Climate : Cold
OldName : Zangan
Area : 21773
Population : 1015734
Zanjan Province is one of the 31 provinces of
Iran. Located in the North West of
Iran, its capital is
Zanjan city.
Zanjan province with an area of 36,400 km² has a mostly rural, population of 964,601 (2006).
The province lies 330 km northwest
...see more of Tehran, connected to it via a freeway.
Zanjan has a highland climate characterized by cold snowy weather in the mountains and moderate climate in the plains in wintertime.
Zanjan also has an incredible cave called katale khor. It is near the Sultaniyeh.
Zanjan city was a major city in pre-historic Azerbaijan. The name of Azerbaijan derives from Atropates, an Iranian satrap of Media under the Achaemenid empire, who later was reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander of Macedonia.
The original etymology of this name is thought to have its roots in the ancient Zoroastrianism, namely, in Avestan Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels"), there is a mentioning of: âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide, which literally translates from Old Persian as "we worship the Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata".
Atropates ruled over the region of present-day Iranian Azerbaijan.
In Ptolemy's Geography, the city is referred to as Aganzana. It is said that the Sassanid king Ardashir I of Persia, reconstructed the city and called it Shahin but later it was renamed to Zangan, of which the present name is the arabicized form of.
In past times Zanjan's name was Khamseh, which means "province with five tribes".
Agriculture is the principal occupation, and crops include rice, corn (maize), oilseeds, fruits, and potatoes. Poultry, cattle, and sheep are raised.
In the region Zanjan is also famous for its seedless Grapes. Manufactures include bricks, cement, milled rice, and carpets. Chromium, lead, and copper are mined.
In the scientific world the Zanjan name is famous for IASBS, one of the most productive research centers of the country.
Zanjan is also known for its beautiful handcrafts such as knives, traditional sandals called charoogh and malileh. Malileh is a handcraft made with silver wires.
Zanjanian artists make many things like various decorative dishes and their special covers as well as silver jewelry. In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its stainless and sharp knives.
But this tradition is gradually becoming extinct by introduction of Chinese knives to the market which are cheaper and better made than these primitive industries.
Many villagers today are traditional Carpet weavers. This is perhaps Zanjan's most popular handcraft.
Reference: wikipedia.org
