Astara (; fa, آستارا, also
romanize
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...
d as Āstārā) is a city and capital of
Astara County
Astara County ( fa, شهرستان آستارا) is located in Gilan province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey ...
,
Gilan Province,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It lies on the
border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
with
Azerbaijan Republic
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and on the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. It is an important border trade center between Iran and the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
.
History
The earliest mention, under the name ''Astārāb'', comes in the
Ḥodūd al-ʿālam, written toward the end of the 10th century. In the 14th century, Astara became the seat of the small
principality of the
Esfahbad or Espahbad (-bod) of Gīlān. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the
Ṭālešī Khans of Āstārā were either autonomous or nominally subordinate to the governors of
Gīlān or
Ardabīl; on several occasions they played important parts in the history of the
Caspian Caspian can refer to:
*The Caspian Sea
*The Caspian Depression, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea
*The Caspians, the ancient people living near the Caspian Sea
*Caspian languages, collection of languages and dialects of Caspian peopl ...
provinces. According to
Minorsky, We do not know whether the later governors of Astara still continued the line of the ispahbads. Even after the
conquest of Northern Tālish by the Russians (1813) the family of the
Tālish-khans maintained some special rights.
Astara was part of the short lived
Talysh Khanate
Talysh Khanate or Talish Khanate ( fa, خانات تالش, Khānāt-e Tālesh) was a khanate of Iranian origin that was established in Persia and existed from the middle of the 18th century till the beginning of the 19th century, located in the ...
in the 18th and 19th centuries, and for a short while it was the capital of the Khanate before it was moved to
Lankaran
Lankaran ( az, Lənkəran, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. As of 2021, the city had a population of 89,300. It is next to, but independent of, Lankaran District. The city forms a dis ...
. In 1828, with the signing of the
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Treaty of Turkmenchay ( fa, عهدنامه ترکمنچای; russian: Туркманчайский договор) was an agreement between Qajar Iran and the Russian Empire, which concluded the Russo-Persian War (1826–28). It was second o ...
, Astara was split into two. The city of
Astara in Azerbaijan is located just across the
Astarachay River.
Tourism
Astara has various attractions and is considered a major tourist destination for Iranians and foreigners, especially those from the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
. The city has a selection of beaches and is near to a
Temperate rainforest
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain.
Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American ...
. Annually over six million Iranians, and six hundred thousand foreigners visit the city. The most popular beaches in this city are Shariati park and sadaf beach. Shariati beach park is located in the city, and Sadaf beach is 7 kilometers far from Astara city
Culture
Astara is home to one of the first libraries established in the country.
Agriculture
Rice has been cultivated in this region for many years, where some indigenous cultivars (landrace) were conventionally bred by farmers.
Climate
Astara has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfa,''
Trewartha'': Cf''), with relatively cold, wet winters and warm, humid summers.
Language
Linguistic composition of the city.
Famous people from Astara
*
Fereydun Ebrahimi – Procurator-General in
Azerbaijan People's Government
The Azerbaijan People's Government ( az, آذربایجان میللی حکومتی - Azərbaycan Milli Hökuməti; fa, حکومت خودمختار آذربایجان) was a short-lived unrecognized secessionist state in northern Iran from Nov ...
*
Ebrahim Nabavi
Seyyed Ebrahim Nabavi ( fa, سید ابراهیم نبوی; born 1958 in Astara, Iran) is a prolific Iranian satirist, writer, diarist, and researcher. He currently writes in the news website '' Gooya'' and the online newspaper '' Rooz'', and ha ...
– Iranian journalist
*
Payan Rafat – football player
*
Kamal Habibollahi – last Commander of the Imperial Iranian Navy
*
Arshia(AKA:jafar,teymor) – CEO of TURK
Education
*
Islamic Azad University of Astara
See also
*
Astara, Azerbaijan
Astara ( tly, Ostoro, script=Latn) is a city in and the capital of the Astara District of Azerbaijan. Astara is a short walk across the border from Astara, Iran.
Geography
Climate
Astara has a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen cli ...
*
Astarachay
*
Kazi Magomed–Astara–Abadan pipeline
Kazi may refer to:
* Kazi (given name),
* Kaji (Nepal), Nepalese prime ministerial position (later reduced to ministers)
* Kaži, cat in Vepsian
* Qadi or ''Kazi'' or ''Qazi'', an Islamic legal scholar and judge
* KAZI-FM, an FM radio station in Au ...
References
External links
Astaraentry in th
Encyclopædia Iranica*
{{Astara County
Populated places in Astara County
Cities in Gilan Province
Azerbaijan–Iran border crossings
Populated places on the Caspian Sea
Port cities and towns in Iran
Populated coastal places in Iran
Ports and harbours of Iran
Port cities and towns of the Caspian Sea
Divided cities
Azerbaijani settlements in Gilan Province