Rasht

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Coordinates: 37°17′N, 49°35′E

Rasht
رشت
Rasht (Iran)
Rasht
Rasht
Coordinates: 37°17′N 49°35′E / 37.283, 49.583
Country Flag of Iran Iran
Province Gilan
Population (2005)
 - Total 560,123
  estimate
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)

Rasht (Persian: رشت, Gilaki: Resht) is the capital of Gilan province in northwestern Iran and the largest city along the Caspian sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali. Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masulé in adjacent mountains and the beaches of Caspian the major attractions. Rasht had an estimated population of 560,123 in 2005.[1]

Contents

[edit] Geography and climate

Climate chart for Rasht
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Imperial conversion

[edit] Language

Gileki is spoken by more than 3 million people. The vast majority of the speakers live in the Gilan Province of Iran. Gileki belongs to the northwestern branch of the Iranian languages. The Iranian languages form a top-level constituent of the Indo-European language family. It is closely related to Mazanderani and is subdivided into two main dialects: Bie-pas and Bie-pish. Bie-pas dialect is mainly spoken in west of Sefidrud including Rasht and Fuman while Bie-pish dialect belongs to eastern part of Gilan including Lahijan and Langrud.

Gileki is an oral dialect and has no official status in Iran.

[edit] City of Firsts

  • First Public Library of Iran[2]
  • First Branch of the First Iranian Bank (Sepah Bank) was located in Rasht

[edit] People and culture

The people speak Gileki, Persian, Taleshi.

[edit] Colleges and universities

[edit] History

For a more comprehensive treatment of the region, see the history section of Gilan.

An old mosque in Rasht, 1886.
An old mosque in Rasht, 1886.

Rasht was first mentioned in historical documents in 682 CE, but it is certainly older than this. It has seen the Sassanid era, the armies of Peter the Great and later Russian rulers, and British colonialism. The people of Rasht also played a major role in the Constitutional Revolution of Iran.

[edit] Timeline

  • 682: Rasht is first mentioned in historical documents.
  • 1669: Stenka Razin, a Cossack warlord, plundered the city.
  • 1714: Rasht destroyed by earthquake.
  • 1722 - 1734: Occupied by Peter the Great during the Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723.
  • 1901: A major epidemic plague devastates the city.
  • 1907: First Municipality Council of Rasht.
  • 1917 - 1920: The Russian and British armed forces fight in the port city of Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht. The British retreat and the Russians occupy the area. In 1920 Bolshevik Russians set a great fire in the bazaar, causing many citizens to go into temporary exile.
  • 1920 - 1921 - short-living Persian 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.

[edit] Notables of Rasht

[edit] Suburbs

  • ChalleKhaneh
  • Masjad Safi
  • Chomarsara
  • Golsar
  • Lakaan Shahr
  • Manzariyeh
  • Noghredasht
  • Ostadsara
  • Pirsara
  • Rashtian
  • Sagharisazan
  • Andisheh Complex
  • Park Shahr
  • Takhti
  • Tazeh Abad
  • Sabzemeydan
  • Lakani
  • Ziabari
  • Sam
  • Moalem
  • Estakhr
  • Hamidian
  • Bisotun

[edit] External links and Sources