A Paradise, Gilan North of Iran

Compiled By: Firouzeh Mirrazavi
Deputy Editor of Iran Review

Gilan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin. The northern part of the province is part of territory of South (Iranian) Talesh. At the center of the province is the main city of Rasht. Other towns in the province include Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Fuman, Lahijan, Langrud, Masooleh, Manjil, Rudbar, Roudsar, Shaft, Talesh, and Soumahe Sara.

The main harbor port of the province is Bandar-e Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi).

The first recorded encounter between Gilak and Deylamite warlords and invading Muslim Arab armies was at the Battle of Jalula in 637 AD. Deylamite commander Muta led an army of Gils, Deylamites, Azerbaijanis and people of the Rey region. Muta was killed in the battle and his defeated army managed to retreat in an orderly manner.

However, this victory appears to have been a Pyrrhic victory for the Arabs, since they did not pursue their opponents. Muslim Arabs never managed to conquer Gilan. Gilaks and Deylamites successfully repulsed all Arab attempts to occupy their land or to convert them to Islam. In fact, it was the Deylamites under the Buyid king Mu'izz al-Dawlah who finally shifted the power by conquering Baghdad in 945. Mu'izz al-Dawlah however allowed the Abbasid caliphs to remain in comfortable but secluded captivity in their palaces.

In the 9th and 10th centuries AD, Deylamites and later Gilaks gradually converted to Zaidite Shi'ism. It is worth noting that several Deylamite commanders and soldiers of fortune who were active in the military theatres of Iran and Mesopotamia were openly Zoroastrian (for example, Asfar Shiruyeh a warlord in central Iran, and Makan, son of Kaki, the warlord of Rey) or were suspected of harboring pro-Zoroastrian (for example Mardavij) sentiments. Muslim chronicles of Varangian (Rus, pre-Russian Norsemen) invasions of the littoral Caspian region in the 9th century record Deylamites as non-Muslim.

These chronicles also show that the Deylamites were the only warriors in the Caspian region who could fight the fearsome Varangian vikings as equals. Deylamite infantrymen actually had a role very similar to the Swiss Reisläufer of the Late Middle Ages in Europe. Deylamite mercenaries served as far as Egypt, Islamic Spain, and in the Khazar Kingdom.

Buyids established the most successful of the Deylamite dynasties of Iran.

The Turkish invasions of the 10th and 11th centuries CE, which saw the rise of Ghaznavid and Seljuq dynasties, put an end to Deylamite states in Iran. From the 11th century CE to the rise of Safavids, Gilan was ruled by local rulers who paid tribute to the dominant power south of the Alborz range, but ruled independently.

Before the introduction of silk production to this region (date unknown, but definitely a pillar of the economy by the 15th century AD), Gilan was a poor province. There were no permanent trade routes linking Gilan to Persia. There was a small trade in smoked fish and wood products. It seems that the city of Qazvin was initially a fortress-town against marauding bands of Deylamites, another sign that the economy of the province did not produce enough on its own to support its population. This changed, however, with the introduction of the silk worm in the late Middle Ages.

Gilan recognized twice, for brief periods of time, the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire without actually rendering tribute to the Sublime Porte, in 1534 and 1591.

The Safavid emperor, Shah Abbas I ended the rule of Kia Ahmad Khan, the last semi-independent ruler of Gilan, and annexed the province directly to his empire. From this point in history onward, rulers of Gilan were appointed by the Persian Shah.

The Safavid empire became weak towards the end of the 17th century CE. By the early 18th century, the once mighty Safavid empire was in the grips of civil war. Peter I of Russia (Peter the Great) sent an expeditionary force that occupied Gilan for a year (1722–1723).

Qajars established a central government in Persia (Iran) in late 18th century CE. They lost a series of wars to Russia (Russo-Persian Wars 1804-1813 and 1826-28), resulting in an enormous gain of influence by the Russian Empire in the Caspian region. The Gilanian cities of Rasht and Anzali were all but occupied by the Russian forces. Anzali served as the main trading port between Iran and Europe.

Gilan was a major producer of silk beginning in 15th century CE. As a result, it was one of the wealthiest provinces in Iran.

Safavid annexation in 16th century was at least partially motivated by this revenue stream. The silk trade, though not the production, was a monopoly of the Crown and the single most important source of trade revenue for the imperial treasury. As early as the 16th century and until the mid 19th century, Gilan was the major exporter of silk in Asia. The Shah farmed out this trade to Greek and Armenian merchants, and in return would receive a handsome portion of the proceeds.

In the mid 19th century, a widespread fatal epidemic among the silk worms paralyzed Gilan's economy, causing widespread economic distress. Gilan's budding industrialists and merchants were increasingly dissatisfied with the weak and ineffective rule of the Qajars. Re-orientation of Gilan's agriculture and industry from silk to production of rice and the introduction of tea plantations were a partial answer to the decline of silk in the province.

After World War I, Gilan came to be ruled independently of the central government of Tehran and concern arose that the province might permanently separate at some point. Prior to the war, Gilanis had played an important role in the Constitutional Revolution of Iran. Sepahdar-e Tonekaboni (Rashti) was a prominent figure in the early years of the revolution and was instrumental in defeating Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar.

In the late 1910s, many Gilakis gathered under the leadership of Mirza Kuchik Khan, who became the most prominent revolutionary leader in northern Iran in this period. Khan's movement, known as the Jangal movement of Gilan, had sent an armed brigade to Tehran which helped depose the Qajar ruler Mohammad Ali Shah. However, the revolution did not progress the way the constitutionalists had strived for, and Iran came to face much internal unrest and foreign intervention, particularly from the British and Russian Empires.

The Jangalis are glorified in Iranian history and effectively secured Gilan and Mazandaran against foreign invasions. However, in 1920 British forces invaded Bandar-e Anzali, while being pursued by the Bolsheviks. In the midst of this conflict between Britain and Russia, the Jangalis entered into an alliance with the Bolsheviks against the British. This culminated in the establishment of the Persian Socialist Soviet Republic (commonly known as the Socialist Republic of Gilan), which lasted from June 1920 until September 1921.

In February 1921 the Soviets withdrew their support for the Jangali government of Gilan, and signed the Soviet-Iranian Friendship Treaty with the central government of Tehran. The Jangalis continued to struggle against the central government until their final defeat in September 1921 when control of Gilan returned to Tehran.

Gilan has a humid temperate climate with plenty of annual rainfall. The city Rasht which is the center of the province is known internationally as the "City of Silver Rains" and within Iran as the "City of Rain". The Alborz range provides further diversity to the land in addition to the Caspian coasts.

The coastline is cooler and attracts large numbers of domestic and international tourists.

Despite of the abundant humidity, Gilan is known for its moderate, mild and Mediterranean-like climate.

Large parts of the province are mountainous, green and forested. The coastal plain along the Caspian Sea is similar to that of Mazandaran, mainly used for rice paddies.

In May 1990 large parts of the province were destroyed by a huge earthquake, in which about 45,000 people died. Abbas Kiarostami made his films Life, and Nothing More... and Through the Olive Trees based upon this event.

The majority of the population speaks Gilaki as their first language while many children, particularly in the cities, tend to use Standard Persian amongst themselves. Gilan has some Azerbaijani-speaking people in Astara and Manjil. The northern part of the province is inhabited by Talesh people. The Kurdish language is used by some Kurds who have moved from Arbil to the Amarlu region. The language of Rudbar is Tati. Gilanis call themselves gilamard, which is a combination of 'Gil' and 'Amard.'

Gilan's position on the Tehran-Baku trade route has established the cities of Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht as ranking amongst the most important commercial centers in Iran. As a result, the merchant and middle-classes comprise a significant percentage of the population.

The province has an annual average of 2 million tourists, mostly domestic. Although Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 211 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province, the main tourist attraction in Gilan is the small town of Masooleh in the hills south-east of Rasht. The town is built in a fashion not dissimilar to the Pueblo settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the next house above.

Gilan has a strong culinary tradition, from which several dishes have come to be adopted across Iran. This richness derives in part from the climate, which allows for a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts to be grown in the province. Seafood is a particularly strong component of Gilani (and Mazandarani) cuisine. Sturgeon, often smoked or served as kebab, and caviar are delicacies along the whole Caspian littoral. Other types of fish such as mahi sefid, kuli, kulmeh, Caspian salmon, mahi kapur and many others are consumed. Fish roe, or ashpal, is widely used in Gileki cuisine. Traditional Persian stews such as ghalieh mahi (fish stew) and ghalieh maygu (shrimp stew) are also featured and prepared in a uniquely Gilani fashion.

More specific to Gilan are a distinctive walnut-paste and pomegranate-juice sauce, used as a marinade for 'sour' kebab (Kabab Torsh) and as the basis of Fesenjān, a rich stew of duck, chicken or lamb. Mirza ghasemi is an aubergine and egg dish with a smoky taste that is often served as a side dish or appetizer. Other such dishes include pickled garlic, olives with walnut paste, and smoked fish. The caviar and smoked fish from the region are, in particular, widely prized and sought after specialities in both domestic and foreign gourmet markets. Gilan is a popular tourism destination.

The most famous handicrafts of the province are: wooden articles, hand woven textiles, carpets, jajeems (a type of loosely woven woolen material), Gelims (a coarse type of carpet), silk weaves, earthenware and wooden vessels, statues, felt articles, wicker work, bamboo products, crochet articles, cotton fabrics etc.

Music in Gilan, contrary to other parts of Iran, reveals to be of various types. This difference in particular can be noted in areas such as Talesh, Daylaman and Espily. In the Talesh region there are three basic kinds of melodies, i.e., "Qadim Dastan", "Talesh Dastan" and "Tazeh Dastan". In the province, melodies are usually related to the life style of the inhabitants and are inspired from subjects such as rustic life. Some of the rhymes are chanted along with the appropriate dances, whereas others are cordial. Lamentations that are colloquial are common, besides lullabies, love songs and nursery rhymes. The famous musical groups of Gilan are the Ashiq Gilan, Gil Ava, Saba and Sarang.

Villages

The most beautiful vicinities of Iran are found in northern Iran, and especially in Gilan Province. Coverage of green forests, diverse sources of water, local architecture, and cultural specifications are eye-catching; forming a basis for the development of tourism. Some of these rural attractions, known both internally and internationally are:

Harzavil Village, Roodbar- Manjil

The history of this village dates back to over a thousand years, and is situated near the city of Manjil. Nasser Khosrow, the famous Iranian poet had traveled to this village and had mentioned this vicinity in his travel accounts. There is an ancient cypress tree in the village that attracts crowds of people every year. The tomb of Aqa Seyed Mahmood Marandi and Imamzadeh Ebrahim are other attractions of this area.

Kiashahr Village, Rasht

This village has made impressive progress during the years and has turned into a city. Kiashahr is located on the banks of a beautiful wetland, and enjoys a wonderful landscape and pleasant weather. Here there are wooden docks and some cottages for temporary use and fishing. Rest houses and restaurants have been constructed in the forest park close to the sea, so as to provide services to visitors. This village is one of the beautiful attractions of Gilan.

Masooleh Village, Fooman

This village is situated in the south west of Fooman, 63 km. from Rasht. It enjoys a moderate climate. Local architecture, springs, waterfalls, the 'Rood Khan' River and dense forests all make it an attractive tourism spot. Masooleh's integrated architecture and its houses are of two storied. These comprise of an entrance corridor, cellars and other unique architectural features, and are linked to each other by a staircase, such that the terrace of each house is the court-yard of the house above. The presence of the ancient Own Ebne Ali and Own Ebne Mohammad in Masooleh are pilgrimage sites and hold cultural importance.

Museums

Mian Poshteh Palace Museum (Navy Exhibition), Anzali

The historical structure of Mian Poshteh is located in one of the most beautiful locality of Bandar Anzali. In the year 1924, this palace was reclaimed by Reza Shah from its owner who was a Russian merchant. In 1977, this museum was inaugurated as the Navy museum. In this double storied structure, paintings and intricate plaster adornments can be noted. There is also a portrait attributed to Nasseredin Shah Qajar.

Rasht Museum, Rasht

The Rasht Museum extends over an area of 560 sq. m. and is a double storied structure. These premises belonged to Mirza Hossein Khan Kasmaie, (an ally of Mirza Kuchak Khan Jangali). The same was purchased by the Cultural and Arts Organization in 1970. After the required renovations, the structure was converted into a museum. The said museum is under control of the Cultural Heritage Organization at present, and was inaugurated in the year 1989. The museum comprises of three sections named as, the archaeological, anthropological and a sector displaying documents. Objects discovered in the excavations of hillocks such as Marlik, Tukam, Daylaman, Cheraq Ali and the Tegran cave are on exhibit here.

Gilan’s Rural Heritage Museum

About 15 Kilometers far away from Rasht, there is a green and calm highway, with its two sides surrounded via rush and pine trees.

Stepping or driving a little forward, you'll reach an open and wide area decorated with wooden tableaus and billboards including the text "Musee patrimoine rural de Guilan" next to "UNESCO" and "Aix Du Province University" logos.

That French title remembers the glorious opening ceremony of "Guilan museum of rural heritage" in March 2007 where Prof. Christian Bromberger gave an interesting lecture about the history of Gilak tribe in front of hundreds of people, those in love with Persian culture.

Guilan museum of rural heritage is a fantastic and unique Eco-Museum that has been constructed in order to show the hidden corners of Guilan people's culture and lifestyle to the tourists from all around the world.

After paying a very skimpy amount of fee to the attendant at the entrance gate, you will find your way into a natural corridor with tall maple trees on the two sides and their foliage acting as roofs, preventing the sun and rain from damaging the traditional cobblestone floor of this narrow rural route.

The artificial wooden fence on the two sides of this corridor extends all around the museum that is designed exactly such as a small village and includes all parts of a real hamlet such as teahouse, playground, municipality, stable and lake.

Mainly, this museum is dedicated to anthropology and is considered a good and reliable source for sociological studies especially to researchers who want to gather more valuable information on Gilak's life.

The Eco-museum shows the cultural and ethnic diversity of 27 Gilak subgroups in 27 cottages, in each of them there are girls wearing traditional costumes, some of them cooking cuisines, foods and some others making handicrafts. It is necessary to know that the total surface area of museum is about 260 hectares.

Watch the Video: http://jadidonline.com/images/stories/flash_multimedia/Gilan_rural_museum_eng_test/Gilan_high.html

Old and Historical Houses

Darya Beigi House, Langerood

One of the ancient houses of Langerood is the Darya Beigi house, one of the reputed families of Gilan. It is a double storied structure, and the rooms on the upper floor have latticed sash windows. This house has two large wooden doors with spikes and knockers. Flanking the doors are mantles with ancient mirrors. Each floor has three chambers, each accompanied by a beautiful balcony. The hall is adorned with paintings and valuable plaster work of the Qajar period. The interior adornments of this house are the important historical and artistic works of Gilan.

Monajem Bashi House, Langerood

The said is located in the Feshkalay locality, near the Sabzeh Maidan square in Langerood. This house belongs to the Monajem Bashi household, and is composed of the interior and exterior segments, private quarter, a mosque, bath and stables. Between the entrance and hall is a vestibule, which is connected to the upper floor by stairs. The upper floor comprises of a hall and three chambers. The adornments of the former depict the architectural effects of Gilan in the Qajar era. Four exquisite sets of doors displaying shrubs and floral designs, adjoin the chambers to the hall. This structure is registered as a national monument by the Cultural Heritage Organization.

Other Old Houses

Other ancient houses of the province which are mostly relevant to the Qajar period are: The houses of Haj Mirza Ahmad Abrishami (Rasht), Ayatollah Aqa Roodbari (Rasht), Dewan Beigi (Rasht), Mohammad Sadeqi (Lahijan), Dawoodzadeh (Rasht), Haj Seyed Hashem Bahrani (Rasht) and Sardar Mowtamed Rashti.

The Great Wall of Gorgan: longest ancient barrier between Central Europe and China

TEHRAN – Stretched for almost 200 kilometers along northern Iran, the ancient Great Wall of Gorgan was constructed from 420s CE to 530s as a northern frontier of the then mighty Persian Empire, which was then ruled under Sassanids.

The wall was involved in a series of wars first against the Hephthalites or White Huns and later against the Turks.

Most parts of the gigantic monument are still hidden underneath the surface though some segments have so far been unearthed and even restored to former glory.

Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts along with cultural heritage experts are making efforts to put the landmark monument on UNESCO World Heritage list in the years to come.

The wall is lined by 38 forts. It is the longest fort-lined ancient barrier between Central Europe and China, longer than Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall put together, according to UNESCO.

The gigantic barrier is also more than three times the length of the longest late Roman defensive wall built from scratch, the Anastasian Wall west of Constantinople. The combined area of the forts on the Gorgan Wall exceeds that of those on Hadrian’s Wall about threefold.

UNESCO adds that the Gorgan Wall is remarkable not only in terms of its physical scale, but even more so in terms of its technical sophistication. In order to enable construction works, canals had to be dug along the course of the defensive barrier, to provide the water needed for brick production. These canals received their water from supplier canals, which bridged the Gorgan River via qanats. One of these, the Sadd-e Garkaz, survives to 700 m length and 20 m height, but was originally almost one kilometer long.

The Gorgan Wall and its associated ancient military monuments provide a unique testimony to the engineering skills and military organization of the Sassanian Empire. They help to explain its geographic extent, from Mesopotamia to the west of the Indian Subcontinent, and how effective border defense contributed to the Empire’s prosperity in the interior and to its longevity. These monuments are, in terms of their scale, historical importance and sophistication, of global significance.

 
 

People's flood vs. nature's flood

Although the recent flood and torrential rains caused a lot of destruction and ensued immense material losses in Iran, they further cemented solidarity and cooperation among Iranians from every stratum.

In recent decades, the rise of various natural disasters all over the world and the high rate of losses and casualties have made experts more attentive toward the issue. Natural disasters hinder economic and social development, and the more severe they are, the more development programs will be slowed down. According to international statistics, climatic changes have increased natural disasters more than four times since 1970s. The result has been more than $240 billion of financial damage to inhabitants of different regions.

Due to its geographical location, Iran is among the 10 countries that are prone to natural disasters. This has caused considerable financial losses due to floods, earthquakes, droughts, storms and so on. About 86% of Iran's area is located in a quake-prone zone, and given that a large amount of the GDP is used to compensate for natural disasters, tackling and reduction of natural disasters through proper planning is of paramount importance.

As the Iranians were engaged in celebrating the New Year ceremonies and enjoying the beauties of spring in various parts of the country, it began raining in most regions making the people happier. The rain, however, turned into torrents within a few days and resulted in flood in the city of Shiraz and the provinces of Golestan, Mazandaran, Eilam, Lorestan, Khuzestan and so on. The flood was unexpectedly destructive especially in Golestan and Lorestan provinces. Many people became homeless, few of them lost their loved ones and many people suffered material losses and spiritual injuries.

Scientists and specialists argue that human meddling in nature has been the main cause of damages and destruction to this divine bounty. They believe that in the past, the scale of human meddling in nature was negligible on the one hand; while he lacked the ability and equipment to prevent natural calamities such as flood. On the contrary, today we possess the technological and scientific advances to reduce the consequences of natural disasters; while many of these disasters result from inordinate meddling and manipulations of human beings in nature. In other words, inappropriate usage of natural resources such as deforestation has changed the configuration of the earth to the detriment of the flora and fauna and mankind. Destruction of forests and pastures, inappropriate development activities, intense soil erosion due to continuous droughts are some of the main factors that turn torrential rains into destructive flood.

There is no doubt that natural disasters such as earthquake, flood and forest fires have very harmful consequences, but regardless of the causes of these painful incidents, can you imagine that these disasters would be beneficial for other species?

For example, flood not only creates fertile lands, it can also create greeneries. They can help transfer fish to rivers and lakes, thereby biodiversity is revived in flood-hit regions. Even storms and typhoons spill over heat on the surface of the earth, preventing the heat from reaching tropical areas.

One of the benefits of such incidents is to awaken human conscience and remove indifference among human beings. Once man finds himself in tough conditions as a result of natural calamities while he cannot do anything and he has lost every tool to protect himself or his relatives and friends, he understands that how weak he is. At this moment his attention is focused toward a superior power who is above all powers. Then he submits to Him and wants Him to take his hand with His infinite power to save him from the disaster.

The feeling of sympathy and altruism is the most important benefit of natural disasters. People from all walks of life rush to help the disaster-stricken community. Natural disasters are the divine warnings to say that we are not supposed to stay in the world for ever.

National solidarity is a very great divine bounty among the Iranian nation. As soon as the news was released on the flood, many people got ready to help their compatriots. Among these selfless efforts the endeavours of the army, the IRGC, Basij and other voluntary forces were more significant and effective in alleviating the pains of the beleaguered people. They made their efforts in the fastest way to reduce the problems of the people.

From the early hours of the flood, responsibilities were designated to the relevant persons and bodies to accelerate the process of relief work. The flood in Shiraz, which claimed the life of 19 people and injured nearly 100 others, was the scene of spontaneous assistance by other people and bystanders. The inhabitants of Shiraz warmly welcomed the travelers who had been hit by flood and had lost their cars. They provided them food and shelter at their houses free of charge.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "In fact, all these natural events are a test of God, and a decent Muslim is the one who compensates when the event happens through power, effort and activity. The test does not mean an experiment for God to recognize us; or an experiment for us to know ourselves. It is neither of these. A test is rather a phase and facing a heavy load. A test is a pass on the path. You either cross this pass, or will remain behind it. It is no other way round. The calamities of the world are like heavy loads that are on your shoulders. Almighty God puts tests on the path of people and nations, so that these nations take these loads, cross through the passes; thereby reach lofty positions and are placed in the status that they deserve."

In fact, God's test is like the work of an experienced gardener who sprinkles seeds on a favorable land. These seeds begin to grow, confront obstacles and, in the face of deadly storms and burning heat, they strive to create a beautiful flower branch or a robust tree that can survive vis-à-vis harsh accidents.

In the recent flood which engulfed several provinces, the Iranian nation showed sympathy and solidarity with their firm resolve to get out of the current situation and restore calm to flood-hit people. Even the people of Kermanshah province who had experienced the bitter days of homelessness and suffering in the destructive trembler of 2017, didn’t hesitate to extend their assistance to the flood-stricken people in different regions, especially those of Golestan province. Undoubtedly, the distressed people of Kermanshah province will never forget the magnanimity of their fellow-countrymen who hadn't left them alone at the time of the earthquake.

Another blessing of the recent flood in different parts of the country was that it exposed the US regime in its real attire. The United States, always tries to masquerade as the flag-bearer of human rights and the beacon of human values in the world. But as soon as some of the international bodies and persons in other countries announced their readiness to send money to the flood-torn people in Iran, the US regime blocked Iran's Red Crescent Society accounts, whereas it is the body for receiving international donations.