Sari (/Sārī/ Mazandarani: ساری, Persian: ساری)

is the provincial capital of Mazandaran, located in the north of Iran, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of Caspian (Mazandaran) Sea. Its population is estimated to be 261,293, as of 2006. It has a land area of 5,089 square kilometers[citation needed]. The city was founded during the Sasanids period. Sari is one of the entertainment and sports centers of Iran.

About Sari

The Clock Tower, in the Clock Square (Meydan-e-Sa'at) located in downtown Sari, attracts many visitors and has become its most famous landmark. Sari also contains the tombs of the Muslim leaders Yahya and Zayn Al-Abedin, Emamzade-ye Abbas, and Shazdeh Hussein from the 15th century.

Economy

The economy of Sari is based on food production such as cakes, milled rice, yogurt, doogh (a yogurt drink), canned meat, oilseed and exporting fruits especially oranges, lemons, etc. Some companies in Sari (e.g., the wood and paper company Sanaie Choub Kaqaz and Pishraneh Electronics[3]) are famous in the Middle East. Sari's property prices are quite variable. This allows most residents to own their homes, but most neighborhoods are quite expensive because of the pleasant climate. Land prices vary between $220 USD per square meter to more than $11,000 USD per square meter.

Climate

Rainfall Statistics in 2005*
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
70.2 38.7 64.3 62.6 49.9 41.9 33.9 34.8 62.2 68.8 126.8 121.9
Sari's 2005-2006 statistical weather information, in comparison with that of other Mazandaran cities, shows that Sari has an average climate, but it is somewhat sunnier and has more spring rain. However, recent rainfall in Sari has declined.

City districts

Sari contains the following major sections:
Azad Goleh, Bagher Abad,Booali & Posht-e-Hotel(both located in Pasdaran Blvd.), Barbari Mahalleh, Bazaar-e Nargesiyeh, Bazaar-e Rooz, Chenar-Bon, Gol-Afshan, Golma, Kooy-e Azadi, Kooy-e DadGostari, Kooy-e Daneshgah, Kooy-e Djahad, Kooy-e Golha, Kooy-e-Karmandan, Kooy-e Mahyar, Kooy-e MirSarorozeh, Kooy-e Qelich, Lesani, Mehdi-Abad, Mirza-Zamani, Na'l-Bandan, No-Tekiyeh, Peyvandi, Pir Tekiyeh, Pol-e Gardan, Posht-e Nim-e Shaban, Posht-e Zendan, Rahband-e Dokhaniyat, Rahband-e Sangtarashan, Sang, Sari Kenar, Sarvineh Bagh, Seyyed AlShohada, Shafa, Shahband, Shazdeh Hossein, Shekar Abad, Tabaristan, Tavakkoli, Torki Mahalleh, Torkmen Mahalleh, etc.

People and culture

Residents are known as Saravis or Sariyan. The population is a mixture of native Mazandaranis, Persians, Turks, Kurds, Afghans, Balochis, and Turcomans. There are many foreign inhabitants, including Germans, Japanese, Russians, and Arabs. Whereas neighborhoods were identified during the Qajar dynasty by the ethnicity of their inhabitants, this is no longer so. Historically, some areas were labeled as being home to immigrants from Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Balochistan. Sari, as well as other regions in northern Iran, is well known for its hospitality. Most residents speak Mazandarani and the Saravi dialect. Sari used to be the home of Georgians, Armenians, and Zoroastrians, but today their percentage of the population is low. Local languages are spoken in some neighborhoods, but almost everyone understands and uses Persian as second language.

Transportation

Arriving

By air

Sari is served by Dasht-e Naz International Airport, which is located in the northeast of the city. it has four daily flights in summer and six weekly flights in other seasons scheduled to and from Tehran (cost: $20 USD). Also, it has weekly flight destinations to Mashhad and Jeddah. Seasonal destinations include Isfahan, Kish Island, and sometimes other cities, depending on demand. Tickets should be reserved one week in advance.

By train

The city is connected to Gorgan and Tehran by Shomal Railways, since it is on a major branch of the Iran's Railroad. The Sari train station is the city's first modern rail station and it dates from the Pahlavi dynasty. Currently, there are three major passenger trains (Sari Exclusive Train, No. 220, and No. 221) everyday to Sari. If you travel to Sari from Tehran, you may use the Gorgan train, which runs in the evening. Only some major express trains have announcements in English, but this train does. The fare is $3.5 USD, and the trip takes either 7 hours (Tehran-Sari) or 71/2 hours (Sari-Tehran), because the trip is through mountains. For more than 60 years, Sari's exclusive train has been arriving about 4 PM.

By boat

The port of Amir Abad is located on the southern coast of the Mazandaran Sea.

By car

Local highways have been well developed after the Iran?Iraq War. Sari area contains highway 62w, which has the Qa'emshahr exit and 62e, which has the Neka exit.

By bus

There are five bus terminals, but just one, Terminal-e Dowlat, is popular. The others serve cities that are located within 150 kilometers of Sari: Gorgan, Nowshahr and Chaloos, Kiyasar, etc.

Getting around

The layout of the city lends itself to using taxis. There is a wide choice of taxi systems including ceremony taxis, wireless taxis, airport or rail station taxis, and telephone taxis. City buses are also popular because they connect Sari's suburbs to the center of city, and most of the population lives in the suburbs. Although pedestrians must take care crossing busy streets, Sari is safe for pedestrians even at night. Image:Mazandaran Sea Sari City.jpg

Outdoors

Sari is balmy and pleasant. Most major places of interest are listed below:
* Farah Abad Coast
* Gohar Baran Coast
* Darya Kenar Coast
* Khezer Shahr Coast
* Dehkadeh Aramesh Tourist Village
* Tajan River Park
* Zare' Forest Park
* Salardareh Forest Park
* Dasht-E-Naaz National Park
* Pol-e-Gardan hiking trail
* Nemashoun Lake
* Lak-Dasht Lake
* Soleyman-Tangeh Lake
* Bam-e-Shahr Hill (offers a great panoramic view of the city)
* Qor-Maraz (natural spa, Neka)

Colleges and universities

Unlike today, Sari was once one of the most cultured cities in the history of Iran. The scientific knowledge of Saravis was noted throughout history and recorded by Pietro Della Valle and other famous visitors. Today, the universities are as follows:
* University of Agricultural
* Mazanderan University of Medical Science (MazUMS)
* University of Natural Science
* Islamic Azad University of Sari
* Imam Mohammad Bagher University of Technology
* Sarian University of Art & Architecture
* Payam-e-Noor University
* University of Tech & Engineering (Khalil Moqadam)
* University of Tarbiyat-e Modaress
* Sama Technology Faculty of Azad University
* Rouzbehan University

Sports

Many complexes feature sports in Sari, but most do not have complete facilities. Most popular are Jahan-Pahlavan Takhti Sports Complex, which is located on Farhang Street; Hashemi-Nassab Sports Complex, which is located on the railway side of the autobahn; and Montazeri Sports complex, which is located in Shahband. Sari has the Mottaqi football stadium as well, but it is seldom used.

Wrestling

Sari is the birthplace of many popular wrestlers and athletes, and it was the host of 2006 Wrestling World Cup Competitions.
It has a major fieldhouse, Seyyed Rasoul Hosseyni Coliseum, which is known throughout Iran as an outstanding venue for wrestling.
The Saravis wrestlers below have won numerous world titles and are known internationally.
* Ali Ramezan Kheder
* Ali Akbar Pirzadeh
* Ali Pahnekallaiee
* Asgari Mohammadian
* Majid Torkan
* Taghi Dadashi
* Morad Mohammadi

Cultural attractions

Although Sari is the most important cultural place in the north of Iran, earthquakes and other causes destroyed most of its cultural buildings. Still, Sari has been described as Safa City (City of Curvet). Notable are Famous Houses such as Kolbadi House, Archeological sites including Hutto Cave (70th millennium BC), Kamarband Cave (70th-millennium BC); also the Resket Tower from the Qaran era and the Farrah-Abad Complex Place from the Safavid era.

Religious sites

Tomb of Imamzadeh Abbas, Located in eastern part of Sari, Mazandaran.
* Emamzadeh Yahya (son of Imam Moosa-ebn Jafar)
* Emamzadeh Abbas (son of Imam Moosa-ebn Jafar)
* Emamzadeh Abdollah, Koula
* Masjed-e-Jaame' Mosque (constructed before Islam by Zoroastrians, where many important kings and heroes of Persia such as Iraj, Touraj, Salam, Fereidun, Sohrab (son of Rostam) that Ferdowsi remind them in shahnama are buried near this place).
* Emam-Sajjad Mosque (formerly Shah-Qazi, first was Marqad-'Ala-Adolleh School but Rostam Shah Qazi reconstructed it in 1169 and renamed it Shah-Qazi during the Qaznavi era)
* Haaj Mostafa Khan Mosque (Sourteci)
* Reza Khan Mosque (Hozeh Elmiyeh)
* Molla-Majd-Addin Place
* Shazdeh-Hossein Place
* Pahneh-Kalla Place.