Qazvin

關於Qazvin

Qazvin is a city in the Central District of Qazvin County, Qazvin province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the largest city in the province.

Qazvin was a capital of the Safavid Empire for over forty years (1555–1598) and nowadays is known as the calligraphy capital of Iran. It is famous for its traditional confectioneries (like Baghlava), carpet patterns, poets, political newspaper and Pahlavi influence on its accent.

Located in 150 km (93 mi) northwest of Tehran, in the Qazvin Province, it is at an altitude of about 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above sea level. Due to its position at the south of the rugged Alborz range called KTS Atabakiyam, its climate is cold but dry.

Qazvin has sometimes been of central importance at major moments of Iranian history. It was captured by invading Arabs (644 AD) and destroyed by Hulagu Khan (13th century). In 1555, after the Ottoman capture of Tabriz, Shah Tahmasp (1524–1576) made Qazvin the capital of the Safavid Empire, a status that Qazvin retained for half a century until Abbas the Great moved the capital to Isfahan in 1598. It is a provincial capital today...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.