Gilan
Capital: Rasht
Total Area: 14,042 km2
Population (2016): 2.775 million
Languages: Gilaki; Persian
Main Cities: Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Fuman, Lahijan, Langrud, Masouleh, Manjil, Rudbar, Rudsar, Shaft, Hashtpar(city), and Sowme'eh Sara.

The main harbor port is Bandar-e Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi).

Historically Rasht City (the capital city of Gilan Province) Also known as the "City of Rain" (Shahr-e Baraan), was a major transport and business center which connected Iran to Russia and Europe, and because of this was known as the "Gate of Europe".

In antiquity, this area was a province of Persia known as Daylam (sometimes Daylaman, Dailam or Delam). The Daylam region corresponds to the modern region of Gīlaan.

Gilan Province

Gilan Province  is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, in Iran's Region 3, west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, and north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin. It borders the Republic of Azerbaijan in the north and Russia across the Caspian Sea.
The northern part of the province is part of territory of South (Iranian) Talysh. At the center of the province is the main city of Rasht. Other towns in the province include Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Fuman, Lahijan, Langrud, Masouleh, Manjil, Rudbar, Rudsar, Shaft, Hashtpar(city), and Sowme'eh Sara.
The main harbor port is Bandar Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi).

In antiquity, this area was a province of Persia known as Daylam (sometimes Daylaman, Dailam or Delam). The Daylam region corresponds to the modern region of Gīlān.
 

Rasht

Gilan has a humid subtropical climate with, by a large margin, the heaviest rainfall in Iran: reaching as high as 1,900 millimetres (75 in) in the southwestern coast and generally around 1,400 millimetres (55 in). Rasht, the capital of the province, is known internationally as the "City of Silver Rains" and in Iran as the "City of Rain".

Rainfall is heaviest between September and December because the onshore winds from the Siberian High are strongest, but it occurs throughout the year though least abundantly from April to July. Humidity is very high because of the marshy character of the coastal plains and can reach 90 percent in summer for wet bulb temperatures of over 26 °C (79 °F). The Alborz range provides further diversity to the land in addition to the Caspian coasts.
 

Lahijan

The coastline is cooler and attracts large numbers of domestic and international tourists. Large parts of the province are mountainous, green and forested. The coastal plain along the Caspian Sea is similar to that of Mazandaran and mainly used for rice paddies. Due to successive cultivation and selection of rice by farmers, several cultivars including Gerdeh, Hashemi, Hasani, and Gharib have been bred.

In May 1990 large parts of the province were destroyed by a severe earthquake, in which about 45,000 people died. Abbas Kiarostami made his films Life, and Nothing More... and Through the Olive Trees based on this event.
 

Masouleh

Gilan's position on the Tehran-Baku trade route has established the cities of Bandar-e Anzali and Rasht as ranking amongst the most important commercial centers in Iran. As a result, the merchant and middle classes comprise a significant percentage of the population.

The province has an annual average of 2 million tourists, mostly domestic. Although Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists 211 sites of historical and cultural significance in the province, the main tourist attraction in Gilan is the small town of Masouleh in the hills southeast of Rasht. It is built similar to the Pueblo settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the house above.
 

Bandar-e Anzali

Gilan has a strong culinary tradition, from which several dishes have come to be adopted across Iran. This richness derives in part from the climate, which allows for a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts to be grown in the province. Seafood is a particularly strong component of Gilani (and Mazandarani) cuisine. Sturgeon, often smoked or served as kebab, and caviar are delicacies along the whole Caspian littoral. Other types of fish such as mahi sefid, kuli, kulmeh, Caspian salmon, mahi kapur and many others are consumed. Fish roe, or ashpal, is widely used in Gileki cuisine. Traditional Persian stews such as ghalieh mahi (fish stew) and ghalieh maygu (shrimp stew) are featured and prepared in a uniquely Gilani fashion.

More specific to Gilan are a distinctive walnut-paste and pomegranate-juice sauce, used as a marinade for 'sour' kebab (Kabab Torsh) and as the basis of Fesenjān, a rich stew of duck, chicken or lamb. Mirza ghasemi is an aubergine and egg dish with a smoky taste that is often served as a side dish or appetizer. Other such dishes include pickled garlic, olives with walnut paste, and smoked fish. The caviar and smoked fish from the region are widely prized and sought-after specialties in domestic and foreign gourmet markets.
 

Lahijan
CITIES IN Gilan
Rasht
Rasht (the capital city of Gilan Province) is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast with Mediterranean climate that it's history goes back to the 13th century. Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh.
Langerood
Langeroud or Langerod is situated on the slopes of the mountains, 340 km. from Tehran, enjoying a mild and humid climate. It is irrigated by the Shalman and Langerood ...
Bandar Anzali
Bandar-e Anzalī (Bandar Anzali) before the Iranian Revolution, was renamed from Bandar-e Anzali to Bandar-e Pahlavi by Reza Pahlavi) Bandar-e Anzali (Anzali Port) ...
Manjil
Manjil City located in the Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan Province, known as the windy city of Iran; a reputation it owes to its geographical position ...
Lahijan
Lahijan in Gilan Province sits on the northern slopes of the Alborz mountain range in the midst of the lush tea fields of northern Iran.
Roodbar
Roodbar is situated in the mountainous region of Gilan province, 268 km. from Tehran (67 km south of Rasht) and with a variable climate. ...
List of cities in
Gilan Province
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