Ashtian () is a city in the Central District of Ashtian County, Markazi province,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Demographics

Language and religion

The people of Ashtian speak a peculiar

Persian dialect Persian ( ), also known by its endonym Farsi (, Fārsī ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken ...

known as Ashtiani. They follow the

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

branch of

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 8,324 in 2,597 households. The following census in 2011 counted 9,015 people in 2,704 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 8,763 people in 2,788 households.

Overview

Ashtian lies in a fertile agricultural district, watered by surface streams and

qanat A qanāt () or kārīz () is a water supply system that was developed in ancient Iran for the purpose of transporting usable water to the surface from an aquifer or a well through an underground aqueduct. Originating approximately 3,000 years ...

s. The region, which traditionally belonged to

Tafresh County Tafresh County ( is in Markazi province, Markazi province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Tafresh. History After the 2006 National Census, Farahan District was separated from the county in the establishment of Farahan County. Demographic ...

is a famous one for carpet-weaving. Among its historical monuments is the remains of a fortress and a

Safavid The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...

era

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...

. In the past, a large number of Iranian courtiers and calligraphers were from the

Tafresh Tafresh () is a city in the Central District (Tafresh County), Central District of Tafresh County, Markazi province, Markazi province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Tafresh is located amidst high mountains sou ...

and Ashtian regions. Several learned men and religious figures have stemmed from Ashtian. The Mostowfi family of Ashtian occupied several roles within the Qajar and Pahlavi administrative system. Abbās Eqbāl Āshtiyāni (), a celebrated Iranian literary figure, and Abdolkarim Gharib, founder of

geological Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

research in Iran, were born in Ashtian. Father of Dr Mohammad Gharib, founder of modern

Paediatrics Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...

in Iran, was also a native of Ashtian.

Ashtian Earth Dam

Ashtian Earth Dam (some locals say: Band-e-Naghi Beyk) at the elevation of 2224m above sea level is one of the trourism attraction areas near the Ashtian City after Kordijan and Hazarabad villages. The water amount of the storage reduced in recent years. In March it is still cold and water temperature is about 13 °C. Some interesting birds, fox and other species of wildlife, insects, plants, etc. are in this area.

Notes

References

External links

"Ashtian" in Encyclopedia Iranica by C.E. Bosworth

"Ashtiyani, the dialect of Ashtiyan" in Encyclopedia Iranica by E. Yarshater
{{Ashtian County, state=collapsed Cities in Markazi province Populated places in Ashtian County