahr
Lahijan Babolsar, Nour, Nowshahr, Shahsavar, Ramsar, Chaboksar, Lahijan
By Train Via Savadkooh Road/ Via Kiasar Road Via Azadshahr Road Via Haraz Road
Tehran 354 km* 265 Kilometers* 245 Kilometers
Semnan 354 km*
Shahroud 555 km*

* indicates that destination is actually nearer than the figure shown

Getting around

The layout of the city renders occasional use of taxis. There is a wide choice of taxi systems including limousines, wireless radio 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, providing a low cost and convenient means of transportation to and from the town for people living in those neighborhoods. Although Sari is considered a safe city for pedestrians even at night, nevertheless care should be taken when walking around.

Outdoors

Sari is balmy and pleasant. Most major places of interest are listed below:

Colleges and universities

In the course of history, Sari was once one of the most cultured cities in the history of Iran. The scientific knowledge of Saravis were noted throughout history and recorded by Pietro Della Valle and other famous visitors. Today, the universities are as follows:

Sports facilities

Many sport complexes are in Sari.

Most popular are:

Sari's Mottaqi football stadium is one of the oldest sports field in the country but nowadays it is seldom used in major soccer matches.

Wrestling

Sari is the birthplace of many popular wrestlers and athletes. Notable wrestlers from Sari include Asgari Mohammadian, Majid Torkan and Morad Mohammadi. The town was the host and scene of 2006 Wrestling World Cup Competitions.

Cultural attractions

Although Sari is the most important cultural place in the north of Iran, earthquakes and other causes destroyed most of its cultural heritage and ancient monuments. 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 House of Karen era and the Farahabad Palace Complex from the Safavid era. The statue of Arash Kamangir (Arash the Archer) on his chariots in Emam Square was destroyed by the Islamic regime. 'Arash the Archer', a legendary hero, in Shahnameh was believed to have thrown his demarcating arrow from Sari.

Arts and culture

Khosrow Sinai (born 19 January 1941 in Sari) a renowned film director of the country was the first Iranian film director to win an international prize after the Islamic revolution in Iran. He is also known as an Iranian scholar and has been awarded the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

Music

Seyed Abdolhossein Mokhtabad-Amrei (born 1966 in Sari) is an Iranian composer and singer of Persian Classical music. He received his vocal training under supervision of renowned and legendary maestros and since his professional debut inاارا 1991, has performed numerous concerts in Iran and abroad, including most European Countries, South East Asia and Northern America "Canada & United States" and produced more than 20 sets of music albums.

Authors and poets

Sari has raised many authors and poets. Mina Assadi 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.

Mohsen Emadi (born 29 October 1976 in Sari) is another Persian poet and translator.

Religious sites

Tomb of Imamzadeh Abbas, Located in East of Sari urban area, Mazandaran.

Notable people

Sister cities

Mayor

Notes

  1. ↑ Sari, Iran can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3082809" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  2. ↑ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)". Islamic Republic of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 2011-11-11.
  3. ↑ "Subterranea of Iran: Huto and Kamarband Cave". showcaves.com.
  4. ↑ Abu'L Ferdawsi. "Shahnameh/Book of Kings". rira.ir. Dr. jalal Khaleghi-Motlagh.
  5. ↑ "Attractions - Mazandaran". Iran’s Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN).
  6. ↑ Persien: Das Land und seine Bewohner : ethnograph. Schilderungen 2 Teile in 1 Bd, by Jakob Eduard Polak, (Olms, 1976)
  7. ↑ Britannica Article for Zadracarta
  8. ↑ "Georgian communities in Persia". Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  9. ↑ ^ Muliani, S. (2001) Jaygah-e Gorjiha dar Tarikh va Farhang va Tammadon-e Iran. Esfahan: Yekta [The Georgians’ position in the Iranian history and civilization]
  10. ↑ "PIETRO DELLA VALLE’S LATIN GEOGRAPHY OFSAFAVID IRAN (1624-1628)". Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  11. ↑ حسین اسلامی: تاریخ دوهزارساله ساری (دارالملک مازندران)، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی قائم شهر، ۱۳۷۲.
  12. ↑ "Climate: Sari - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  13. ↑ Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ "UNdata - record view - City population by sex, city and city type". un.org.
  15. ↑ "Arrival Flights of Sari International Airport". sariairport.ir.

References

External links

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