Qazvin Province in Iran
About Qzavin Province
This Province is located 150 km away from Tehran the capital of Iran and is a historical province in the northwest of Iran. The capital of this province is the city of Qazvin. Qazvin province has a rich history and civilization. It has founded by the Sassanid dynasty. In the Safavid dynasty, Qazvin was the capital of Iran for near 60 years, therefore there are a lot of historical places and tourist attractions in this region. In the Safavid era, “Sepah St.” that’s Iran’s first street was built in Qazvin. The best time for traveling to visit Qazvin is summer and even earlier since it has pleasant and cool weather then.
Qazvin is one of the oldest cities in Iran. It shows the importance of Qazvin. Once, during a period of Iranian history, the city used to be the capital of Iran. So, there are many gardens and monuments in Qazvin. Qazvin province has a border with Gilan province at its north, with Alborz province at its east, with Zanjan and Hamadan provinces in the west, and with Markazi province at its south. Qazvin is located on the southern foothills of the Alborz mountain range.
There are too many ancient mounds in Qazvin, such as the Sagezabad mound, which represents a 9,000-year-old settlement in this area. Different governors and rulers have considered the importance of the area. For instance, during the rule of the Medes, this city was one of the major points in the country. At that time, the “Mag Bito” fortress, located in the southwest of Qazvin, was under the reign of Hanna Syroka, one of the Median governors.
The Land of Inaccessible Castles
As mentioned above the province is located in the northern parts of Iran. The northern part of the province is a mountainous area and to the south, the climate is hot and dry with cold winters and hot summers. Based on evidence found during the excavations of the Zagheh ancient hill, the civilization in this province dates back to 4000- 5000 BC. the land was once part of the Median Kingdom. The people of this province are from different ethnic origins. For centuries, Azaris, Lurs, Kurds, and other ethnicities have peacefully lived together in the region. In the past, the Deilami language was spoken in Qazvin, but now most people speak the Azari language. The common handicrafts of the province include tile-making, inlay work, plaster[1]work, stone-carving, carpet-weaving, mirror making, calligraphy, clock making, silk weaving, lock making, and needle-work.
Alamut Castle
Ismailis are members of a Shiite sect who believes the last Imam was Ismail, the elder son of Imam Jafar Sadiq. The sect was developed in 7th-century CE and has been famous with other names like Fatemiyun, Bateniyun, etc. Hassan-d Sabbah, who was one of the leaders of this religious group, built a large structure on top of a mountain which is known as the Alamūt Castle.
Zagheh and Ghabrestan Hills
On the road of Boyin Zahra to Qazvin lie the ancient hills of Zagheh, Ghabrestan, and Sagzabad. The hills date back to 5000 BC. The architecture is unique and the main temple has ancient designs.
The Grapes of Qazvin
A large portion of agricultural land in this province is allocated to the planting of vine trees especially around the city of Takestan which is famous for its large vineyards.
Chehel Sotun Structure
This building belongs to the Safavid dynasty of the 17th century. It has two floors in the middle of a garden with different kinds of decorations like tile work, inlay work, painting, and gold works.
Peyghambarieh Tomb
This is the tomb of four messengers of god in the names of Salam, Solum, Sohuli, and Alghia. It is located in a street with the same name in Qazvīn. to the south of the mausoleum, there is a veranda facing the yard. The decoration includes plasterwork and tile work.
Kharaghan Tower Tombs
The village of Hesar Armani which has two tower tombs is located at 32 km distance to the east of Qazvin. The eastern tower is older than the western one and was built in the 9th-century CE. They are hexagonal towers made of brick with thirty old designs on the walls.
Museum of Qazvin City
This famous museum n Qazvin is located in Azadi Square, or Sabzeh Meydan, and is located on the eastern side of the Chehelsotun Palace. Inside of this museum, you can be acquainted with the archaeological findings of the prehistoric era, the pre-Islam era, and the Post-Islam era of this city.
Grand Bazaar of Qazvin
This Grand Bazaar in Qazvin is one of the most beautiful Iranian bazaars. It could regard as a symbol of the clever architecture of Iran, which attracts several visitors. It has remained from the Safavid period and beyond. The Grand Bazaar has diverse sections such as Caravansary of Sa’d al-Saltaneh, Caravansary of Vazir, Caravansary of Haj Reza, Razavi Caravansary (also known as Caravansary of Shah), open and covered caravansaries, and Qaysarie Raw.
Qazvin Grand Mosque
The Jameh Mosque (Grand Mosque) of Qazvin used to be a fire temple in the pre-Islam period, which was later rebuilt during the Harun Al-Rashid era, the fifth Abbasid Caliph. This mosque is a collection of architectural styles of various historical eras. One can notice the architecture styles of the Seljuk, Safavid, and, to some extent, Qajar periods.
Darb-e Koushk Gate
This gate is one of the oldest ones in the city. Darb-e Koushk Gate was toward Alamut, Rudbar, Koushk, and the hunting grounds of northern Qazvin. This gate has a magnificent entrance with a semicircular arch.
Varchor Waterfall
This beautiful waterfall is located 6 km east of Razjerd village of Qazvin. The waterfall has an altitude of more than 30 meters. There are massive rocks around this waterfall.
Garma Galou Valley
This valley is another natural attraction of Qazvin located on Qazvin-Alamut Castle. A metal walkway structure bridges this valley. It has got a northeast to southwest direction and is located at an altitude of 1770 meters above sea level and the length of the valley is about 600 meters.
Natural Attractions:
Yeleh spring and hot water spring in Takestan, Kharghan hot water spring, Ab Torsh and Larzan mineral waters in Ghazvin city
Religious Attractions:
The most important attractions of Qhazvin are as follows: Saleh, Soleyman, Fazlollah, and Abdollah shrines inTakestan, Kabir, Heydariyeh, Masjed Al-Nabi, and Sanjideh Friday-prayer mosques, Ali, Abazar, Zarabad, Ali Akbar Sagezabad, Shahzadeh Hossein, Esmail, Peighambariyeh, Bibizobaydeh, Bibi Sakineh, Soltan Veys, Amaneh Khatun in Ghazvin City.