Shahrud, Iran
| Shahrud شاهرود | |
|---|---|
| city | |
  Shahrud | |
| Coordinates: 36°25′05″N 54°58′35″E / 36.41806°N 54.97639°ECoordinates: 36°25′05″N 54°58′35″E / 36.41806°N 54.97639°E | |
| Country |
 Iran |
| Province | Semnan Province |
| County | Shahrud |
| Bakhsh | Central |
| Elevation | 1,345 m (4,413 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 140,474 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | IRDT (UTC+4:30) |
Shahrud[1] (Persian: شاهرود, also Romanized as Shāhrūd, Shahrood, and Shahroud; also known as Shārūd; is a city in and capital of Shahrud County, Semnan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 126,916, in 35,548 families.[2]
Situated about an altitude of 4413 ft (1345 m), it is located at latitude 36°25'N, longitude 055°01'E. Now, it is the Second largest city of Semnan Province and also its county has same position in the province. The main launch site of the Iranian Space Agency is near Shahrud.
Geography
Some 410 kilometers to the east of Tehran, half-way between the capital and Mashad, and at the junction with the Gorgan road, sits the modern city of Shahrud, which has grown to absorb the historic town of Bastam situated in the hills a few kilometers to the north.
From the north, it is surrounded by the Alborz mountains, and from the south by the arid salty deserts. The river of Tash, after crossing this town, reaches the south deserts. The weather on the mountainous areas is cold and it is somewhat temperate in other parts of the city.
Shahrud is located in the Damghan basin, a sub-basin of the Kavir basin which also contains the Great Salt Desert.
Climate
Shahrud has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) with hot summers and cool winters. Precipitation is very low, and mostly falls in winter and spring.
| Climate data for Shahrud | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) |
20.0 (68) |
29.0 (84.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
36.0 (96.8) |
39.0 (102.2) |
42.0 (107.6) |
42.0 (107.6) |
37.0 (98.6) |
32.0 (89.6) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.2 (66.6) |
42 (107.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.8 (42.4) |
8.4 (47.1) |
14.3 (57.7) |
21.1 (70) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.4 (90.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
22.3 (72.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
20.67 (69.21) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
3.4 (38.1) |
8.6 (47.5) |
15.1 (59.2) |
20.3 (68.5) |
25.0 (77) |
27.3 (81.1) |
26.0 (78.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
9.0 (48.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
14.68 (58.43) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −3.6 (25.5) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
2.5 (36.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.0 (68) |
18.5 (65.3) |
14.0 (57.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
8.03 (46.45) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −14 (7) |
−14.0 (6.8) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
10.0 (50) |
8.0 (46.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−10 (14) |
−11 (12) |
−14 (6.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 28.6 (1.126) |
19.3 (0.76) |
28.0 (1.102) |
23.7 (0.933) |
21.5 (0.846) |
3.9 (0.154) |
1.5 (0.059) |
1.8 (0.071) |
2.3 (0.091) |
7.9 (0.311) |
9.4 (0.37) |
19.8 (0.78) |
167.7 (6.603) |
| Average rainy days | 7.1 | 6.8 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 63.6 |
| Average snowy days | 4.2 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 11.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 65 | 59 | 51 | 45 | 42 | 37 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 48 | 52 | 64 | 47.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 167.5 | 174.4 | 212.1 | 230.3 | 279.2 | 330.1 | 340.4 | 337.4 | 294.8 | 252.2 | 205.9 | 170.3 | 2,994.6 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990) [3] | |||||||||||||
History
In 2006, traces of a prehistoric, 8,000-year-old settlements were found in Shahrud. The discoveries included ovens, craft workshops, and other evidence of settlements.
As a modern city, the city of Shahrud was merely a village before the reign of Fath Ali Shah of the Qajar dynasty, with two old castles and a small farm named "Shabdary". The surrounding areas however, such as Biarjomand, Miami and Bastam do have a distant history.
The old town of Bastam is located 6 kilometers north of Shahrood. Its pre-Islamic history is not clear, but according to some historians, it was built during Shapur II period (310-379 CE). During the Abbasid era, it was the second largest town (following Damghan) in the Qomis province.
The town was visited by Nasser Khosrow Qubadiani, the great Iranian poet of the 12th century, and mentioned by him as the center of the Qomis province. But Bastam declined during the Mongol era assaults, and Shahrud eventually took its place.
Attractions
Shahrud’s geographical location is very interesting, it has cloud forest in the north and from south it meets the central desert of Iran. The most interesting geographical and historical attractions of Shahrud are as follows:
- Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests and High peaks of East-Alborz mountain range, lie in north of the city and shape a marvelous mixture of natural elements.
- Two or three hours left to the sunset, with temperature fall, clouds rush into the forest. They are so thick that it seems you are walking on the clouds, and then you may not be able to see a meter ahead of you. It is what happens often in the Jangal-e Abr in Shahrood. Jangal-e Abr (Cloud Forest) is one of the oldest and most beautiful forests in Iran. It is the continuum of northern forests in the south of Alborz mountain range. It is located 30km north east of Shahrud. The forest is full of steep hills, and a river runs and beautiful waterfalls in there. Summer and spring is the best time to see the forest.
- SHAHVAR peak, lies in 25 Km north of Shahrud, from north near Negarman village and from south near Tash رillage, highest peak of East Elbruz mountain range with 4000 m high. Every year thousands of mountain climbers are traveling to this city to enjoy rock climbing and surrounding beautiful natural landscapes.
- The Saljuki Mosque which is located in Bastam. Its construction belongs to the year 1120 C.E.
- The Village of Kharaqan which is located 12 kilometers from Bastam. It was a famous village during the 14th and the 15th centuries. The tomb of Abul-Hassan Kharaqani, who is one of the most famous Arefs (mystics) of the Sufi groups of the 12th century, is located in this village. The brick building with its dome dates to the 12th century.
- The Byar Castle ruins, which is located on the south-eastern area of Bastam, and is near to the desert edge of Byarjomand. This castle has an old mosque and an old wall with three gates.
- Farumad Mosque. Located in a village by the same name 165 km to the north east of Shahrud, the original construction of this magnificent historic monument belongs to the 13th century CE. Today nothing but the ruins and demolished columns and prayer hall of this structure catch the visitor's eyes. The reason for the building of such a mosque in this village was that Farumad and the surrounding villages had developed into a major center of political activity during the Sarbedaran Movement during the later Ilkhanid period.
- Shahrud Museum: Dating from the later Qajar and early Pahlavi periods, originally belonging to the Shahrud Municipality and already located in the center of the town, this two-storied structure with brick facing was transformed into the present museum in 1988 after a series of major repair and renovation works. It is an interesting structure in terms of architectural style and exterior tile works. It houses both archaeological and ethnological sections.
Notable people
- Bayazid Bastami (9th century) - Sufi
- Abol-Hassan Kharaqani (963-1033) - Sufi
- Ibn-Yamin Feryumadi (11th century) - Iranian poet.
- Kourosh Yaghmaie (born 1946) - singer
- Mohammad Farhadi (born 1949) - politician
- Ahmad Jalali (born 1949) - scholar
- Davoud Mirbagheri (born 1958) - film director
- Touka Neyestani (born 1960) - cartoonist
- Danial Hakimi (born 1963) - actor
- Zohreh Akhyani (born 1964) - MeK member and politician
- Anahita Nemati (born 1977) - actress
Higher education
- Islamic Azad University of Shahrood
- Shahroud University of Medical Sciences
- Shahrood University of Technology
References
- ↑ Shahrud, Iran can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3062042" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
- ↑ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)". Islamic Republic of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 2011-11-11.
- ↑ "Shahroud Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shahroud. |
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