Zanjan, Iran

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Lore & Background

According to the Nuzhat al-Qulub of the 14th-century Iranian geographer Hamdallah Mustawfi, Zanjan was said to have been founded by the first Sasanian ruler Ardashir I (r. 224–242), who named it 'Shahin.' During the Arab invasion of Iran, Zanjan was conquered in 645 by a force led by al-Barra ibn Azib. Medieval geographers generally agree that Zanjan was located in the region of Jibal/Persian Iraq, near the frontier of the neighbouring region of Azerbaijan. Some geographers also include Zanjan as part of Daylam or Ray. After 833, the Abbasid Caliphate had a chain of forts constructed from Zanjan to Ardabil to counter the 817–837 rebellion of the Khurramite leader Babak Khorramdin. In the 10th-century, Zanjan was ruled by local Daylamite dynasties such as the Musafirids (919–1062). According to the 13th-century Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi, the Persians referred to the city as 'Zangan.' During the Ilkhanate era (1256–1335), the inhabitants were reported by Hamdallah Mustawfi to have spoken 'pure Pahlavi' (pahlavī-e rāst), a Median or northern form of Persian. One important moment in the history of the city was in 1851 when the city became a center for the suppressed Babi religious movement, along with Neyriz and a fortress known as Shaykh Tabarsi. The forces of the central government captured the Babi fort in Zanjan after a long siege on the orders of Grand Vizier Amir Kabir and killed or expelled the Bab's followers. Before becoming the capital of the namesake Zanjan province, Zanjan was a county of the Gilan province.

Reader's Guide

Zanjan's significance lies in its layered history as a Sasanian foundation, a medieval frontier town, and a focal point of the Babi movement in 1851, which was violently suppressed by the central government. The city's claim to the highest happiness level among 30 Iranian provinces, per an Isna survey, adds a distinctive contemporary note. Its cultural heritage includes the Saltmen, naturally preserved human remains from the Achaemenian era discovered in 1993, and a range of handicrafts such as knives, charuq (traditional shoes), filigree, and gilding. The city's bazaar, dating from the late 18th century, and the Jameh Mosque of Zanjan (1826) are notable architectural landmarks. Zanjan is also home to several universities, including the University of Zanjan and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences. Its legacy is further enriched by notable figures such as the philosopher Shahab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, founder of Illuminationism, and the Babi leader Hujjat. The city's indoor sport climbing wall is considered one of the best in the Middle East.

Did You Know?

• According to a detailed survey by Isna, Zanjan's population boasts the highest level of happiness among the people of 30 other provinces in Iran.
• The city was said to have been founded by the first Sasanian ruler Ardashir I, who named it 'Shahin.'
• In 1851, Zanjan became a center for the suppressed Babi religious movement; the central government captured the Babi fort after a long siege on the orders of Grand Vizier Amir Kabir.
• During the Ilkhanate era, inhabitants of Zanjan were reported to have spoken 'pure Pahlavi' (pahlavī-e rāst), a Median or northern form of Persian.
• Six naturally preserved human remains called saltmen, from the Achaemenian era, were discovered in 1993 in the Chehrabad salt mines.