TheAlborz (listenⓘPersian:البرز) range, also spelled asAlburz,Elburz orElborz, is amountain range in northernIran that stretches from the border ofAzerbaijan along the western and entire southerncoast of theCaspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merges into the smallerAladagh Mountains and borders in the northeast on the parallel mountain ridgeKopet Dag in the northern parts ofKhorasan. All these mountains are part of the much largerAlpide belt. The Alborz range is divided into the Western, Central, and Eastern Alborz Mountains. The Western Alborz Range (usually called theTalysh) runs south-southeastward almost along the western coast of the Caspian Sea. The Central Alborz (the Alborz Mountains in the strictest sense) runs from west to east along the entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea, while the Eastern Alborz Range runs in a northeasterly direction, toward the northern parts of the Khorasan region, southeast of the Caspian Sea.Mount Damavand, the highest mountain in Iran measuring 5,610.0 m (18,405.5 ft), is located in the Central Alborz Mountains.Mount Damavand is the12th most prominent peak in the world and the second most prominent in Asia afterMount Everest.
Alborz on a geographic map of IranDamavand, the highest summit of Alborz
The nameAlborz is derived fromHarā Barazaitī, a legendary mountain in theAvesta, the main text ofZoroastrianism.Harā Barazaitī is from a Proto-Iranian name,Harā Bṛzatī, meaning "Mountain Rampart."Bṛzatī is the feminine form of the adjectivebṛzant- "high", the ancestor of modern Persianbouland andBarzBerazandeh, cognate with SanskritBrihat.Harā may be interpreted as "watch" or "guard", from anIndo-European root *ser- "protect". In Middle Persian,Harā Barazaitī becameHarborz, Modern PersianAlborz, which is a cognate withElbrus, the highest peak of theCaucasus.[1]
Alborz Mountain range seen from TehranMilad Tower's view to the city and mountains
Zoroastrians seem to identify the range with the dwelling place of thePeshyotan, and the ZoroastrianIlm-e-Kshnoom sect identifiesMount Damavand as the home of theSaheb-e-Dilan ('Masters of the Heart'). In his epicShahnameh, the poetFerdowsi speaks of the mountains "as though they lay inIndia."[1] This could reflect older usage, for numerous high peaks were given the name, and some even reflect it to this day, includingMount Elbrus in theCaucasus Mountains and Mount Elbariz (Albariz,Jebal Barez) in theKerman area above theStrait of Hormuz. All these names reflect the sameIranian language compound, and have been speculatively identified, at one time or another, as the legendary mountainHara Berezaiti of theAvesta.
The Alborz mountain range forms a barrier between the south Caspian and theIranian plateau. It is only 60–130 km wide and consists of sedimentary series dating from UpperDevonian toOligocene, prevalentlyJurassiclimestone over agranite core. Continental conditions regardingsedimentation are reflected by thick Devoniansandstones and byJurassicshales containing coal seams. Marine conditions are reflected byCarboniferous andPermian strata that are composed mainly of limestones. In the Eastern Alborz Range, the far eastern section is formed byMesozoic (chieflyTriassic and Jurassic) rocks, while the western part of the Eastern Alborz Range is made primarily ofPaleozoic rocks.Precambrian rocks can be found chiefly south of the city ofGorgan situated in the southeast of theCaspian Sea and, in much smaller amounts, in the central and western parts of the Central Alborz Range. The central part of the Central Alborz Range is formed mainly ofTriassic andJurassic rocks, while the northwestern section of the range is mainly composed of Jurassic rocks. Very thick beds ofTertiary (mostlyEocene) greenvolcanictuffs andlavas are found mainly in the southwestern and south-central parts of the range. The far northwestern part of the Alborz, that constitutes the Western Alborz Range or theTalish Mountains, is mainly made up ofUpper Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary deposits, with a strip of Paleozoic rocks and a band of Triassic and Jurassic rocks in the southern parts, both in a northwest–southeast direction. As theTethys Sea was closed and theArabian plate collided with theIranian plate, and was pushed against it, and with the clockwise movement of theEurasian plate towards theIranian plate and their final collision, the Iranian plate was pressed from both sides. The collisions finally caused the folding of the Upper Paleozoic,Mesozoic, andPaleogene rocks and theCenozoic (chiefly theEocene)volcanism, to form the Alborz Mountains, primarily during theMiocene. TheAlpine orogeny began, therefore, with Eocene volcanism in southwestern and south-central parts of the Alborz, and continued with the uplift and folding of the older sedimentary rocks in the northwestern, central and eastern parts of the range, during the most important orogenic phases, which date from the Miocene andPliocene epochs.
While the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains are usually semiarid or arid, with irregular and low precipitation, the northern slopes of the range are usually humid, especially in the western parts of the Central Alborz. The Alborz is the easternmost extent of many European plant species. In the southern slopes or theElburz Range forest steppeecoregion, the higher elevations are arid with few trees.Juniper is the most common tree in inaccessible areas and at high elevation, while commonshrubs arepistachio,maple, andalmond. But in the northern slopes, theCaspian Hyrcanian mixed forests ecoregion is lush and forested. The naturalvegetation of thisregion grows in distinct zones:
Alborz mountains in Amol county, Mazandaran, Iran. taken from Haraz road
Archaeological evidence from Alborz indicates that early human groups were present in the region since at least lateLower Paleolithic. TheDarband Cave located at theGilan Province contains evidence for lateLower Paleolithic. Stoneartifacts and animalfossils were discovered by a group of archaeologists of theDepartment of Paleolithic of theNational Museum of Iran and ICHTO ofGilan. The presence of large numbers ofcave bear andbrown bear remains and sparse stone artifacts at the site indicates that Darband primarily represents a bear den. The co-occurrence of artifacts and bear bones does not imply human predation or scavenging. Because there are no clear cut marks, except a few burning signs on the bear bones, they probably accumulated through natural processes.[2] DuringMiddle Paleolithic period,Neanderthals were most probably were present in the region as their fossil have been found at northwest of Alborz, in theAzykh Cave. Their stone tools found in theBuzeir Cave and Kiaram cave and number of other surveyed sites.[3] Evidence for Modern human comes from a river side site calledGarm Roud in theMazandaran Province which dates back to about 30,000 years ago.[4]
Due to the snowy winters of the Alborz Mountains, there are severalski resorts in different places across the range. Some of them, according to ski enthusiasts, are among the best in the world.[5]
