[su_photo_panel background=”#e4e4e4″ border=”2px solid #cccccc” shadow=”3px 3px 6px #e1dede” radius=”4″ text_align=”left” photo=”https://www.irancultura.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Golestan-Map-min.jpg” target=”self”]Golestan Region | ♦ Capital: Gorgan | ♦ Surface: 20 893 km² | ♦ Inhabitants: 1 593 055 (2006)[/su_photo_panel]
Geographic context
The Golestan region is located in the northern territories of Iran. This region has a special place in the cultural and tourist context of the country, since it makes use of an age of seven thousand years and the presence of over a thousand precious historical and cultural works, and for the fact that it is endowed with wonderful landscapes and of natural landscapes including mountains, forests, plains, valleys, deserts, lakes, gulfs, islands, waterfalls, ponds and summer villages. The regional capital is the city of Gorgan and the other main urban centers are: Gonbad-e Kavus, Ali Abad, Azad Shahr, Minudasht, Bandar-e Gaz and Bandar-e Torkeman.
Climate
Because of the climatic conditions, the Golestan region is one of the most fertile areas of the country, and also among the most endowed with naturalistic places. This region in most of its territories has a temperate and Mediterranean climate.
However, in the lowland areas and in the lowlands around the town of Gorgan a warm and semi-desert climate is revealed, due to the proximity to the Torkamanestan desert, the distance from the sea and the lower altitude.
History and culture
Until the seventh century of the Aegas, the Golestan region was known by the names of 'Country of Gorgan' and - later up to the beginning of the tenth century of the Hegira - of 'Astar Abad', but in most of the texts of first Islamic period is mentioned with the name of 'Jorjan'.
The results of the research conducted in this region show that its historical background is to be placed in an era around the seventh millennium BC. C. and from the findings of the locality of 'Ghar-e Key Aram', located in the village of Farang in the Galiki part of the Golestan region, it appears that it was home to the first human settlements of the Mesolithic and Neolithic era. Likewise, the excavations of 'Turang Tepe', near the town of Gorgan, show that the age of this site goes back at least to that of Shahr-e Sukhte in the region of Sistan and Balucestan.
From the Achaemenid era onwards, the Golestan region, becoming a satrapy, had a more defined administration, at that time it was called 'Ircania' and was one of the most famous countries of ancient Persia. In the rock inscriptions of the Achaemenids, including that of Darius in Bisotun, this territory was also called 'Vargane', while in the texts in the Pahlavi language it was mentioned with the term 'Gorkan'.
The Ziyaridi dynasty is among those that knew how to constitute a strong government in this region. The most famous exponent of this dynasty was Qabus ebn-e Vashgir. He had a deep interest in science and wisdom, so he made sure that the village of 'Jorjan' became a safe place to attract thinkers and scientists of the caliber of Abu Ali ebn-e Sina (Avicenna) and Abu Reihan to -Biruni. At that time, huge steps were taken in the direction of the scientific and cultural progress of this region - the construction of the 'Tower of Qabus' and the drafting of the precious book 'Qabus Name', which contains wise advice, are two examples of this progress .
The images of this section are in the updating phase and will be published as soon as possible.
Among other tourist attractions and centers of historical interest in this region are to visit: the ancient city of Tamishe, the Castle of Gabri, the Hill of Hezar Pich, the Palace of Agha Mohammad Khan-e Qajar, the National Park of Golestan, the Luve Waterfall, the Kabud Val Waterfall, the Daland Woods Nature Reserve and the Shir Abad Waterfall.
Souvenirs and handicrafts
The existence of numerous ethnic groups and nomadic peoples - including Persians, Turks, Turcomanni, Cossacks, Beluci, Sistani, Khorasani, Shahrudi, Qizilbash and Kurds - and the presence of capable and tasteful artists and craftsmen have made the preservation, renewal and production of the numerous kinds of traditional art endured in the different areas of the Golestan region. The main handicrafts and souvenirs typical of this region are: jajim, traditional turkish rugs and cushions, hats and felt fabrics, qarchin, kilim, embroidered fabrics, silk fabrics, jewelry and jewelry of the Turkmen tradition, traditional musical instruments, shawls and foulards of the Turkmen tradition.
Local cuisine
The presence of numerous ethnic groups in the Golestan region has made this area endowed with a peculiar culinary variety. Among the typical dishes of this region we can mention the following: various types of soups (Hali Ash, Goje Ash, Mash Ash), various types of Kabab, traditional vegetable omelette (Kuku Sabzi), Gosht-e Torsh, cutlets, Shami , Morgh-e Torsh, Tah Baryan, various types of fish, rice with chicken and aubergines, Khurak-e Gusht, Esfenaj Polo, Albalu Polo, Chelo Khoresh-e Kadu, Khoresh-e Anar, rice and chicken, rice with meat and vegetables, rice with lentils and chicken, Kachi, Mast-e Merghane (a type of starter), various types of local bread and traditional sweets like Saq-e Arus, Shirini Asali, Shirini Gerduyi, Shirini Gerduyi Rusi, Halva-ye Zanjebili , Halva-ye Gerduyi, Pishme and Paderazi.