Fuman, Iran

Fuman is only 21 kilometres to the west-southwest of Rasht,[5] and 356 kilometres away from the national capital Tehran. It is situated near the foothills of the Talysh Highlands.[5] Fuman is on the road to the historical city of Masuleh and as a result receives a sizeable number of tourists.

From 660 to 760, Fuman functioned as the seat of the Zoroastrian[6] Dabuyid rulers.[5] During the period of the Mongol occupation of Iran, Fuman and Lahijan were among the main towns of Gilan.[5] The local ruler of Fuman at that time, who was reportedly the "only Shafi'ite among the rulers of Gilan", was able to generate a large amount of revenue through lucrative silk trade.[5] According to Hamdallah Mustawfi (died 1349), Fuman was a large city, and the center of a wealthy region which produced large quantities of "wheat, rice and silk".[5]

Fuman continued to function as the capital of the Bia-pas region (western Gilan) until 1572–1573, when ruler Jamshid Soltan made Rasht the capital.[5][7] From the reign of King (Shah) Sultan Husayn (r. 1694–1722) to Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797–1834), the local rulers of Fuman were involved in a fierce rivalry with the local rulers of neighboring Shaft.[5] John Elton, who had been prominent under Nader Shah (r. 1736–1747), was killed in 1751 on the order of one of these rulers, Agha Jamal Fumani.[5] In 1805, during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, Fuman was reportedly "still a small, open town with about a thousand houses and a very lively market".[5] However, the situation changed when Hajji Mohammad Khan abandoned Fuman for Rasht during the early reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1848–1896). In the subsequent period, Fuman "fell into decay".[5] According to Grigorii Melgunov, who visited Fuman in 1860, it was little more than a village consisting of just 140 houses surrounding the palace of the local ruler.[5] Fuman has regained importance since the mid-20th century.[5]

The inhabitants of Fuman are mainly Gilaks who speak the Gilaki language, and the Talysh people who speak the Talysh language. The majority of the inhabitants are Shia Muslims, with a minority of Sunnis present in the city.

Football is the most popular sport in Fuman, and the city is host to Shahrdari Fuman who play in the Iranian third tier.

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  Renowned thin koluche (cookies) in Fuman.
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  Fuman's koluche prior to being cooked.
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  The statue of Anahita, an ancient Iranian goddess, in Fuman.
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  The Engineering College of Fuman belongs to the University of Tehran.
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  Gasht is also located in Fuman County, near the city of Fuman.

• Bazin, Marcel (2000). "FŪMAN". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. X, Fasc. 3. pp. 227–228.
• Goto, Yukako (2017). "KĀR KIĀ". Encyclopaedia Iranica.