Zanjan city - Zanjan Province

Zanjan

Province and the City

Zanjan Province is located in North West of Iran (Persia). The province has been divided in two in 1996. Qazvin province formed by taking Qazvin and Takestan cities from Zanjan province and 7 other major cities/countries remained in Zanjan province: Zanjan, Abhar, Khorramdarreh, Tarom, Mahneshan, Eejroud and Khodabandeh.

Zanjan Grand Hotel

Zanjan is mostly an industrial province with its major industries in Automobile, Electrics, Metal works and Textiles. Iran Khodro, Iran Transfu Company, Iran Zinc Mines Development Company and Pars Switch are some samples of them.

Tourism and Economy


Zanjan has a great position in different kinds of Tourism like business tourism, Eco Tourism and historical sites tourism. There are many business & investment opportunities in the province for foreign investors and companies. Some of these fields are listed below: …
For tourists interested in historical sites and monuments Zanjan has many things to be visited. The most famous places among them are Rakhtshooi Khaneh (a place where people used to wash their clothes there), Soltanieh citadel tower and some Karevansaras (Places for travelers and ancient letter carriers, Chapars) etc.

Soltanieh Citadel

Two Soltanieh Inside views

One of the most Significant points of Zanjan city, is Caspian Exhibition complex. Caspian is in the suburb of Zanjan, close to El Daghi complex. I think Caspian Exhibition can play a great role in Zanjan’s economy growth. Caspian is designed in 3 phases and right now (July 2007) the 1st phase is completed in three salons (1600, 3200 and 3600 Square meters) and the second phase is 40% completed. One the most important issues that Caspian suffers from, is car parking area for visitors.

Modern Zanjan

Nowadays, Zanjan city with a population of nearly half a million (1.2 million people the whole province) is almost a modern city in Iran but still with traditional culture and life style. I really felt the lack of entertainment facilities in the city, since the only places to get some rest for residents are El Daghi and Mellat complexes. There are two lakes in Zanjan which I really missed some Jet Skies and boats, but there isn’t any.

El Daghi Complex

Education

Today’s Zanjan is a good place for education. There are many universities in Zanjan and there are lot students from other cities especially from Tabriz and Tehran. Professor Sobouti, who is a Zanjani himself, has made a well equipped university for post graduation which is one the most beautiful and pleasure places I’ve ever seen as an academic center in Iran.

Post Graduate - Zanjan University (Prof. Sobooti)

Qom city - Qom Province

Qom is a religious city just 160 Km south west of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Since this city plays a great role in Iran’s governance, there is lots of attention on this city. Beside the modern attention, the city has an independent character regarding its culture and its influence on the whole country.
Qom is considered to be a holy city among Shia Muslims, as it is the site of the shrine of Fatema Masume, sister of Imam Ali ibn Musa Reza (789-816 A.D.). The city is the largest center for Shia scholarship in the world, and is a significant destination for pilgrims.

Shrine, Qom

I travelled to one of Qom’s suburbs last month to dig one of its most famous handicrafts known for Iranians and also for the whole world from Iran: The Blue beads!

The Original Blue Beads

The Blue Beads are known to be of good luck and bringing you the good things while they keep the curse and bad luck far from your fate. Those are all about superstitions of course, but the blue glaze on the beads, are welcome by most cultures by the way.

Making Blue Beads

Qom is the origination of blue beads since 1000 B.C. but nowadays we see Turkish handicraft makers claim Blue Beads are originated from their country, which is simply a false judgment regarding the most famous encyclopedia, Britannica.

A modern Islamic Blue Beads Handicraft

Dubai

Dubai is experiencing high construction plans and projects these days. There are still lots of halfway projects in Dubai: residential, trade zones, complexes and etc.

Maybe more than half of these projects are held by Iranian investors because they have found Dubai a safer place to invest in. It's a pity for Iran's Economy and I regret it, but Economy has been always proved itself as un-magisterial and logical.

As a result of this attention Dubai receives from constructors, this city is attracting retail investors' attention too. There are lots of Iranian rushing to buy a property in Dubai for the benefits and the scope of the future also. benefits like having a permanent residential VISA permission or ability to rent the house. Right now the rate of rent in Dubai is nearly 13 percent of the value of the property per year which is quiet good comparing with Iran's 7%.

Taleghan

Taleghan is a beautiful village near Qazvin (Ghazvin) but located in Tehran province. It's around 80 Miles away from city of Tehran, the capital of Iran and among the Alborz Mountains.
Taleghan which is also pronounced in Persian as Talaghan, means mine of gold. Taleghani people are well educated comparing other country and villages in Iran. the most famous people of modern Taleghan are Ayotollah Taleghani, Jalal Al e Ahmad, Omidvar brothers and Colonel Fallahi.

Taleghan is nearly including 100 smaller villages and countries. I have travelled across some of them. there are people in these villages who haven't even travelled to a neighbour village at the ages of 50!! but as I said, most of them are civilized and even well educated.


here are some views from Koolaj village in the heart of Taleghan:

Khorramshahr city - Khuzistan Province

Khorramshahr was Iran's and Persian Gulf's biggest port before Iran\s revolution in 1979. During the war between Iran and Iraq which were clearly imposed by Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein in those ages, Khorramshahr destroyed and ruined after Iraqi invasion.

Now, after nearly 26 years from the beginning of the war, Khorramshahr is still a poor and lorn land, with heavy casualties you can see in your own eye every where in the city.

a view of a ruined house during the war in 1981 (picture took in 2006)

A poor guy sleeping in the street, while the temperature is around 50 Centigrade (120 Fahrenheit) and the humidity is nearly 100%!

I traveled to Tabriz and some near places over there in Norooz holidays. Kandovan Village is one of them. Kandovan is a village inside the mountains in a high altitude Zagros sierra. the people of Kandovan live in houses dug inside the mountains and their income is from selling Dairies, meet, wool, Honey and dried vegetables.
this is a view of Kandovan village:


Handcrafts are also among these people's business. People in Moghan, Ardebil, Sabalan and Tabriz knit and weave Kilims (Gelim) from wool and silk. beneath you can see a sample (for more sample go to Iranian Handcrafts website)


if you got same experiences or want to know more about Azerbayjan, please do not hesitate to comment it here or send me emails to emad at irxp . com

Y! answers is an amazing place! few days ago I just dumped in to a page, and saw it is completely different from what I'd seen years ago! I looked at some questions and found this one interesting:

If Christianity really is the true religion....?
Then what will happen to the devout Muslims, Buddists, Hindus and so on who were taught that their religions were right. Will they go to hell?

I really thought I got my words to say, so I replied:

I am a muslim, but not a radical and extrimist one! I believe in god and in being good to others. let me review your word: "Will they go to hell?"
and let me put it this way:
why did I become a muslim, and you became a christian? cause your parents were christians and mine were muslims!! so none of us decided to be something! and next, if you belive in god as the Just & Clement Creator, don't you think it is injustice to send to hell someone for what he/she hadn't chosen??

we all will be judged due to what we have done to other people (and even animals, environment and ourselves regarding my own belief)
as the last example I cannot imagine Hitler going to heaven cause he was a christian and Ghandi going to hell because he wasn't!

and... my answer got the best answer's award! cheers!