Neka ( fa, نكا, 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, a ...
d as Nekā’ and Nekā; also known as Nīkā; formerly, Nāranj Bāgh) is a city and capital of
Neka County
Neka County ( fa, شهرستان نکا) is in Mazandaran 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 ...
,
Mazandaran 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 ...
.
At the 2006 census, its population was 46,152, in 11,941 families.
Geography
Neka is located at the foot of and up into the northern
Alborz (''Elburs'') mountain range, south of and near 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 A ...
coast. It is close to the city of
Behshahr
Behshahr ( fa, بهشهر; formerly Ashraf and Ashraf ol Belād) is a city in Mazandaran, Iran & the capital of Behshahr County. Located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, at the foot of the Alborz, it is approximately from Sari. At the 2006 cen ...
, and southeast of the coastal city of
Sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
.
It is noted for its
destination spa
A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge an ...
s at natural
hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
s, and the nearby Caspian coastline and
Peninsula of Miankaleh. It is a tourist destination of
Mazandaran Province.
History
Not much is known about this area in geographical or historical accounts of the past, until the
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...
. However, in the geographical records of the early Islamic period, the name Mirdan of a city near the current city of Neka has been mentioned. Deh Khoda has mentioned the River Neka in his encyclopedia. It seems that Neka was a vicinity or 'block' comprising various rural settlements.
The present Neka has sprung up from the village of 'Naranj', alongside a bridge on Neka River within the past 70 years.
Economy
Due to the railway line running across this area, and suitable network of communications, together with the establishment of the wood industry, oil reservoirs and an electric power plant, the area is one of the important developing centers of the province. The said city is also considered as an industrial locality in the northern region
Neka Power Plant
The Neka Power Plant provide energy to the province and some northern parts of the country. It is one of the biggest steam powered
thermal power plant
A thermal power station is a type of power station in which heat energy is converted to electrical energy. In a steam-generating cycle heat is used to boil water in a large pressure vessel to produce high-pressure steam, which drives a steam ...
s in the Middle East, Its nominal capacity is 2035 MW . The main components are : steam pot, middle house, turbine place, converters and auxiliary houses. The main fuel for steam production is
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...
, with light fuel oil a secondary source, both supplied by the
Iranian Central Oil Fields Company
The Iranian Central Oil Fields Company (ICOFC, Persian: شرکت نفت مناطق مرکزی ایران) established in 1999, is one of the five major production companies of the National Iranian Oil Company. It is responsible for production of ...
.
References
Cultural heritage news agencyPhotos of Sari and Suburbs as taken in the spring of 2003
External links
{{Mazandaran Province
Cities in Mazandaran Province
Populated places in Neka County
Populated places on the Caspian Sea
Settled areas of Elburz