In terms of natural topography, Qaem Shahr is divided into two regions: the plain and the foothills of theAlborz. It is situated at an elevation of 51 meters above sea level. Qaem Shahr has aHumid subtropical climate. In most years, winter contributes to half of the city’s annual rainfall, while summer is the least rainy season in Qaem Shahr. The average annual precipitation in Qaem Shahr is approximately 850 millimeters.[7] Based on the latest accurate geographic data, Qaem Shahr is considered one of the largest cities inNorthern Iran.[8]
The history of human settlement in Qaem Shahr, which also includes the ancient cities ofChamno andTooji, dates back to theIron Age. Archaeological excavations in Qaem Shahr have uncovered 5,000-year-old pottery and stone tools.[13] During theSafavid period, the city garnered greater attention. Its initial foundation asAliabad took place during theQajar dynasty. However, the era of significant growth and development for Qaem Shahr traces back to thePahlavi dynasty. During this period, construction of theTrans-Iranian Railway began in Qaem Shahr, and various factories and facilities were established in the city.[14] In September 1935, by a decree of the Council of Ministers, the city's name was changed toShahi.[15] Following the end ofWorld War II, Qaem Shahr's development continued, making it a hub for population settlement. During the1979 Iranian Revolution, the nameShahi was changed toQaem Shahr.
Qaem Shahr holds significant strategic geographic importance as it connectsTehran to the northern and northeastern regions of Iran via two different routes:Firuzkuh Road andHaraz Road. It is reported that five million travelers annually commute throughFiruzkuh Road to Qaem Shahr, which is linked to a maritime border through the port ofBabolsar.[16][17] This city is recognized as one ofIran's tourism centers, offering a variety oftourist attractions. The clock tower in Talaqani Square serves as the symbol of Qaem Shahr.
Until 1945, Qaem Shahr was part ofSari County. With the establishment of Shahi County that year, the city became its administrative center. Historically, regions likeShahmirzad District,Firuzkuh County,Savadkuh County,Juybar County, andSimorgh County were originally sections of Qaem Shahr before being designated as independent counties. As of the 2016 census, Qaem Shahr's population was approximately 204,953, making it the most densely populated city inMazandaran Province and northern Iran.[18]
Chamno: Also known as Jemanan, it consists of two parts: "Chamn" (grass) and "o" (water in theTabari language). It referred to an area characterized by lush grasslands and water. Historical records ofTabaristan mention that during the6th century AH, a river flowed through Chamno. Its bridge was repaired at the personal expense ofShah Ghazi Rustam (460 to 536 AH), the ruler of Tabaristan, to prevent its water from going to waste.Ibn Isfandiyar also frequently mentioned Chamno in theHistory of Tabaristan. Today, there is a neighborhood called Jemanan in Qaem Shahr.
Toji: The origin of the name for the cityToji orTriji remains unclear but may derive from the Toji River located south of Qaem Shahr
Shahi: In the early 1300s (solar calendar), the newly established city of Shahi was founded by order ofReza Shah, his birthplace, and Aliabad was renamed Shahi.[19]
Qaem Shahr: Following the1979 Revolution, the city was renamed to Qaem Shahr.[20]
In 1951, Qaem Shahr'spopulation was around 18,000, growing to 123,684 in 1991.[citation needed] At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 174,246 in 48,055 households.[21] The following census in 2011 counted 196,050 people in 60,347 households.[22] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 204,953 people in 68,407 households.[3]
According to existing evidence, including religious sites such as Imamzadeh Yousef Reza and the tomb of the scholar and juristSheikh Tabarsi, Qaem Shahr reflects a long-standing history of civilization and culture dating back to before the 6th century AH.
In the city of Shahi, a weekly bazaar was held every Wednesday. On these days, locals from nearby districts, as well as merchants from surrounding villages and even other cities, brought their goods and products to this market for sale. Over time, this bazaar gained significance and established a certain level of prominence and centrality in the region.
During the era of the Umayyad dynasty, the Arab rulers, aiming to control and dominate the southern regions of the Caspian Sea, established 44 military outposts stretching from present-day Astara to Esterabad (modern-day Gorgan). One of the most prominent of these posts was the Arta military fortress. These 44 outposts were commonly known as “Dine Sar,” which essentially means “protector of religion.” At the Arta military fortress, a commander named Bani Abbas, accompanied by 330 soldiers, governed the areas of present-day Qaem Shahr, Arateh, and Sari.
Taleghani Hill: Archaeological findings, historical relics, and human remains from the first millennium have been unearthed here.
Dineh Kafashgarkola Hill in Arateh: This hill, located in the village of Kafashgarkola Arateh in Qaem Shahr County, dates back to the first millennium BC, further proving the region's ancient history.
According toVasily Bartold, theTapurs lived in the southeastern regions of the province and were subjects of theAchaemenid Empire. TheAmardians were defeated byAlexander the Great, and later subdued by theParthians, who resettled them near Rey in the 2nd century BC. The Tapurs then occupied the former lands of the Amardians. In his description of the Deylam region (eastern Gilan on the shores of the Caspian Sea), Ptolemy mentions only theTapurs.[26]
According toMojtaba Minovi, the Amardian andTapur tribes inhabited the land ofMazandaran. The Tapurs resided in the mountainous areas, while the Amardians lived in the plains of Mazandaran. In 176 BC,Phraates I relocated the Amardian tribe to the Khvar region, allowing the Tapurs to occupy the entire Mazandaran area, which then became known as Tapurstan.[27] The cities of Amol, Chalous, Klar, Saeedabad, and Royan were part of the Tapur tribe's territory.[28]
William Smith, in theDictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, writes that the Tapur tribe was a people whose settlement throughout different historical periods seems to have extended across a vast area fromArmenia eastward to the Oxus River (Amu Darya).Strabo places them near the Caspian Gates and Rey, in Parthia, between the Derbices and Aserm Hyrcania, alongside theAmardians and other groups along the southern shores of theCaspian Sea. This last perspective, which locates the Tapurs along the southern coasts of theCaspian Sea, aligns with the views ofQuintus Curtius Rufus,Dionysius, andPliny the Elder.
Ptolemy at times considers the Tapurs as part of the peoples ofMedia, while elsewhere he associates them withMargiana. There is no doubt that the region currently known asTabarestan derives its name from the Tapurs mentioned byPliny andQuintus Curtius.Aelian provides a peculiar description of the Tapurs who lived in Media.[29]
Throughout its history, Qaem Shahr has been known by various names such as Chamno, Tooji, Aliabad, and Shahi. The earliest recorded name of the city, mentioned in Islamic-era sources from the 7th to 9th centuries AH, is Chamno or Jamno. Chamno was the site of a battle in the 3rd century between Soleiman bin Abdollah, a Taherian ruler of Tabarestan, and Hasan bin Zayd, the leader of theAlavids of Tabarestan. Other historical and geographical sources also refer to the city as Tooji, Triji, or Taranjeh. This fortified city, which also had a castle, has been mentioned under different names. Some sources consider Taranjeh and Tooji to be the same location, while others treat them as two distinct places.Zahir al-Din Marashi refers to Tooji and Chamno as villages in the western parts of the Sari province. Based on Zahir al-Din Marashi's accounts, the city of Tooji should be located near present-day Qaem Shahr. InIstakhri'sMasalik al-Mamalik, the location of Tooji is described as being near Sari and separate from Mamtabar. A significant historical event at the fortress of Tooji was the battle between the forces of Seyyed Kamal al-Din Marashi and Kiyavastasp Jalali.[30]
In sources from the 9th century AH, this city is referred to as the region of Aliabad. In the travelogues of Safavid-era explorers, such as Pietro della Valle, who visited Mazandaran and present-day Qaem Shahr, as well as inTarikh-e Giti Gosha related to the Zand dynasty period, the city is mentioned under the name Aliabad. In late February 1931, by order ofReza Shah, Aliabad was renamed Shahi.[31]
Tujī (also referred to as Trījī, Trījeh, Tarnjeh, and Barjī) is mentioned as one of the cities ofTabarestan.
Ibn Rusta,[32] a historian from the 3rd century, describes Tabarestan as bounded by Gorgan and Qumis in the east, Deylam in the west, the sea in the north, and certain regions of Qumis and Rey in the south. According to Ibn Rusta, Tabarestan consisted of fourteen districts, with Khore of Amol as the capital and central city of the region, and its cities included: Sari, Vasram, Mamteer,Tarnjeh, Roubast, Mileh, Merarkadieh (Kadah), Mehrovan, Tamis, Tamar, Natel, Shalus, Royan, and Kalar (Kalardasht).[33]
Estakhri writes that the cities of Amol, Natel, Salus (Chalous), Kalar (Kalardasht), Royan, Mileh,Barjī, Cheshmeh Al-Ham, Mamteer, Sari, Asram, Mehrovan, Lamresk, and Tamisha are part of Tabarestan.[34]
Ibn Hawqal, in describing Tabarestan, mentions that Amol is the largest city of Tabarestan and was the seat of government at his time. He describes the distances between cities: from Plur to Amol is one stage; Amol to Mileh is two farsakhs; Mileh to Trījī is two farsakhs; Trījī to Sari is one stage; Sari to Esterabad is four stages; Esterabad to Gorgan is two stages; Amol to Natel is one stage; Natel to Chalous is one stage; and towards the sea, Ayn Al-Ham is one stage. Ibn Hawqal lists the cities of Amol, Shalus (Chalous), Kalar (Kalardasht), Royan, Mileh,Trījī, Ayn Al-Ham, Mamteer, Asram, Sariyeh, and Tamisha as belonging to the province of Tabarestan.[35]
Maqdisi identifies "Jurjan, Tabarestan, Deylam, and Jilan" as belonging to the fifth climatic region of the world inAhsan al-Taqasim fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim.[36] Maqdisi also describes Tabarestan as having many mountains and abundant rain, noting Amol as the capital of Tabarestan and cities like Chalous, Mamteer, Tarnjeh, Asram, Sariyeh, Tamisha, and others as part of Tabarestan.[37][38]
According toHudud al-'Alam, Tamisha, Lamresk, Sari, Asram, Mamteer,Trījī, Mileh, Amol, Al-Ham, Natel, Roudan, Chalous, and Kalar (Kalardasht) are among the cities ofTabarestan. The author of Hudud al-'Alam notes that Natel, Roudan, Chalous, and Kalar (Kalardasht) were small towns located in the mountains and valleys, forming part of Tabarestan but under a different kingdom governed by a ruler called "Istandar."[39][40]
Abul Qasim ibn Ahmad Jihani in his bookAshkal al-'Alam mentions the cities of Tabarestan, including: Amol, Natel, Salus (Chalous), Kalaroudan (Kalardasht), Ayn Al-Ham, Mamteer, the ancient city of Asram, Sari, Tamisha, Esterabad, Jurjan, Abaskoon, and Dehestan. He notes the routes from Amol to Deylam, Amol to Natel, from Natel to Salus, from Salus to Kalar, and from Kalar to Deylam.[41]
Rabino notes that the extent of Deylam did not exceed more than one stage west of the Kalar region of Tabarestan.[42]Hamzeh Esfahani, a historian from the 3rd century, writes in his bookHistory of the Kings and Prophets that Tabarestan had many districts, one of which was the region of Deylam, and Iranians referred to the people of Deylam as the "Kurds of Tabarestan," just as Arabs called the people of Iraq the "Kurds of Sorestān."[43]
Ibn Esfandiyar describes Tabarestan as spanning east to west, bounded by Dinargar to Malat, roughly equivalent to the present-dayKordkuy andRudsar.[44] In his bookHistory of Tabarestan, Ibn Esfandiyar lists cities in Tabarestan that had mosques and congregational prayer spaces: Amol, Asram, Sari, Mamteer, Roudbast,Trijeh, Mileh, Mehrovan, Ahlam, Pay Dasht, Natel, Kanu, Shalus (Chalous), Bikhuri, Lamresk, Tamish in the plains; and in the mountains, Kalar (Kalardasht), Royan, Namar, Kajuyeh, Vimeh, Shelanbeh, Vafad, Al-Jomha, Sharmam, Larjan, Omidvar Kuh, Prim, and Hazarger.[45]
According to historical records, the initial foundation of this city was established during the Qajar era under the nameAliabad. It originally consisted of a village with commercial and residential units near today's Taleghani Square, along with neighborhoods surrounding it and large villages such as Chamno (present-day Jemnan, which is now a part of the city itself), Qadikola-ye Bozorg, and Kuchaksara on its outskirts. After the fall of the Qajar dynasty and the beginning of Reza Shah's reign, due to its strategic regional position (serving as a transit route for trade and pilgrimage caravans from neighboring provinces such as Tehran, Gilan, and Khorasan), the area gained increased importance.
Today, it is recognized as a geographically strategic city, linkingTehran to the north and northeast through two different routes:Firuzkuh Road andHaraz road. It is reported that annually, five million travelers pass through theFiruzkuh Road to Qaem Shahr, which also connects to the maritime border via the port ofBabolsar.[46][47]
From a climatic and geographical perspective, the area experiences a Mediterranean and moderate Caspian climate, characterized by humid summers, while the southern regions have relatively cold and rainy winters. The city is located 20 kilometers from the provincial center and 180 kilometers north of Tehran, situated between theCaspian Sea and theAlborz Mountains.
Qaem Shahr is where the North Iranian railway quits the fertile plains of Mazandaran to cross the highest mountain range of the Middle East, theAlborz.
Reza Shah, Qaemshahr railwaySheykh Tabarsi's tomb in Qaem Shahr
The fertile lands of this county have significant potential for cultivating various crops, especially wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, soybeans, and more. Additionally, Qaem Shahr is known as the hub of citrus production in Iran;[51] the highly productive citrus orchards in this city, particularly along the Military Road, are well-regarded.[52]
Other products, such as sugarcane,[53] honey, silk,[54] hemp, and sesame, are found in forested and mountainous villages likeSeyyed Abusaleh,Golafshan, andRikandeh.
Cattle, sheep, and goat rearing are also common practices in various plain and mountainous areas, utilizing the resources available in each village.
The cultivation and traditional production of red sugar from sugarcane are mostly observed in the villages of Seyf Kati, Rikandeh, and Seyyed Abusaleh in Qaem Shahr. Sugarcane is processed in traditional workshops, producing not only sugar but also molasses. The resulting sugar, which is brown or locally called "black sugar," has numerous health benefits. These include alleviating chronic fatigue, cleansing liver toxins, soothing mouth and tongue heat, and reducing gum inflammation. It is also highly beneficial in treating favism, anemia, internal jaundice, and nervous disorders.
Following a period of decline, sugarcane cultivation continued in a very basic form and on a small scale in Mazandaran and favorable areas near the Caspian Sea.
During the reign ofNaser al-Din Shah and with the efforts ofAmir Kabir, steps were taken to revive this industry. Sugarcane from Mazandaran was brought for cultivation in Khuzestan. This effort in Mazandaran and Khuzestan involved importing new cuttings from India. However, sugar production from sugarcane did not thrive in either Mazandaran or Khuzestan.[55][56][57]
In 2010, athletes from this city earned 189 medals at the world, Asian, international, and national levels within just seven months, making Qaem Shahr the most honored county in this regard in the country.[71]
Football has a long history in Qaem Shahr. TheVatani Stadium (formerly Shahna) was built in the 1940s in Qaem Shahr. In the distant past, teams such as Taj Shahi before the 1950s, Bank Mellat, Azmayesh, andF.C. Nassaji Mazandaran (founded in 1959)—one of the oldest teams in Iran and a symbol of football in northern Iran—were prominent. Another notable team was Naft Qaem Shahr, which was later dissolved.[72]
During the 1980s,Hossein Mesgar Saravi was the captain of theIran national football team, and football in Qaem Shahr was associated with the brilliance of players likeNader Dastneshan. (Nader Dastneshan scored 9 goals for Nassaji in 8 games during the Iranian league in 1993, a record that remains unbroken to date.)[73] However, the decline of football in Qaem Shahr began abruptly, with Naft being dissolved and Nassaji relegated to the first division. In 2018, after twenty-four years of waiting, Nassaji returned to Iran's Persian Gulf Pro League.[74] Although Qaem Shahr has introduced many players to the Premier League and national team in recent years, it was unable to fill Nassaji's absence in the Pro League.[75] Nassaji Mazandaran is the champion of the 2021–2022 Iran Football Hazfi Cup.[76][77][78][79]
^Qaem Shahr can be found atGEOnet Names Server, atthis link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3078746" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
^Emadi, Asadollah (1993).Revisiting the History of Mazandaran. Mazandaran Culture House Publications. p. 72.
^Marquart, Josef (1994).Eranshahr Based on the Geography of Moses of Chorene. Translated by Maryam Mir Ahmadi. Tehran Information Publications. p. 245.
^Cite error: The named referenceFath was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
^Hossein Hosseinian Moghadam, Mansour Dadashnejad, Hossein Moradinassab, and Mohammadreza Hedayatpanah, under the supervision of Dr. Seyyed Ahmadreza Khezri.History of Shiism 2: Governments, Dynasties, and Scientific and Cultural Works. Tehran: Research Institute for Seminary and University, 2014. 145.ISBN978-964-7788-37-3
^Maqdisi, Shams al-Din (1982).Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma'rifat al-Aqalim, Volume II. Authors and Translators Association of Iran. p. 519.
^Sotoudeh, Manouchehr (1983).Hudud al-'Alam. Language and Culture Iran Publications. p. 146.
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