| Babol بابل |
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| — city — | |
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Babol
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Iran |
| Province | Mazandaran |
| County | Babol |
| Bakhsh | Central |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Shirvan Parsamehr (Acting) |
| Elevation | -2 up to 50 m (-6 to 150 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 198,636 |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | IRDT (UTC+4:30) |
| Postal Code | 48xxx-xxxxx |
| Area code(s) | 0111 |
| Vehicle Plate | IRAN 72 |
| Website | www.babolcity.ir |
Babol (Persian: بابل, , also Romanized as Bābol and Bābul; formerly known as Balfrush, Barfarush, Barfrush, and Bārfurush)[1] is a city in and the capital of Babol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 198,636, in 55,943 families.[2]
Babol is located in the Caspian littoral and north-east of Tehran. It is the region's chief commercial centre and was once the major trading center of northern Iran. Babol is a new name for the site of the ancient city of Mamatir, that then was named as Barforush. The city receives abundant rainfall. It is famous for its orange farms, for which it is dubbed "the city of orange blossoms."
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Founded in the 16th century, it was built on the site of the ancient city of Mamtir (deriving from "Mah Mithra" "great Mithra). Babol was formerly called Barforushdeh (meaning Market town) and Barforush afterwards. The first historians who mentioned Mamtir in year 290 Hijri Qamari (about 840 A.D.). He writes:
Mamatir is a city in which abundant water and multiple rivers exist. It is so beautiful, especially in the summer.
The city is located approximately 20 kilometers south of Caspian Sea on the west bank of Babol Rud River and receives abundant annual rainfall. Babol borders Babolsar to the north, Qaem Shahr and Savad Kooh to the east, and Amol to the west. Babol University is famous for its spectacular scenery.
The ruins of Shah Abbas I's palace are located in the city. Mohammad Hassan Khan's Bridge is also one of the most ancient buildings of Mazandaran. It was built by the king Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar, the ancestor of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar as the main road from Babol to Amol. Now it is known as the old road of Babol to Amol. Another nice scenery is Babol Noshirvani Park, which is the biggest park including playground located in the north part of Iran, located almost in the vicinity of Caspian Sea. Babol is home to important and intact forests and jungles. for instance, Shiadeh, the unique and intact forest, is located in south-east Babol. Shiadeh is the name of a rural area near the jungle. here are some views of Noshirvani Park and Shiadeh Jungle.
Commerce and trading are the backbone of the city's economy since it is the largest commercial center for Mazandaran province, partially due to its location at the center of the province and also the large population of villages around the city making Babol county the most populated county in the province. Babol produces food and textiles — as well as other processed goods . Including oranges, lemons, and tangerines. There are many rice farms around the city, and, until about 20 years ago, tea, tobacco, and cotton were processed.
Almost 100% of the city transportation is carrying by car , buses and other road vehicles hence Babol is highly dependent on regional highway network which connects the city to Babolsar at 20 km north ,Amol at 30 km west and Qaemshahr at 20 km east. These are all new wide highways.
By only 50 km distance to Sari, Babol has access to Sari Dasht-e Naz airport as well as Sari Train Station.
The ports of Freydoonkenar and Babolsar are both located on the southern coast of the Mazandaran Sea with connection to other Caspian ports.
As the largest commercial center the city of Babol also hosts largest number of universities in Mazandaran province. Universities include:
Babol is home to Iranian Basketball Super League side BEEM Mazandaran BC who plays in the city's Shahid Sojoodi Arena. BEEM has also a popular vollyeball team in the Iranian super league in 2008-2009.
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