Gorgan

Gorgan
Gorgan
گرگان
Gorgan is located in Iran
Gorgan
Coordinates: 36°50′19″N 54°26′05″E / 36.83861°N 54.43472°E / 36.83861; 54.43472Coordinates: 36°50′19″N 54°26′05″E / 36.83861°N 54.43472°E / 36.83861; 54.43472
Country  Iran
Province Golestan
County Gorgan
Bakhsh Central
Government
 - Governor of Gorgan Jaafar Gorzin
Area[citation needed]
 - Total 1,700 km2 (656 sq mi)
Elevation 1,350 m (4,429 ft)
Population (2006)
 - Total 269,226
 - Density 158.4/km2 (410.4/sq mi)
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
 - Summer (DST) IDST (UTC+4:30)
Gorgan at GEOnet Names Server

Gorgan (Persian: گرگان, also Romanized as Gorgān and Gūrgān; Caspian: Vergen; formerly, Astarabad (Persian: اَستِر آباد, also Romanized as Asterābād),[1] is the capital of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies approximately 400 km (250 mi) to the north east of Tehran, some 30 km (19 mi) away from the Caspian Sea. At the 2006 census, its population was 269,226, in 73,702 families.[2]

Some 150 km (93 mi) east of Gorgan is the Golestan National Park. The city has a regional airport and several universities. Gorgan Airport was opened in September 2005.

Contents

Etymology

The city was named Hyrcania, Hyrcani or Hyrcana in ancient Greek records, which comes from Pahlavi Varkâna -- "Land of the Wolves". Although modern Gorgan is only a city and county (sharing the same name), ancient Hyrcania was the name of a greater region on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (encompassing all of the present day Golestan province, as well as some eastern parts of the Mazandaran province, and some southern parts of the present day Republic of Turkmenistan). In modern times and until 1937 the city used to be known as Astarabad.

Geography and climate

Farms, East of Gorgan

The wide Dasht-e-Gorgan (Plains of Gorgan) are located north of the city and geographically bounded by 37°00' - 37°30' north latitude and 54°00' - 54°30' east longitude, covering an area of about 1,700 square kilometres (660 sq mi).

In general, Golestan has a moderate and humid climate known as "the moderate Caspian climate." The effective factors behind such a climate are: Alborz mountain range, direction of the mountains, height of the area, neighborhood to the sea, vegetation surface, local winds, altitude and weather fronts. As a result of the above factors, three different climates exist in the region: plain moderate, mountainous, and semi-arid. Gorgan valley has a semi-arid climate. The average annual temperature is 18.2 °C (64.8 °F) and the annual rainfall is 556 millimetres (21.9 in).

History

Gorgan Ceramic
Gorgan Ceramic in Tabriz Museum

The name Hyrcania is the ancient Greek equivalent of the local name in Old Persian, Varkâna. The Sanskrit word for "wolf", Vŗka (वृक) may be a cognate. The capital of Hyrcania was Zadracarta, the largest city and site of the "royal palace" of Hyrcania, probably located at the great mound of Qalʿa-ye Ḵandān, on the western fringe of present-day Gorgān city.[3] At the time of the Sassanids, Gorgan appeared as the name of a city, province capital, and province.[4]

Hyrcania became part of the Persian empire during the reign of Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC) - the first emperor the first Persian empire dynasty - or Cambyses (530-522 BC). It maintained its independence as a Zoroastrian state even after Persia was conquered by Arabs in 8th century and by Mongols in the 13th century.

Culture

Gorgan (as well as the whole Golestan province) has a world-famous carpet and rug industry, made by Turkmen. The patterns of these carpets are derived from the ancient Persian city of Bukhara, which is now in Uzbekistan. Jajim carpets are also crafted in this province.

Notables people

Entertainment locations

  • Nahar khoran Forest
  • Alangdare Forest
  • Ziarat Village
  • Hzarpych Hill
  • Emadyh School
  • Srkhnklath Hill
  • Ismail Shrine Srkhnklath
  • Qajar era underground bathroom Srkhnklath

Contemporary figures

  • Mohammad Reza Lotfi, musician.
  • Nader Ebrahimi, author, poet, director, and researcher.
  • Maryam Zandi, photographer.
  • Elaheh Yadegar, Chief of Special and Project Studies, California Department of Transportation, District 7.
  • Abdol Ghayoom Ebrahimi (b. 1932), retired professor of Agricultural & Natural Resources University.
  • Keyan Rafiee, Founder of Human Right Activist in Iran HRA-Iran.org

Historical figures

Colleges and universities

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ Gorgan can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3064853" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  2. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/27.xls. 
  3. ^ Encyclopaedia Iranica, GORGĀN
  4. ^ Bivar, A.D.H. "Gorgan" Encyclopædia Iranica [www.iranicaonline.org online]
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ KZ-Today September 11, 2006

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gorgan — Gorgan …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • gorgan — GORGÁN, gorgane, s.n. Movilă înălţată deasupra unui mormânt străvechi. – cf. rus. k u r g a n. Trimis de gall, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  gorgán s. n., pl. gorgáne Trimis de siveco, 10.08.2004. Sursa: Dicţionar ortografic  GORGÁN gorgane …   Dicționar Român

  • GORGAN — GORG N ou GURG Ancienne Hyrcanie (littéralement: pays des loups) actuellement rattachée à la province iranienne du Mazandéran (ou M zandar n), le Gorg n (Djurdj n chez les géographes arabes), région autrefois prospère, a terriblement souffert des …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gorgan — Coordenadas: 36°50′N 54°29′E / 36.833, 54.483 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gorgan — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Gourgan (homonymie). 36° 50′ N 54° 26′ E / …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gorgān — ▪ Iran also spelled  Gurgān , formerly  Asterābad        town, north central, Iran. It is situated along a small tributary of the Qareh River, 23 miles (37 km) from the Caspian Sea. The town, in existence since Achaemenian times, long suffered… …   Universalium

  • Gorgan — Gorgạn,   früher Astrabạd, Asterabạd, Stadt in Nordostiran, in Masenderan, etwa 40 km von der Südostküste des Kaspischen Meeres entfernt, 162 500 Einwohner; Endpunkt der transiranischen Eisenbahn; Mittelpunkt einer Agrarregion.   Geschichte:   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Gorgan — Original name in latin Gorgn Name in other language Asterabad, Asterbd, Girkanija, Gorgan, Gorgn, Gurgan, Gurgon, Grgn, Hirkanio, aastir abad, grgan, gwrgan, Гиркания, Гургон State code IR Continent/City Asia/Tehran longitude 36.84165 latitude 54 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Gorgan County — شهرستان گرگان   County   Coordinates …   Wikipedia

  • Gorgan University — of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources دانشگاه علوم كشاورزي و منابع طبيعي گرگان Established 1957 Type Public President Ramin Rahmani Academic staff 120 …   Wikipedia

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