Gilan; The Heaven on Earth

SepidehAfsharRezaee

Translated by Shiva Shakib

Gilan Province is located among the green slopes of the Alborz Mountain range which in fact has surrounded Gilan’s western and southern parts just like a wall. Rasht is the capital of the Province. Gilan lies along the Caspian Sea in the north; the Caucasian countries and Ardebil Province are situated at the west side of the province; Zanjan and Qazvin Provinces can be found at the southern parts of Gilan and finally it is limited to the Mazandaran Province from the eastern side. The highest spot of Gilan is the Samamous Mountain which lies in the city of Roodsar. The only path which connects Gilan to the Iran plateau is Manjil valley; while it is connected to the Mazandaran Province through Chaboksar, and is linked with the Azarbaijan Province through Astara. Some of the most well-known cities of the province are Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafieh, Bandar-e Anzali, Rasht, Roodbar, Roodsar, Talesh, Fouman, Lahijan and Langroud. Gilan enjoys mild Mediterranean climate because of its vicinity to the Alborz highlands and Caspian Sea. Most parts of the province experience very high humidity. Actually, Gilan is the wettest territory of Iran with plenty of rain each year. An extensive part of Gilan is covered by plains and the rest are mostly covered by mountains. Over 40 rivers flow in Gilan and Sefid-Rood is the most famous of them.

Gilan has an ancient history and civilization which is rarely seen elsewhere. Once the Aryan race and other tribes immigrated to this land, combination of both the immigrants and local inhabitants of the region created new folks and tribes. According to the history, this mountainous and forestall land, which is named Gilan in the modern maps, was known as Deylaman during the Sassanid dynasty. Two races have been the major inhabitants; one is known as Gil and the other one is Deylam.

In the early twentieth century, the ancient and old monuments of Gilan including the Marlik Hill (close to Gohardasht valley) were discovered by archeologists. The excavations done in the Marlik Hill, which is about 3000 years old, led to the discovery of ceramic dishes, small statues made of gold, silver, and bronze. Similarly, the excavations accomplished since 1961 to 1962 led to the discovery of a king’s tomb. An interesting collection of jewelry was also found in this tomb. The skills and designs used in making such jewelry show the great creativity of the then artists enjoyed from and how wealthy the people of Gilan were.

To be Continued…