Arak, Iran

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Lore & Background

The modern-day city of Arak was founded in 1808 as Soltan Abad by Yusef Khan-e Gorji, a pro-Iranian warlord of Georgian Muslim origin who was given refuge by Qajar ruler Agha Mohammad Khan following a territorial dispute with his cousins, who were supported by Russian empress Catherine the Great. Between 1795 and 1797, Yusef Khan-e Gorji, renamed Yusef Khan-e Sepahdar by the Qajar ruler, settled his army in the fertile but poorly-controlled territory that would become the modern-day Arak. With the Shah's approval, Yusef Khan diverted the main river to drive out hostile tribes and build the war fortress of Soltan Abad to act as a buffer. Until 1892, the town remained a military base and fortress. The fortress of Soltan Abad had a thick wall surrounded by 7-meter-deep moats. Eight towers were constructed around the town and the governmental building was established in its northern part. In 1891, shops, gardens, and government buildings of Soltan Abad were repaired by the order of deputy governor Mirza Hasan (Etemad os-Saltane). Large parts of the city were formerly annexed as personal property to the pre-existing army commanders, and were then ultimately turned over to the state around 1918–1922.

Reader's Guide

Arak's significance lies in its dual role as both an industrial powerhouse and a historical center of carpet production. Beginning in the last quarter of the 19th century, the city became Iran's most important center of carpet production for export markets, a status it held until at least 1940. Under the reign of Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, the city was renamed Arak. Modern factories for vegetable oil, soap, sugar beet, and wool industries were established within the city. Arak also became an important station on the Trans-Iranian Railway, a major railway project directed by Reza Shah which was completed in 1938. In 1972, two major state-owned enterprises were established in the city, including an aluminum smelter built under the Regional Cooperation for Development project of the Central Treaty Organization, in cooperation with the company of Reynolds and Reynolds, and a heavy engineering plant processed with equipment and technical advice from the Soviets, in return of gas sales to the Soviet Union. The city officially became a metropolis on 6 April 2013, after the merger with Karahrud and Senjan. In June 2025, during the Twelve-Day War, Israel told residents of Arak to evacuate prior to an Israeli strike on the Arak heavy water reactor. Today, Arak manufactures 80% of Iran's energy equipment and houses major industrial factories including Machine Sazi Arak, HEPCO, Wagon Pars, Iranian Aluminium Company, Lajvar Industrial Group, and Iran Combine Manufacturing Company.

Did You Know?

• Arak was originally named Soltan Abad and was founded in 1808 by Yusef Khan-e Gorji, a pro-Iranian warlord of Georgian Muslim origin.
• The fortress of Soltan Abad had a thick wall surrounded by 7-meter-deep moats and eight towers.
• Arak became Iran's most important center of carpet production for export markets beginning in the last quarter of the 19th century, continuing until at least 1940.
• In 1972, an aluminum smelter was built in Arak under the Regional Cooperation for Development project of the Central Treaty Organization, in cooperation with Reynolds and Reynolds.
• In June 2025, during the Twelve-Day War, Israel told residents of Arak to evacuate prior to an Israeli strike on the Arak heavy water reactor.

Fortress in the Fertile Valley

Arak's origins are inseparable from military ambition. In 1808, Yusef Khan-e Gorji—a pro-Iranian warlord of Georgian Muslim origin who had sought refuge with Qajar ruler Agha Mohammad Khan after a territorial dispute with his cousins, backed by Russian empress Catherine the Great—founded the modern-day city as Soltan Abad. Between 1795 and 1797, Yusef Khan-e Gorji, renamed Yusef Khan-e Sepahdar by the Qajar ruler, settled his army in the fertile but poorly-controlled territory that would become the modern-day Arak. Hostile tribes in the region had operated autonomously from the Qajar rule. With the Shah's approval, Yusef Khan diverted the main river to drive out the hostiles and build the war fortress of Soltan Abad to act as a buffer. Until 1892, the town remained a military base and fortress. The fortress of Soltan Abad had a thick wall surrounded by 7-meter-deep moats. Eight towers were constructed around the town and the governmental building was established in its northern part. In 1891, shops, gardens, and government buildings of Soltan Abad were repaired by the order of deputy governor Mirza Hasan (Etemad os-Saltane). Large parts of the city were formerly annexed as personal property to the pre-existing army commanders, and were then ultimately turned over to the state around 1918–1922.

From Looms to Locomotives

Arak's economic identity has undergone a dramatic transformation over two centuries. Beginning in the last quarter of the 19th century, the city became Iran's most important center of carpet production for export markets, a status it held until at least 1940. Under the reign of Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, the city was renamed Arak. Modern factories for vegetable oil, soap, sugar beet, and wool industries were established within the city. Arak also became an important station on the Trans-Iranian Railway, a major railway project directed by Reza Shah which was completed in 1938. The industrial leap accelerated in 1972, when two major state-owned enterprises were established: an aluminum smelter built under the Regional Cooperation for Development project of the Central Treaty Organization, in cooperation with the company of Reynolds and Reynolds, and a heavy engineering plant processed with equipment and technical advice from the Soviets, in return of gas sales to the Soviet Union. Today Arak is widely called the Industrial Capital of Iran. Machine Sazi Arak and the Iranian Aluminium Company produce nearly half of the needs of the country in the steel, petrochemical, and locomotive industries. The city manufactures 80% of Iran's energy equipment and houses major industrial factories including HEPCO, Wagon Pars, Lajvar Industrial Group, and Iran Combine Manufacturing Company.

A Name with Ancient Roots

The name Arak carries a layered linguistic heritage stretching back millennia. Arâk, as the city has been known since the Middle Ages, derives from Arabic al-ʿIrāq, meaning "root", itself derived possibly from Akkadian Uruk (Hebrew: אֶרֶךְ, Erech). According to Ali Nourai, Arak comes from the same root as Iran and Arran, and Iraq is an Arabicized Persian word. During the Seljuk era, a region comprising the whole territory of Media (northwestern Iran) and the lower part of Mesopotamia was referred to as Iraq; with the Median part called ʿErâq-e ʿAjam ("Iraq of the Ajam [non-Arabic speakers]"), and the Mesopotamian part called ʿErâq-e ʿArab ("Iraq of the Arabs"). The city's earlier name, Soltân Âbâd, is a Persian compound word. Soltân, deriving from Arabic sulṭān ("power", "authority"), is a West Asian noble title given to a powerful governor. Modern Persian âbâd, meaning "settlement" or "abode", derives from Middle Persian āpāt ("populous"). However, according to linguist Sasha Lubotsky, the Persian term ābād might derive from Proto-Iranian *āpāta ("protected"), rooting from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ("to protect").

Wired into the Nation

Arak's position at the crossroads of Iran's transport network has shaped its growth since the early twentieth century. The city sits roughly 260 km from the city of Tehran, nestled between Qom and Isfahan, hemmed in by mountains to the south, west, and east at an average altitude of about 1750m above sea level. Its climate is a hot-summer mediterranean continental climate (Köppen: Dsa, Trewartha: Dcho). Summers can push past 35 °C, winters dip below −25 °C, and annual rainfall hovers around 337 millimetres with relative humidity about 47%. The International Airport of Arak, opened in 1938, is one of the oldest airports of Iran. Rail connectivity arrived in 1935 when the city was linked to the Iranian Railways, with destinations stretching directly from Bandar-e-Shapur in the southwestern Iran to Bandar Torkaman under the Caspian Sea. The Arak–Qom High Speed Rail, Iran's second such project, was originally awarded to an Italian partner under a €1.2 billion deal, but after the Italian firm withdrew due to US sanctions on Iran, the work was reassigned to Chinese engineers. The double-track passenger line is designed for 300 km/h operation. On 6 April 2013, Arak was officially designated a metropolis following its administrative merger with Karahrud and Senjan, while locally, buses provide the bulk of local public transport.