Rasht ( fa, رشت, Rašt ; glk, Rəšt, script=Latn; also

romanized 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 ...

as Resht and Rast, and often spelt ''Recht'' in French and older German manuscripts) is the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

of 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 ...

. Also known as the "City of Rain" (, ''Ŝahre Bārān''), it had a population of 679,995 as of the 2016 census and is the most populated city of northern Iran. Rasht is the largest city on Iran's

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 ...

coast. Due to being between the coast and the mountains, the local environment is rainy with

humid subtropical 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° ...

and

mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

influences. It also has

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 ...

to its south, contrasting to the mostly arid Iran. It is a major trade center between Caucasia,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, and Iran using the port of

Bandar-e Anzali Bandar-e Anzali ( fa, بندرانزلی, also Romanized as Bandar-e Anzalī; renamed as Bandar-e Pahlavi during the Pahlavi dynasty) is a city of Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 144,664. Anzali is one of the mos ...

. Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh in the adjacent mountains and the beaches of Caspian as some of the major attractions. Historically, Rasht was a major transport and business center which connected Iran to Russia and the rest of Europe, and because of this was known as the "Gate of Europe". The city has a history that goes back to the 13th century but its modern history dates back to the

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

era during which Rasht was a major silk trade center with numerous textile workshops. In 2015, this city joined the network of creative cities of the world as a creative

gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

city under the supervision of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

History

Timeline

*682: Rasht was first mentioned in

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...

historical documents. *1669: Stenka Razin, a

Cossack The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

warlord, plundered the city. *1714: Rasht destroyed by earthquake. *1722–1732:

Occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

by the

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

due to the Russo-Persian War. *1901: A major epidemic plague devastates the city. *1917–1920: The Russian and British armed forces fight in the port city of

and Rasht. The British retreat and the Russians occupy the area. *1920–1921: The short-lived Gilan Soviet Socialist Republic was established with its capital in Rasht. *1937: A revolt, sparked by the desire to collect a "road tax" from the Russians, was suppressed. *1974: First university established in Rasht. Rasht was first mentioned in

historical documents in 682 CE, but it is certainly older than this and appears on the

Peutinger Map ' (Latin for "The Peutinger Map"), also referred to as Peutinger's Tabula or Peutinger Table, is an illustrated ' (ancient Roman road map) showing the layout of the ''cursus publicus'', the road network of the Roman Empire. The map is a 13th-cen ...

late antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

. It has seen the

Sassanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

era, the

Rashidun , image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png , caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs , birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia , known_for = Companions of t ...

conquest, the armies of

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

and later Russian rulers, and British colonialism. The people of Rasht also played a major role in the

Constitutional Revolution of Iran The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...

. The name Rasht comes most plausibly from the verb , weaving. Rasht has, along with regions around Tabriz and Tehran, one of the earliest industry plants during the last quarter of the 19th century, prominently in fields such as fishing, caviar production, the Caspian sea oil pipeline construction and textiles. During the 20th century, until the mid-70s, Gilan and the Rasht region was the third-ranking industrial city in Iran by number of workers and per capital productivity. It lost its cultural and industrial status to a large extent after the 1970s. The people of Rasht played a prominent role in instigation and radicalization of the

Persian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...

(1905–1907). Rasht is the birthplace of

Mīrzā Kūchak Khān Mirza Kuchik Khan ( fa, میرزا كوچک خان) (common alternative spellings ''Kouchek'', ''Koochek'', ''Kuchak'', ''Kuchek'', ''Kouchak'', ''Koochak'', ''Kuçek'') (October 12, 1880 – December 2, 1921) was an Iranian twentieth-century ...

, one of the leading figures of the Constitutional Revolution. His own movement in Gilan, which went by the name of Jangalis, represented a pro-modern and social democratic program for reformation of Muslim rituals and traditions. Mirza established the short-lived

Persian Socialist Soviet Republic The Persian Socialist Soviet Republic ( fa, ), also known as the Soviet Republic of Iran or Socialist Soviet Republic of Gilan, was a short-lived unrecognized state, a Soviet republic in the Iranian province of Gilan that lasted from June 1920 ...

in 1920 after the defeat of the constitutional forces and in coalition with Iranian communists. The republic had the support of the newly established Russian Red Army. The Soviet Government, after a turn of military and political strategy proposed by Trotsky, withdrew its support and the republic itself was tormented by the inner conflicts between the newly established

Iranian Communist Party The Communist Party of Iran (CPI; fa, حزب کمونیست ایران) is an Iranian communist party founded on 2 September 1983. It has an armed wing and its membership is predominantly Kurdish. The CPI is active throughout the industrialis ...

(1919) and the Jangalis and other factions. The republic was finally defeated by the Iranian army under the command of Reza Shah. The first national library of Iran was established in Rasht under 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 peoples ...

. Furthermore, Nasim e Shomal as the first modern newspaper of Iran after the constitutional revolution has been published in Rasht, but later moved its headquarters to

Qazvin Qazvin (; fa, قزوین, , also Romanized as ''Qazvīn'', ''Qazwin'', ''Kazvin'', ''Kasvin'', ''Caspin'', ''Casbin'', ''Casbeen'', or ''Ghazvin'') is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran. Qazvin was a capital of the ...

. First Public Library of Iran was built in Rasht City.
/small> First Branch of the First Iranian Bank (Sepah Bank) was located in Rasht Cit

First branch of 24/7 pharmacy (Karoon pharmacy) was built in Rasht City. First school for girls and first fire station in Iran were also built in Rasht City. The city of Rasht was the center of Gilan and the center of the first province of the country. During the

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

period, along with economic development between Iran and Russia, Noghan trade and other products expanded. Thus, Rasht became the gateway to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

in the 19th century. Gregory Valeriano Vich Melgunov, a Russian traveler who traveled to Rasht in 1275 AH, wrote in his memoirs that the city at that time had 546 houses, 1021 shops and a population of 27,314. At that time, Rasht's political credibility was such that the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

, and Ottoman governments had consulates in Rasht.

Modern day

Rasht is turning into an industrialized town like most of the Iranian large cities and province capitals. Enjoying the Kadus International Hotel and hundreds of tourist attractions, Rasht receives thousands of foreign tourists annually, mostly from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

countries like

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

and

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

as well as countries from

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

. Rasht is known for its famous municipal building, located in the Square of Municipality, which was constructed circa 1900, and has been renovated each year. Due to the high amount of humidity in Rasht which damages and destroys the aged buildings, the native, older architectural texture of Rasht is gradually being replaced with the modern skyscrapers and apartments. The culture of

consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. With the Industrial Revolution, but particularly in the 20th century, mass production led to overproduction—the supp ...

is prevalent among the people of Rasht as a cultural and urban center which is historically engaged in close commercial and political ties with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

. Due to this background which makes the inhabitants much familiar with the industrial, cultural and political developments of the west, the finance and credit institutions are more willing to open representative offices and bureaus in Rasht and it has made the city a center of various banks and financial organizations. There are many commercial centers, malls and financial institutions in Rasht including one branch of the Exports Development Bank of Iran which is an international bank dealing with the Iranian exports. The organizers and directors of national Iranian or non-Iranian banks afford to spend considerable amounts of budgets to construct attractive and modern buildings for their offices in Rasht. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran, there have always been requests on behalf of Russian, Turkish and

Azeri Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic people living mainly in Azerbaijan (Iran), northwestern Iran and the Azerbaijan, Republi ...

banks to open branches in Rasht and that is why the city is endowed as the "gate of Europe" in Iran. The head consulate of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

government is located in Rasht and some of the other

Caspian region 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 ...

countries are also keen to establish representative headquarters in Rasht alongside their embassies in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

. Some evidences are the

University of Gilan The University of Guilan ( fa, دانشگاه گیلان, ''Danushgah-e Gilân'') is an institute of higher education and graduate studies in Rasht, a large city in the province of Guilan, in Northern Iran, bordering the Caspian Sea. It has near ...

which was constructed jointly by the governments of

and

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

about 40 years ago, the building of

IRIB The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; fa, صدا و سيمای جمهوری اسلامی ايران, ''Sedā va Sīmā-ye Jomhūri-ye Eslāmi-ye Īrān'', , formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian rev ...

representatives in Rasht which was constructed jointly by the Iranian and

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

engineers. File:Kolah Farangi in Rasht.jpg, Bigler-Beigi Pavilion, from

File:Mohtasham park in Rasht.jpg, Mohtasham Park in Rasht File:Municipal Square.jpg, Rasht Municipality File:Rasht Saravan park.jpg, Rasht Saravan Park File:Governor building of Guilan in Rasht.JPG, Governor Building of Guilan in Rasht

First of Iran

* The first branch of

Bank Sepah Bank Sepah ( fa, بانک سپه, ''Bānke Sepah''), the first Iranian bank, was established in 1925 (corresponding to 1304 in the Iranian Calendar). Its first branch, in Tehran, opened that year. The bank also has branches in Frankfurt, Paris an ...

and first Bank of Iran was established in Rasht in 1925 * The first girls' school in Iran was established in Rasht * The first day & night pharmacy in Iran was established in Rasht * The first sanatorium for the elderly and disabled in Iran was established in Rasht * The first National Library of Iran was established in Rasht in 1920 * The first bus Iran arrived in Rasht * The first city in which the sewage system was established * The first city in which the

, French and Ottoman governments opened their consulates and had political representatives. * The first silk factory in Iran * The first national hospital in Iran named Poursina Hospital * The first classical theater in Iran

Climate

Rasht 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''). The climate is one of the wettest in Iran, with warm summers and cool winters, sometimes with snow. The average humidity is 81.2%, contrasting heavily with cities in many other parts of Iran. Sunshine hours, averaging roughly 1,520 per year, are lower than in most places in Iran and also compared to most places at this latitude. Rasht is also known as "The City of Rain".

Demography

The city of Rasht is the most populated city in the north of the country and one of the metropolises of Iran. According to the census results of 2010, the population of Rasht is 639,951 people, and the population of Rasht city is 918,445 people. According to the official census in 2015, its resident population was 956,971 people. The daily constant floating population The city of Rasht as the mother city of Gilan province has over 1,200,000 people.The population of this city is over two million people during holidays and tourist months of the year.

Language

People of Rasht are mostly Gilaks (98/2%) and they speak Rashti variety of

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

Gilaki language.

Culture

People of Rasht spend much on arts, food, and clothes. They spend the leisure times going to cinemas, art exhibitions, music concerts and international book fairs that are being held in the city most of times in a year. Also the municipality kicks off sports, cultural or IT-related competitions to involve the youth in healthy and constructive activities. The most beloved competition is the annual

blogging A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

competition which awards the top young bloggers each year. Rasht has been playing a major role in Iranian history. It was Iran's gateway to Russia and Europe; therefore it was influenced by western architecture. Iran's first public library was built here and it was the first city in Iran where girls were allowed to go to school. Iranian cities of Isfahan and Rasht were accepted to the

Creative Cities Network The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a project of UNESCO launched in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities which recognized creativity as a major factor in their urban development.Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

is registered because of its creative crafts and folk art; and Rasht because of its unique gastronomy. Rasht embroidery is a handicraft and art specific to the city and Gilan province. On 4 January 2015, Rasht was selected as the political center of Gilan more than 4,500 years ago. The date 4 January was then included in the official calendar of the country as Rasht Day.

Historical and natural attractions

*Municipal Complex *Iran Hotel *Post Building *National Library *Tomb of Mirza Kuchak Khan *Mirza Kuchak Khaan House *Safi Mosque *Kolah Farangi Mansion *Sabzeh Meydan Park *Gilan Rural Heritage Museum *Saravan Forest Park *Gilan Rural Heritage Museum *Rasht Museum of Anthropology *Avanesian House *Rasht Grand Market * Hajj Samad Khan Mosque *Haj Samiee Mosque *Badyollah Mosque *Qadiri House of Rasht *Mirza Khalil House *Governor's Building *Mohtasham Garden *Mafakher Park *Emamzadeh Hashem *Imamzadeh Ismail and Abbas *Mellat Park *Eynak Lagoon *Keshavarz Park *Meshkat Park *Towhid Park *Golshan Mosque *Kase Forushan Mosque *Zargaran Mosque *Abrishamchi House *Ashkouri House *Seyyed Ali Moghimi House *Mohtasham Caravanserai *Haji Bath *Ebrahim Pourdavoud Tomb *Chomarsara Clay Bridge *Gishe Damerdeh Bridge *Gurab-e Lishavandan *Tomb of Imam's sister *Imamzadeh Bibi Zeynab *Tomb Tower Danaye Ali *Siah Estalakh Village *Lat Carvansary *Shahid Beheshti High School *Ghasr-e Bazi Rasht *Mahan Bird's Garden File:The historical building of post office.jpg, The Historical Building of Post office File:خانه میرزا کوچک خان 06.jpg, Mirza Kuchik Khan House File:مسجد حاج صمد خان رشت.jpg, Hajj Samad Khan Mosque File:ایوان خانه آوانسیان که در حال تخریب است.jpg, Avanesian House File:Assyrian Church in Rasht1.jpg,

Assyrian Church Assyrian Church may refer to: * Chaldean Catholic Church, an Eastern Christian church founded by and composed of ethnic Assyrians entered into communion with Rome. * Assyrian Church of the East, an Eastern Christian church. * Ancient Church of the ...

File:Mellat park at night - panoramio.jpg, Mellat Park at Night

Cuisine

The dominant foods of Rasht people are various types of fish.

Mirza Ghassemi Mirza ghassemi or mirza qassemi (Persian: میرزا قاسمی) is an Iranian appetizer or main based on tandoori or grilled aubergine (eggplant), distinct to the Northern Iran and Caspian Sea region (specifically Gilan province). It is known a ...

, vavishka (a type of

haggis Haggis ( gd, taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an a ...

), nargesi, baghala ghatogh, and ashpal (roe) are some other popular local dishes. Reshteh khoshkar is a well-known sweet. Zeitoun Parvardeh is a kind of delicacy prepared from olives and pomegranates; it is a popular seasoning in the city.

Sports

The people of Rasht have always been regular fans of football which is the beloved sport in the city. Most are fans of

Damash Gilan Sport Club Damash Gilan ( fa, باشگاه ورزشی داماش گیلان, ''Bashgah-e Vârzeshi-ye Damash Gilân''), commonly known as Damash Gilan, also spelled Damash Guilan, is an Iranian football club based in Rasht, Gilan, that competes ...

who play in the Azadegan League or Sepidrood Rasht who play in the

Persian Gulf Pro League The Persian Gulf Pro League ( fa, لیگ برتر خلیج فارس, ''Lig-e Bartar-e Xalij-e Fârs''), formerly known as the Iran Pro League ( fa, links=no, لیگ برتر ایران, ''Lig-e bartar-e Irân''), is the highest division of profe ...

is the newer version of former Pegah football club that belonged to the municipality of Rasht, but was purchased later by the mineral water factory of Damash and changed its name and properties to Damash Gilan. The home stadium of Damash Gilan is Dr. Azodi Stadium which is an old stadium dating back to almost 40 years ago and its capacity is 11,000 people. Sardar Jangal Stadium is the cities second stadium. Sardar Jangal Stadium of Rasht

Following football,

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

and

weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; promo ...

are the most popular sports of youth in Rasht and that is due to the enchanting appearance of Iranian wrestlers and weightlifters in the international competitions like

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

. The outstanding figure of world weightlifting and the two-time olympics Gold medal winner

Hossein Rezazadeh Hossein Rezazadeh ( fa, حسین رضازاده, born 12 May 1978) is an Iranian politician and retired weightlifter. Rezazadeh is a two-time Olympic champion, four-time World Weightlifting champion, and five-time Asian champion. Rezazadeh has w ...

is a main inspirer of Rasht youth to try

Weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; promo ...

as their professional job. Asghar Ebrahimi who was the squad captain of Iranian weightlifting team at the 2008 Olympics is from Rasht and a successful example of those youth from Rasht who tried this national field of sport after

Pharmaceutical industry

At present, Rasht has a Faculty of Pharmacy under the auspices of

Gilan University of Medical Sciences Gilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS), is a medical school in Gilan Province of Iran. Located in the city of Rasht, the university fell under the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 1986, two years after it was established. The u ...

and several drug production centers, one of which is a center for the production of anti-cancer nano-drugs with 24 pens. Sobhan Daroo Co. is one of the most successful pharmaceutical companies in Iran. And with more than 100 production licenses, it is currently the second largest producer in the country in terms of production volume. Sobhan Oncology Pharmaceutical Company is one of the most modern and advanced production units of anti-cancer and chemotherapy products in the world.

Colleges and universities

Gilan university of medical sciences Gilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS), is a medical school in Gilan Province of Iran. Located in the city of Rasht, the university fell under the Ministry of Health and Medical Education in 1986, two years after it was established. The u ...

* Islamic Azad University of Rasht * Jaber ebn Hayyan Institute of Higher Education *

Payame Noor University Payame Noor University (PNU; Persian: Dāneŝgāhe Payāme Nur) is a large public university in Iran, with its headquarters in Tehran. Established in 1988, is a legal body under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. ''Payame Noor'' ...

* Institute of Higher Education for Academic Jihad of Rasht * Guilan Technical & Vocational Training Organization * Gilan Advanced Skills Training Center * Rasht Technical and Vocational Institute * Guilan University of Applied and Scientific Technology

Economy

This city is greatly important based on its geographical situation (locating on the central plain and its large width, fertile lands and soil, being the most important region of the province and Iran in terms of rice cultivation), communicative situation (locating among Tehran–Qazvin-Anzali-Astara roads, in one hand, and the main road from Gilan to Mazandaran and the east of Gilan, on the other hand), political–administrative situation (situating as the capital city of Gilan province) and economic development, towns expansion and industrial factories and the following increase in the agricultural-commercial activities and in the number of science and technology centers. The most residents of this city are active in service, trading and industrial jobs and paddy is the main activities of the villagers in this region. Rasht has long been one of the most prominent customs cities in Iran. This city used to be the only communication and trade route of Iran to Europe through the Anzali port. From the time of Shah Abbas II until the end of the Qajar rule, the city of Rasht was a large commercial center, and caravans stopped in this city to buy silk and sell their goods from In this way, they were sent to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea. The presence of the Russian Consulate and then the British Consulate in Rasht caused the economic and social prosperity of this city, and there was a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a broker, a Russian consul, a French deputy consul, and a British deputy consul in this city, and apart from The ruler of Rasht, the agent of foreign affairs was also stationed in Rasht on behalf of the central government. During this period, Tomanians Russian Borrowing Bank and Trading House were active in Rasht consecutively. At the same time, Rasht's foreign trade developed and most Rashtites became millionaires, and Rasht became an aristocratic city during the Qajar period. The city is served by Refah Chain Stores Co.,

Iran Hyper Star Iran Hyper Star is an Iranian subsidiary of French multinational retailer Carrefour in Iran History Iran HyperStar Was Founded By Majid Al Futtaim And Carrefour. Branches Iran Hyperstar Currently has Fifteen branches in Tehran, Shiraz, Is ...

, Isfahan City Center, Shahrvand Chain Stores Inc., Ofoq Kourosh chain store.

Transportation

Taxi

In 1947, 50 taxis were purchased from England by the order of

Fakhr-ol-dowleh Princess Ashraf al-Muluk (1883–1955), titled Fakhr-ol-Dowleh (meaning ''pride of the state''), was one of the most prominent daughters of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty, who had a reputably strong character, to the point that s ...

(daughter of Muzaffar al-Din Shah) and imported to Iran. In 1948, the first taxi entered Rasht by crossing the main street of the city due to his interest in Gilan. Rasht Metropolitan Taxi Organization has so far organized more than 9,500 taxis and private cars.

Railway

Rasht is served by Rasht railway station. There are daily train departures from Tehran to Rasht, leave Tehran at 07:45 and arrive Rasht in 13:10. The non-reduced ticket price costs 430,000 Rials (2 euros 50 cents in May 2019) and can be bought either online from the Iranian railway website or in travel agencies. The railway passes through Alborz mountains and then Sefidrood river valley and stops in

Karaj Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital of Alborz Province, Iran, and effectively a satellite city of Tehran. Although the county hosts a population around 1.97 million, as recorded in the 2016 census, most of the county is rugged mountain. The urb ...

and

on its way to Rasht.

International airport

The Rasht International airport is the only airport in the small province of Gilan and was established in 1969 with an approximate area of 220 hectares. At first, the airport just handled domestic flights to

and

Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...

, but after it was renamed to Sardar Jangal International airport in 2007, additional routes were established. The airport is in close affiliation with hundreds of flights by national and international airlines, including

Mahan Air Mahan Airlines, operating under the name Mahan Air ( fa, هواپیمایی ماهان, Havâpeymâyi-ye Mâhân), is a privately owned Iranian airline based in Tehran, Iran. It operates scheduled domestic services and international flights to ...

Iran Air The National Airline of Iran ( fa, هواپیمايی ملی ایران, Havâpeymâyi-ye Melli-ye Irân), branded as Iran Air, is the flag carrier of Iran, which is headquartered at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. As of 2018, it operates scheduled ...

, Iran Aseman Airlines,

Kish Air Kish Airlines ( fa, هواپیمایی کیش, ''Havāpeymāyi-e Kish'') is an airline operating from Kish Island, Iran. It operates international, domestic and charter services as a scheduled carrier. Its main bases are Kish International Airpo ...

and receives more than 2000 flights annually. File:Rasht airport interior, Iran.jpg, Rasht Airport File:Rasht Rs.jpg, Rasht Railway Station File:Rasht Gil Sq terminal.JPG, Terminal Rasht

Streets and boulevards

* Golsar Street * Imam Ali Boulevard * Shahid Chamran Boulevard * Ayatollah Taleghani Boulevard * Resalat Street * Shohaday-e Gomnam Boulevard * Ostadsara Street * Esteghamat Street * Deylaman Boulevard * Moallem Boulevard * Imam Khomeini Boulevard * Valiasr Street * Enghelab Street * Azadi Street * Azadegan Boulevard * Shahid Ansari Street * Farhang Street * Parastar Boulevard * Bastani Shoaar Street * Afakhra Street * Pasdaran Street * 22 Bahman Boulevard * Alamolhoda Street * Saadi Street * Tohid Street * Navab Street * Gilan Boulevard * Gholipour Boulevard * Habibzadeh Boulevard * Ansari Boulevard * Suleman Darab Boulevard * Takhti Street * Bisotun Street File:Golsar street Rasht.jpg, Golsar Street File:Rasht 2013 (18) (15065756872).jpg, Golsar Street File:Rasht gilan bolvar.jpg, Gilan Street File:Rasht Ansari street in night.jpg, Ansari Street

Rose de Rescht

''Rosa'' 'de Rescht', like many old garden roses, presents an interesting historical background story. This cultivar, originating in Iran, was reported at the end of 19th century in England, but it was then forgotten. It was rediscovered near the Iranian provincial capital of Rascht by Miss

Nancy Lindsay Norah Mary Madeleine Lindsay (née Bourke) (26 April 1873 – 20 June 1948) was a socialite garden designer who between the World wars became a major influence on garden design and planting in the United Kingdom and on the Continent. Biography ...

in 1945, and was brought back to the United Kingdom, where it was re-introduced around 1950. Today it is shown in the Victorian Class, winning many trophies.

Notable people

Hushang Ebtehaj Amir Hushang Ebtehaj ( fa, امیر هوشنگ ابتهاج; 25 February 1928 – 10 August 2022), also known by his pen name H. E. Sayeh ( fa, ه.ا.سایه, lit. ''Shadow''), was an Iranian poet of the 20th century, whose life and work span ...

The intellectual poet of 20th century in Iran *

Hossein Sami'i Mirza Hossein Khan Sami'i ( fa, حسین سمیعی) also known by his court title of Adib al Saltaneh( fa, ادیب السلطنه) (1876 – 5 February 1954) was an Iranian writer, poet, diplomat and politician who had shifted in many positions ...

(1876 – 1953) Iranian writer, poet, diplomat and politician *

Mirza Kuchik Khan Mirza Kuchik Khan ( fa, میرزا كوچک خان) (common alternative spellings ''Kouchek'', ''Koochek'', ''Kuchak'', ''Kuchek'', ''Kouchak'', ''Koochak'', ''Kuçek'') (October 12, 1880 – December 2, 1921) was an Iranian twentieth-century ...

One of the martyrs of freedom in Iran * Aydin Aghdashloo (1940) Iranian painter, graphist and art curator *

Reza Baluchi Reza Ray Baluchi (born 1972) is an Iranian athlete and activist living in the United States. He has several times attempted to travel long distances off the East Coast of the United States in a self-propelled water craft resembling a hamster bal ...

(Born 1972) athlete *

Mahmoud Behzad Professor Mahmoud Behzad ( fa, محمود بهزاد, b. 1913 - d. 2007), born in Rasht, the capital city of Gilan province, is known as the father of modern biology in Iran. He wrote more than 100 books in Persian and participated in the author ...

The father of modern biology of Iran *

Mir Abdolrez Daryabeigi Abdolrez Daryabeigi (January 30, 1930 – November 1, 2012), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian artist, Art dealer, gallerist, and an innovator of Iranian modern art. He was active in Tehran and Paris. Biography Daryabeigi was born in Rasht in no ...

Painter *

Mohammad Bagher Nobakht Mohammad Bagher Nobakht Haghighi ( fa, محمد باقر نوبخت حقیقی; born 13 December 1950 in Rasht, Iran) is an Iranian politician and economist. He was Hassan Rouhani's advisor for Supervision and Strategic Affairs and also was the ...

Iranian politician and economist *

Fathollah Khan Akbar Fathollah Khan Akbar ( Persian: فتح الله خان اکبر) was an Iranian Prime Minister. He was Minister of Justice in several Iranian Cabinets. He was a representative of Iranian Parliament from Ahwaz. He was the 17th Prime Minister of Iran ...

Iranian Prime Minister * Amir Eftekhari Footballer * Khosrow Golsorkhi Journalist, poet, and communist activist *

Hadi Jelveh Hadi Jelveh, (French: Hadi Djelveh, Persian: هادی جلوه; ɒ'di dʒel'vehː 21 March 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Iranian-born Supreme Court judge. Early life He was born in Rasht in the province of Guilan, Iran in 1919 (or 1298 Sol ...

Associate Justice of the Iran Supreme Court *

Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek Alexander Kasimovich Kazembek (russian: Алекса́ндр Каси́мович Казембе́к or ; Azerbaijani: ''Aleksandr Kazımbəy'' or ''Mirzə Kazım-bəy''; Persian: میرزا کاظم بیگ ''Mirzâ Kâzem Beg'') (22 July 1802 � ...

Orientalist, historian and philologist * Mohammad Khatam Iranian air force commander and advisor to the Shah *

Hamideh Kheirabadi Hamideh Kheirabadi ( fa, حمیده خیرآبادی; 21 December 1924 – 19 April 2010) was an Iranian film and theatre actress. She played in more than 200 feature films and in over 20 television series. In Iran, she is affectionately ref ...

Former Actress *

Arsen Minasian Arsen Minasian ( fa, آرسن میناسیان ; hy, Արսէն Մինասյան; 1906–1977) was an Armenian-Iranian philanthropist, pharmacologist, scientist, and inventor who was born in Rasht, Iran. He was the founder of Gilan's sanatorium ...

The Armenian founder of the first modern sanatorium in Iran * Mohammad Moein Linguistics and literature researcher * Ardeshir Mohassess Cartoonist *

Youcef Nadarkhani Youcef Nadarkhani (born 1977) is an Iranian Christian pastor who was sentenced to death (but later acquitted) in Tehran as being a Christian having been born into Islam. Initial reports, including a 2010 brief from the Iranian Supreme court, st ...

Christian pastor sentenced to death for apostasy from Islam *

Mahmoud Namjoo Mahmoud Namjoo ( fa, محمود نامجو, September 22, 1918 – January 21, 1989) was an Iranian bantamweight weightlifter Olympic weightlifting, or Olympic-style weightlifting (officially named Weightlifting), is a sport in which athletes c ...

The world's weightlifting champion * Ardeshir Ovanessian Communist leader * Mohammad Nouri Singer *

Kazim Rashti Sayyid Kāẓim bin Qāsim al-Ḥusaynī ar-Rashtī (1793–1843) ( ar, سيد كاظم بن قاسم الحسيني الرﺷتي), mostly known as Siyyid Kázim Rashtí ( fa, سید کاظم رشتی), was the son of Siyyid Qasim of Rasht, a to ...

He was a Shaykhi scholar *

Ebrahim Poordavood Ibrahim (also spelled Ibraheem) ( ar, إبراهيم, ) is the Arabic name of the prophet and patriarch Abraham and one of Allah's messengers in the Quran. It is a common first name and surname among Muslims and Arab Christians, a cognate of th ...

Academic * Dariush Ramezani Cartoonist *

Fazlollah Reza Fazlollah Reza ( fa, فضل‌الله رضا) (January 1, 1915 – November 19, 2019) was an Iranian university professor. Career Reza graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Tehran in 1938, receiving a bachelor's degree ...

Former Iran's ambassador to

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

and former manager of

Sharif University Sharif University of Technology (SUT; fa, دانشگاه صنعتی شریف) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered as the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology, engineering, ...

Anoushiravan Rohani Anoushiravan Rohani ( fa, انوشیروان روحانی; born July 24, 1939), also spelled Anooshiravan Rowhani, is an Iranian pianist and composer. He is known for composing and conducting contemporary classical music, as well as pop music w ...

Musician *

Massoumeh Seyhoun Massumeh Noushin Seyhoun ( fa, معصومه سیحون; née Monir Noushin; 1934–21 May, 2010) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian painter, curator, and Art dealer, gallerist. She was the founder (1966) of Seyhoun Gallery, Tehran, the longest-lived a ...

Painter * Sadeq Saba Head of

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...