Babol

Babol (Persian: بابل‎, pronunciation , Known as "Orange Blossom City" , also Romanized as Bābol; formerly known as Barfrouch)[2] is the capital of Babol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Babol is divided into two metropolitan areas (Under Iranian law). At the 2012 census, its population was 219,467, in 66,944 families.[3]

For the administrative subdivision, see Babol County. For the village in Khuzestan Province, see Babol, Khuzestan.
Babol

بابل
City
Seal
Babol
Coordinates: 36°33′05″N 52°40′44″E
Country Iran
ProvinceMazandaran
CountyBabol
DistrictCentral
Government
 • MayorMohsen Kaboud Firouzjaie
Area
 • City32 km2 (12 sq mi)
Elevation
−2 up to 50 m (−6 to 150 ft)
Population
 (2016 Census)
 • Urban
250,217 [1]
Time zoneUTC+3:30 (IRST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+4:30 (IRDT)
Postal Code
48xxx-xxxxx
Area code(s)011
Vehicle PlateIRAN ج72 , ج82 , ص82
Websitewww.babolcity.ir

Babol is located in the north of Iran, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Babol is on the north-east of Tehran and is one of the most important cities in the north of Iran. It is the region's chief center. Babol is a new name for the site of the ancient city of Mamatir, that then was named as Barforush. The city receives abundant rainfall. It is famous for its orange farms, for which it is dubbed "the city of orange blossoms".[4]

History and name
Bahman Square Babol in 1946

Founded in the 16th century, it was built on the site of the ancient city of Mamtir (deriving from "Mah Mithra" "great Mithra). Mithra or 'The Mediator' was believed to be the savior of creation from the threat of darkness and the one who stands between the light of Ahura Mazda and the darkness of Ahriman. Babol was formerly called Barforushdeh (meaning Market town) and Barforush afterwards. The city was later named Barforoush, which literally means market town. In 1931, the founder of the Pahlavi Dynasty Reza Shah (1878-1944) ordered urban planning efforts to commence in the city and changed its name to Babol, which means city with abundant water supply.[5]

Geography and climate

The city is located approximately 20 kilometers south of Caspian Sea on the west bank of BabolRud River and receives abundant annual rainfall. Babol borders Babolsar and Fereydunkenar to the north, Qaem Shahr and Shirgah District to the east, Savadkuh to the southeast, Firuzkuh to the South and Amol to the west. Babol University is famous for its spectacular scenery.

Map showing the location of Babol county as well as Babol city in Mazandaran.

The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot-summer Mediterranean (Csa).[6]

Climate data for Babol
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 12.9
(55.2)		 12.7
(54.9)		 13.3
(55.9)		 16.9
(62.4)		 24.3
(75.7)		 28.8
(83.8)		 29.5
(85.1)		 30.4
(86.7)		 26.8
(80.2)		 23.5
(74.3)		 19
(66)		 15.4
(59.7)		 21.1
(70.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8.6
(47.5)		 8.5
(47.3)		 9.4
(48.9)		 13.1
(55.6)		 20.2
(68.4)		 23.5
(74.3)		 25.4
(77.7)		 26
(79)		 22.4
(72.3)		 18.9
(66.0)		 14.1
(57.4)		 10.5
(50.9)		 16.7
(62.1)
Average low °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)		 4.4
(39.9)		 5.5
(41.9)		 9.3
(48.7)		 16.1
(61.0)		 18.2
(64.8)		 21.3
(70.3)		 21.7
(71.1)		 18.1
(64.6)		 14.4
(57.9)		 9.2
(48.6)		 5.7
(42.3)		 12.4
(54.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 86
(3.4)		 69
(2.7)		 72
(2.8)		 53
(2.1)		 25
(1.0)		 25
(1.0)		 27
(1.1)		 34
(1.3)		 79
(3.1)		 96
(3.8)		 99
(3.9)		 110
(4.3)		 775
(30.5)
Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 0m[6]

Population

In 2012 population census calculation of the city,the population was 219,467 people (79,837 households) and a population of 495,472 people in the located in the city.

Landmarks

The ruins of Shah Abbas I's palace are located in the city. Mohammad Hassan Khan's Bridge is also one of the most ancient buildings of Mazandaran. It was built by the king Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar, the ancestor of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar as the main road from Babol to Amol. Now it is known as the old road of Babol to Amol. Another nice scenery is Babol Noshirvani Park, which is the biggest park including playground located in the north part of Iran, located almost in the vicinity of Caspian Sea. Babol is home to important and intact forests and jungles. for instance, Shiadeh, the unique and intact forest, is located in south-east Babol. Shiadeh is the name of a rural area near the jungle.

Filband, a village near the northern Iranian city of Babol, is famous for its skies which are full of interconnected cumulus clouds, especially in springtime.[7]

Historical and natural attractions
Babol Jameh Mosque
Sultan Mohamad Taher Tomb Tower
Entrance of the Medical Sciences University of Babol
Watchtower
Bandpey Jungle
  • Mohammad Hassan Khan Bridge
  • Babol Royal Palace
  • Babol Museum
  • Emamzadeh Ghasem
  • Kazem Beik Mosque
  • Watchtower
  • Babol Jameh Mosque
  • Mohaddesin Mosque
  • Tekyeh Moghri Kola
  • Sultan Mohammad Taher Tomb Tower
  • Darvish Fakhr Al-Din Tomb
  • Post Building
  • Head University of Medical Sciences
  • Ibn Shahr Ashub Tomb
  • Sarast Tower
  • Darvish Alam-bazi Tower
  • Hasirforoshan Mosque
  • Azroud Thermal Spring
  • Babolroud
  • Babolkenar Forest Park
  • Historic homes Qajansb
  • Aghajan Nasab House
  • Osia House
  • Najafi Mansion
  • Sheikh Mousa Yaylak and Waterfall
  • Kimoun Waterfall
  • Shiadeh Dam
  • Saghanefar Kija Tekyeh
  • Porang High School
  • Shiadeh Saghanefar
  • Abuol Hasan Kola Saghanefar
  • Mulana Mosque
  • Tirkan Waterfall
  • Haft Waterfall
  • Filband Village
  • Bandpey Village
  • Pir Alam Tekyeh
  • Moftakher ul-Mamalek Caravanserai
  • Sadr Hawza
  • Chahar Suq Mosque
  • Lafoor Jungle
  • Bagh-e Ferdows
  • Noshirvani Park

Economy

Commerce and trading are the backbone of the city's economy since it is the largest commercial center for Mazandaran province, partially due to its location at the center of the province and also the large population of villages around the city making Babol county the most populated county in the province. Babol produces food and textiles — as well as other processed goods . Including oranges, lemons, and tangerines. There are many rice farms around the city, and, until about 20 years ago, tea, tobacco, and cotton were processed.

Transportation

Almost 100% of the city transportation is by car, buses and other road vehicles. Thus, Babol is highly dependent on the regional highway network which connects the city to Babolsar at 10 km north, Amol at 30 km west and Qaemshahr at 15 km east. These are all new wide highways.

Babol has access to an airport 55 km away and to a train station 15 km away.

The ports of Fereydunkenar and Babolsar are both located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea with connection to other Caspian ports.

Colleges and universities
Noshirvani University of Technology

As the largest commercial center the city of Babol also hosts large number of universities province. Universities include:

  • Babol Noshirvani University of Technology The university is an influential center for academic research in Iran, due to which it has been consistently ranked among the top schools in the country. BNUT is currently ranked 1st among all Iranian universities according to Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. THE has also ranked BNUT between 351st and 400th among world universities, 55th among the world's young universities, as well as 43rd among Asian universities.[8]
  • Babol University of Medical Sciences
  • Mazandaran University of Science and Technology
  • Educators University - Education Center Martyr Rajai Babol
  • PNU - Babol Center
  • PNU - Bandpey Unit
  • Islamic Azad University - Babol Unit
  • University of Applied Science - Babol Unit
  • Babol Vocational College of Imam Sadiq
  • Mazandaran Institute of Technology
  • Rahedanesh Institute of Higher Education
  • Tabari Institute of Higher Education
  • Aryan Institute of Science and Technology
  • Institute of Applied Science of Art and Culture - Unit 4 Of Babol
  • Institute of Applied Science Technology Jahad Daneshgahi
  • Institute of Applied Science -Unit Of Western Bandpey
  • Vocational College of Sama - Babol Unit
  • Vocational College of AzZahra - Babol Unit

Health centers and hotels
  • Negin Hotel
  • Reza Hotel
  • Marjan Hotel
  • Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital
  • Babol Clinic
  • Shahid Beheshti Hospital
  • Fatemeh Al-Zahra Hospital
  • Yahya Nejad Hospital
  • 17 Shahrivar Hospital
  • Mehregan Hospital

Industry

Major corporations
  • Iran Khodro Mazandaran
  • Babol Machine Mfg. & Ind
  • MSco
  • Khazar Khodro Babol.Co

Sport

Babol is home to Iranian Basketball Super League team BEEM Mazandaran BC which plays in the city's Shahid Sojoodi Arena. BEEM also had a popular volleyball team in the Iranian Super League in 2008–2009. Now Babol have a 2 Team in wrestling, Bime Razi and Arash Zin. They have a popular football club, Khooneh Be Khooneh. Khooneh Be Khooneh play in 2nd division (after Premier League) in Iranian system football but they could going to finals of Hazfi Cup in 2016–17. They could not promote to Premier League for 1 Goal. Babol is host of Freestyle Wrestling Club World Cup in December 2018.

Notable people
Emam-Ali Habibi
Alireza Mashaghi
Delkash
Mirza Shafi Mazandarani
Bashir Babajanzadeh
Alireza Firouzja

References
  1. https://www.amar.org.ir/english
  2. Babol can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3054341" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  3. http://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/2/pdf/jamiat_shahrestan_keshvar.pdf%7CIran's population and family city to city in 1390, respectively
  4. Iranian Students' News Agency - ISNA |http://mazandaran.isna.ir/Default.aspx?NSID=5&SSLID=46&NID=18028
  5. http://www.babolcity.ir/HomePage.aspx?TabID=4618&Site=DouranPortal&Lang=fa-IR%7CBabol Municipality
  6. "Climate: Babol - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 9 September 2013.
  7. "Iran's Beauties in Photos: Scenic Village of Filband". IFPNews.com.
  8. Times Higher Education World University Rankings
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