Babol (; Mazandarani: ), famously known as the City of Orange Blossoms and the Global City of Wetlands, is the capital city of

Babol County Babol County() is the most populous county in Mazandaran Province and the second most populous county in northern Iran. Babol County consists of 6 districts, 7 cities, and 673 villages. The center of this county is the city of Babol. The ...

. This city, which was the center of Mazandaran during the

Zand dynasty The Zand dynasty () was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later expanded to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran (except for the provi ...

era, now serves as the telecom hub of Region 1 in

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 ...

and Mazandaran Province. The city is divided into two urban districts. The people of Babol belong to the Tabari ethnic group, with roots in the

Tapur tribe Tapuri or Tapyri () were a tribe in the Medes south of the Caspian Sea mentioned by Ptolemy and Arrian. Ctesias refers to the land of Tapuri between the two lands of Cadusii and Hyrcania. History The name and probable habitations of the Tapuri ...

, and speak the

Mazandarani language Mazandarani (Mazanderani: , ''Mazeruni''; also spelled Mazani () or Tabari (); also called Taveri, Mazeruni, Tati, Geleki and Galeshi) is an Iranian language of the Northwestern branch spoken by the Mazanderani people. , there were 1.35 million ...

. As of the 2016 census, the population of the city of Babol was 250,217, and the population of Babol County was 531,930

Babol is a significant city in northern Iran due to its commercial, political, cultural, healthcare, agricultural, and academic importance. It has a rich History of Babol, history and was formerly known as "Barforush" due to the trade and passage of merchants in the city. Babol hosts 20 universities and higher education institutions, including

Noshirvani University of Technology Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (BNUT), sometimes also referred to as Noshirvani Institute of Technology or NIT, is a public research university and Institute of Technology in Babol, Mazandaran province in the north of Iran, south of th ...

—one of Iran's top universities as ranked by the international Times Higher Education rankings. Additionally, Babol is the first northern city in Iran to establish a national medical university. The city is located between the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...

and the

Alborz mountain range The Alborz ( ) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merge ...

, 178 kilometers northeast of

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

(the capital of Iran).

History and etymology

Founded by the

Safavids 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 ...

in the 16th century, it was built on the site of the ancient city of ''Mamtir'' (deriving from "Mah Mithra" "great

Mithra Mithra ( ; ) is an ancient Iranian deity ('' yazata'') of covenants, light, oaths, justice, the Sun, contracts, and friendship. In addition to being the divinity of contracts, Mithra is also a judicial figure, an all-seeing protector of Truth ( ...

). Mithra or 'The Mediator' was believed to be the savior of creation from the threat of darkness and the one who stands between the light of

Ahura Mazda Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...

and the darkness of Ahriman. ''Babol'' was formerly called ''Barforushdeh'' (meaning Market Town) and Barforush afterwards. In 1931, the founder of the

Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty () is an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian royal dynasty that was the Pahlavi Iran, last to rule Iran before the country's monarchy was abolished by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. It was founded in 1925 by Reza Shah, Reza S ...

Reza Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi born Reza Khan (15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941 and founder of the roughly 53 years old Pahlavi dynasty. Originally a military officer, he became a politician, serving as minister of war an ...

(1878-1944) ordered urban planning efforts to commence in the city and changed its name to Babol, which means city with abundant water supply.

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

Mazandarani people have a background in Tabari ethnicity and speak Mazandarni. Their origin goes back to the Tapuri people, who were forced to migrate to the south coast of the Caspian Sea during the Achaemenid dynasty. The native people of

Sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...

, Shahi, Babol,

Amol Amol ( ; ) is a city in the Central District (Amol County), Central District of Amol County, Mazandaran province, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Amol is located on the Haraz River bank. It is ...

, Nowshahr, Chalus, and

Tonekabon Tonekabon () is a city in the Central District of Tonekabon County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Etymology Toneka was a large and fortress-like city with a fence and a hard and stron ...

are Mazandarani people and speak the Mazandarani language.

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 198,636 in 55,943 households. The following census in 2011 counted 219,467 people in 67,069 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 250,217 people in 81,572 households. The city is one of the most important cities in the north of Iran, known as a regional center for education, trade, industry, and medical services. It is famous for its orange groves.

Geography

Location

Babol is in the north of

, north-east of

, between the northern slopes of the

Alborz Mountains The Alborz ( ) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merge ...

and southern coast of the

.The city is located approximately 20 kilometers south of the Caspian Sea on the west bank of Babolrud River. Babol borders

Babolsar Babolsar () is a city in the Central District of Babolsar County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is along the Caspian Sea. History Ancient Era Before Islam, Mazandaran Province w ...

and Fereydunkenar to the north,

Qaem Shahr Qaem Shahr (; ) is a city in the Central District of Qaem Shahr County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Originally known as Ŝâhi was used until the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when the city ...

and Shirgah District to the east,

Savadkuh Savadkuh County () is in Mazandaran province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Pol-e Sefid. History Darius the Great, the Achaemenid Persian monarch, mentions Pâtišvâreš in the Behistun inscription as one of the territories under his r ...

to the southeast, Firuzkuh to the South and

to the west. Babol University is famous for its spectacular scenery.

Climate

the city receives abundant annual rainfall. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa'', Trewartha: ''Cs'')

Economy

Commerce and trading are the backbone of the city's economy since it is the largest commercial center for Mazandaran province, partially due to its location at the center of the province and also the large population of villages around the city, making Babol county the most populated county in the province. Babol produces food and textiles — as well as other processed goods, including

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

s, and

tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in colour, that is considered either a variety of the mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), or a closely related species, under the name ''Citrus tangerina'', or yet as a hybrid (''Citr ...

s. There are many

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

farms around the city, and, until about 20 years ago,

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

, and

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

were processed. The city is served by Refah Chain Stores Co.,

Iran Hyper Star Iran Hyper Star is an Iranian subsidiary of French multinational retailer Carrefour in Iran. History Iran HyperStar was founded by the collaboration of Majid Al Futtaim and Carrefour. Branches Iran Hyperstar currently has 40 branches in T ...

Isfahan City Center Isfahan City Center is a large commercial and entertainment complex in Isfahan, Iran. As of October 2023, it is the second largest shopping mall after Iran Mall in Iran, and the fourth largest in the world. History The mall was developed by M ...

, Shahrvand Chain Stores Inc.,

Kowsar Market The YJ-7 () is a People's Republic of China, Chinese subsonic anti-ship missile. It is manufactured by the Third Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).Gormley et al.: page 18 The export version of the YJ-7 is the ...

, Ofoq Kourosh chain store.

Transportation

Almost all of the city transportation is by car, buses and other road vehicles. Thus, Babol is highly dependent on the regional highway network which connects the city to

10 km north,

30 km west and

Qaemshahr Qaem Shahr (; ) is a city in the Central District (Qaem Shahr County), Central District of Qaem Shahr County, Mazandaran province, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Originally known as Ŝâhi wa ...

15 km east. These are all new wide highways. Babol has access to an airport 55 km away and to a train station 15 km away. The ports of Fereydunkenar and Babolsar are both located on the southern coast of the

with connection to other Caspian ports.

Colleges and universities

Babol Noshirvani University of Technology-Main Building

As the largest commercial center, the city of Babol also hosts large number of universities province. Universities include: *

Babol Noshirvani University of Technology Babol Noshirvani University of Technology (BNUT), sometimes also referred to as Noshirvani Institute of Technology or NIT, is a public research university and Institute of Technology in Babol, Mazandaran province in the north of Iran, south of th ...

The university is an influential center for academic research in Iran, due to which it has been consistently ranked among the top schools in the country. BNUT is currently ranked 1st among all Iranian universities according to Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. THE has also ranked BNUT between 351st and 400th among world universities, 55th among the world's young universities, as well as 43rd among Asian universities. *

Babol University of Medical Sciences Babol University of Medical Sciences (MUBabol) (, ''Danushgah-e 'lum-e Pezeshki-ye Babel'') is a medical sciences university in the city of Babol, Mazandaran Province, Iran. The university was founded in 1983, and the first group of students begi ...

* Mazandaran University of Science and Technology * Educators University - Education Center Martyr Rajai Babol * PNU - Babol Center * PNU - Bandpey Unit *

Islamic Azad University The Islamic Azad University (IAU; , ''Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi'') is a Private university, private university system Headquarters, headquartered in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the largest comprehensive systems of university, universities in ...

- Babol Unit * University of Applied Science - Babol Unit * Babol Vocational College of Imam Sadiq * Mazandaran Institute of Technology * Rahedanesh Institute of Higher Education * Tabari Institute of Higher Education * Aryan Institute of Science and Technology * Institute of Applied Science of Art and Culture - Unit 4 Of Babol * Institute of Applied Science Technology Jahad Daneshgahi * Institute of Applied Science -Unit Of Western Bandpey * Vocational College of Sama - Babol Unit * Vocational College of AzZahra - Babol Unit

Health centers and hotels

*Negin Hotel *Reza Hotel *Marjan Hotel *Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital *Babol Clinic *Shahid Beheshti Hospital *Fatemeh Al-Zahra Hospital *Yahya Nejad Hospital *17 Shahrivar Hospital *Mehregan Hospital

Industry

Major corporations

Iran Khodro Iran Khodro (, ''Irān Xodro''), branded as IKCO, is an Iranian automaker headquartered in Tehran. IKCO was founded in 1962 as Iran National (, ''Irān Nāsionāl''). The public company manufactures vehicles, including Samand, Peugeot and Rena ...

Mazandaran * Babol Machine Mfg. & Ind * MSco * Khazar Khodro Babol.Co

Sports

Babol is home to the

Iranian Basketball Super League The Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL) is a professional men's basketball league in Iran. It was founded in 1998. The current champions is Shahrdari Gorgan. The league follows the promotion and relegation system in which the worst two teams ...

team BEEM Mazandaran BC which plays in the city's Shahid Sojoodi Arena. BEEM also had a popular volleyball team in the Iranian Super League in 2008–2009. Now Babol have a 2 Team in wrestling, Bime Razi and Arash Zin. They have a popular football club, Khooneh Be Khooneh. Khooneh Be Khooneh play in the 1st division (after Premier League) in the Iranian system football. Babol was the host of Freestyle Wrestling Club World Cup in December 2018.

Landmarks

The ruins of Shah Abbas I's palace are located in the city.

Mohammad Hassan Khan bridge Mohammad Hassan Khan Bridge, also known as ''Pol-e Mohammad Hasan Khan'', lies on the Babol river in Nooshirvan Kola Road of Babol city. It is one of the ancient construction in Mazandaran Province. The bridge was constructed in the year 1146 AH. ...

is also one of the most ancient buildings of Mazandaran. It was built by the king Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar, the ancestor of

Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar (; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, ruling from 1789 to 1797 as Shah. Originally a chieftain of the Quwanlu branch of t ...

as the main road from Babol to

. Now it is known as the old road of Babol to Amol. Babol also contains Babol Noshirvani Park, the largest park including a playground located in the northern part of Iran, located in the vicinity of Caspian Sea. Babol is home to many important and intact forests and jungles, such as, Shiadeh, in south-east Babol. Filband, a village near the northern Iranian city of Babol, is famous for its skies which are full of interconnected cumulus clouds, especially in springtime.

Historical and natural attractions

* Babol Royal Palace * Babol Museum * Emamzadeh Ghasem * Kazem Beik Mosque * Watchtower * Babol Jameh Mosque * Mohaddesin Mosque * Tekyeh Moghri Kola * Sultan Mohammad Taher Tomb Tower * Darvish Fakhr Al-Din Tomb * Post Building * Head University of Medical Sciences * Ibn Shahr Ashub Tomb * Sarast Tower * Darvish Alam-bazi Tower * Hasirforoshan Mosque * Azroud Thermal Spring * Babolroud * Babolkenar Forest Park * Historic homes Qajansb * Aghajan Nasab House * Osia House * Najafi Mansion * Sheikh Mousa Yaylak and Waterfall * Kimoun Waterfall * Shiadeh Dam * Saghanefar Kija Tekyeh * Porang High School * Shiadeh Saghanefar * Abuol Hasan Kola Saghanefar * Mulana Mosque * Tirkan Waterfall * Haft Waterfall * Filband Village * Bandpey Village * Pir Alam Tekyeh * Moftakher ul-Mamalek Caravanserai * Sadr Hawza * Chahar Suq Mosque * Lafoor Jungle * Bagh-e Ferdows * Noshirvani Park

Notable people

Alireza Firouzja Alireza Firouzja (, ; born 18 June 2003) is an Iranian and French Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. Firouzja is the youngest player to have surpassed a FIDE Elo rating system, rating of 2800, beating the previous record set by Magnus Carls ...

(born 2003) – chess player *

Hossein Fallah Noshirvani Hossein Fallah Noshirvani ( ) was an Iranian businessman, philanthropist, and founder of the Babol Noshirvani University of Technology. He is famed for leaving the entirety of his wealth to charity following his death. Biography Noshiravani was ...

(1902–1972) – philanthropist * Shahrokh Meskoob (1924–2005) – academic and writer *

Alireza Mashaghi Alireza Mashaghi is a physician-scientist and biophysicist at Leiden University. He is known for his contributions to single-molecule analysis of chaperone assisted protein folding, molecular topology and medical systems biophysics and bioeng ...

(born 1977) – scientist * Ahmad Ghahreman (1928–2008) – botanist * Farhad Rachidi (born 1962) – scientist * Amir Pazevari (17th century) – poet * Muhammad Ashrafi (1804–1898) – Shia

Marja' Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

* Mohammad-Ali Barfrushi (1820–1849) – Babi leader * Sheikh Mohammad Haeri Mazandarani (1960) – religious * Zeinolabedin Haeri Mazandarani (1919–1996) – religious * Ali Asghar Mazandarani (1826–1911) – cleric * Karim Motamedi (born 1929) – minister *

Hassan Ghashghavi Hassan Ghashghavi or Qashqavi () is the current member of Iranian Parliament representing Robat Karim and Baharestan districts since 2024. He is former Iranian Ambassador to Spain and former Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Iran, offi ...

(born 1957) – ambassador * Delkash (1924–2004) – singer *

Afshin Afshin () is a common Persian language, Persian given name derived from Avestan. Afshin was used by the Sogdians. Historically, it was the title of the rulers of Principality of Ushrusana in Transoxiana before the Muslim conquest of Persia.. Etym ...

(born 1978) – singer * Maziar (1952–1997) – singer * Hassan Anousheh (born 1945) – writer * Zeinolabedin Rahnama (1893–1989) – writer *

Davoud Rashidi Davoud Rashidi (; July 16, 1933 – August 26, 2016) was an Iranian actor. Rashidi, along with Ali Nasirian, Ezatollah Entezami, Jamshid Mashayekhi and Mohammad Ali Keshavarz is known as one of "the five most important actors in the history of ...

(1933–2016) – actor * Tal'at Basari (born 1925) – feminist writer * Mokarrameh Ghanbari (1928–2005) – painter * Hamid Reza Chitgar (1949–1987) – politician * Reza Salehi Amiri (born 1962) – politician * Arya Aramnejad (born 1983) – singer *

Bijan Mortazavi Bijan Mortazavi (; born November 16, 1957) is an Iranian virtuoso violinist, musician, composer, songwriter, arranger and singer. Biography Musical education Born in the city of Juybar, Iran. Mortazavi studied music in Tehran. He was trained ...

(born 1957) – singer and musician *

Towhidi Tabari Towhidi Tabari (, Mazandarani: توحیدی طبری Tawhidi Tabari ; born 15 June 1964) is an Iranian artist. He is a member of the Society of Iranian Calligraphists, International Association of Art, La Maison des Artistes de France and of t ...

(born 1964) – artist * Parviz Bahram (1933–2019) – dubber *

Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian (; born 13 May 1981) is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He's best known for his films ''Standing in the Dust'' (2016), ''Midday Adventures'' (2017), ''Lottery (2018 film), Lottery'' (2018), Walnut Tree (2020 f ...

(born 1981) – film director *

Parinaz Izadyar Parinaz Izadyar (; born August 30, 1985) is an Iranian actress. She is mostly known for her willingness to play dramatic roles, making her one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. Izadyar has received various accolades, including a C ...

(born 1985) – actress * Leyli Rashidi (born 1973) – actress *

Maryam Kavyani Maryam Kavyani (; born June 22, 1970) is an Iranian actress. Biography Maryam Kavyani was born in Ahvaz to Baboli parents. She lives at present in Tehran. Ms Kavyani has a postgraduate degree in nursing and before entering into acting professi ...

(born 1970) – actress * Masoud Hedayatifard (born 1971) – scholar in fishery science *

Masih Alinejad Masih Alinejad (, born Masoumeh Alinejad-Ghomikolayi (), September 11, 1976) is an Iranian Americans, Iranian-American journalist, author, and women's rights activist. Alinejad works as a presenter/producer at Voice of America Persian News Networ ...

(born 1976) – journalist * Sohrab Entezari (born 1977) – football player * Emam-Ali Habibi (born 1931) – wrestler * Morteza Pouraliganji (born 1992) – football player * Mehdi Kheiri (born 1983) – football player *

Hadi Norouzi Hadi Norouzi (, 22 June 1985 – 1 October 2015) was an Iranian footballer who played as a striker. He spent most of his career with Persepolis in the Persian Gulf Pro League.

(1985–2015) – football player *

Bashir Babajanzadeh Bashir Babajanzadeh Darzi (; born 9 or 20 August 1989) is a heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler from Iran. He won bronze medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2014 Asian Games, and reached the quarterfinals at the 2016 Olympics. He was suspend ...

(born 1989) – wrestler * Sousan Hajipour (born 1990) – taekwondo practitioner *

Noshad Alamian Noshad Alamian Darounkolaei (, born 21 November 1991 in Babol) is an Iranian table tennis player. Alamian made a breakthrough at 2008 ITTF World Junior Championships held in Madrid, Spain by beating junior world no. 1 Kenta Matsudaira; despite ...

(born 1991) – table tennis player *

Nima Alamian Nima Alamian (; born 24 December 1992 in Babol«مصاحبه ...

(born 1992) – table tennis player *

Mojtaba Mirzajanpour Mojtaba Mirzajanpour Muziraji (, born 7 October 1991) is an Iranian volleyball player {{short description, none This is a list of lists of volleyball players, and of notable examples in fiction. Lists of notable players * List of internation ...

(born 1991) – volleyball player

Notes

References

External links

Babol Noshirvani University of Technology

* Ofoq kourosh {{Histories of cities in Iran Cities in Mazandaran province Populated places in Babol County