Zanjan

Zanjan is the capital of the Zanjan Provicne which is one of the biggest north west cities in Iran with a population of 416851 people ranked number 19 among the most populated Iranian cities.

Zanjan has a lengthy history and was the subject of attention by different tribes of the country and due to the same reason has gone through lots of historical changes and events. Some believe that the history of the city is as long as the ruling period of Ardeshir Babakan and back then it was called ‘Shahin’, which shows the connection to the Kings. Some say that the name has changed to Zangan and then to Zanjan which is the Arabic version of Zangan. Some natives are still referring to the city as Zangan.

People’s religion is Shia Muslim and they used to speak Persian, but during the time it’s been changed to Azari Turkish as Turk tribes were dwelling there. Nowadays 90 percent of the people are talking Turkish and 10 percent talk Persian and other languages.

Zanjan is a beautiful and less known city of Iran having many historical places among which one can mention Zanjan Market, Rakhtshoo complex, Museum of Salty men, main mosque of Zanjan, the temple of the Prophet Gheidar in khodabande city, Dash Ksen temple and the Sultanie dome which is the most known tourism attraction of the city and is in the UNESCOs Historical Heritage List.

Moreover, Zanjan has many natural attractions, one of which is the Katle Khur Cave. Moreover, hot springs, e.g. Vanngh lake, Garmab lake, Halab Angouran lake attract many tourists. In addition, we can name some villages like Shilandar, Sheet Tarom, Kama Alagh Dar, Pari lake (KhandaghLou), Mir Bahaodin bridge, SharShar water fall etc.

Climate

Iran is famous as the land of four seasons and Zanjan is a great sample. The elevation difference of this area causes the variety of its climate, but generally, like other northwest cities of Iran it’s extremely cold in winter and moderate in summer. The coldest month is January-February with -7.5 ℃ and the hottest month is July-August with 32.1℃. The best season to visit is from May to July.

City center

The old Bazaar and modern shopping center of Zanjan and some hotels are located between 15 Khordad Sq  and Enqhelab Sq.

Transportation

Airport: The international Airport of Zanjan is located at a distance of 16 km in the northwest of the city. Flights of this airport are limited to Mashhad, Kish, and Mecca.

Train: The railway of Tehran-Tabriz passes through this city. It makes it easier to travel from the other stations to this city.

Bus: Zanjan Terminal located on Shahid Beheshti Blvd, it includes 33 lines and provides services to other cities in Iran. Transit buses are spread all over the city are a good choice for travelling cheaply.

Taxi: taxi in Zanjan, is a quick and easy way to get to your destination. The transportations card made it even easier. You can pay them by it so you won’t worry about change.