Mahallat () is a city in the Central District of Mahallat 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.

History

In ancient times it was an important location for

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster, Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, ...

. It has a cold climate, and strong winds during spring and summer. The city is one of the major producers and exporters of flowers in Iran. Every September the city holds a flower festival. In addition, the area surrounding the city is rich with

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and rusty varieties. It is formed by a process ...

deposits, which are refined into tiles in nearby factories. There are remains of Hellenistic architecture from

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

's time in Mahallat as well as fire temple ruins dated from the Zoroastrianism era. The city is famous for a large warm water spring flowing from mountains in the North into the plain areas of the South, which are used for agriculture as well as the urban water supply. There are also hot springs not far from the city which have been a source of local tourism since ancient times due to its assumed medical benefits. The dialect spoken in Mahallat is a version of a larger branch of dialects spoken in central Iran (

Yazd Yazd (; ) is a city in the Central District of Yazd County, Yazd province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. At the 2016 census, its population was 529,673. Since 2017, the historical city of Yazd is rec ...

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

, Khonsar) with several words having a noticeable connection to old Persian. Mahallat was formerly divided into three major parts. The northern part was Mahallat-e Bala, the area of the Sadat-e Mahallat, the families descending from the prophet Mohammad. In the middle Mahallat-e Ghaleh, originally a vast open space with fields, but in the 18th century two brothers from Sabzevar and their soldiers and servants built castles and developed the area. The family was later known as Amiri, Amirkhani, Elahi, Majidi, Nasseri, Norouz Nasseri and Khosrovani (Mahallati). The southern part was named Mahallat-e Pain and this was where the

Aga Khan Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...

built his huge castle.

Demographics

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 35,319 in 10,285 households. The following census in 2011 counted 40,582 people in 12,635 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 43,245 people in 14,266 households.

Notable people

Born in Mahallat were: * Hajj Sayyah Mahallati, the first Iranian to become a US citizen *

Aga Khan II Prince Aqa Ali Shah (; 1830 – 17 August 1885), known as Aga Khan II (), was the 47th hereditary imam of the Nizari Isma'ili Muslims. A member of the Iranian royal family, he became the Imam in 1881. He was the second Nizari Imam to hold the ti ...

, a religious leader *

Mohsen Sadr Mohsen Sadr (; also known by his title: Sadr ol-Ashraf I 1871 – 19 October 1962) was a judge and politician, the prime minister of Iran and the president of the Senate of Iran. During his government, Iran became one of the founding states o ...

(Sadr ol-Ashraf II), prime minister and senator *General Parviz Khosrovani, deputy prime minister and founder and first president of the famous Taj Sports Club (Taj Football Club), later known as Esteghlal Football Club.

Notes

References

External links

*
Mahallat News

History of Mahallat
{{Mahallat County, state=collapsed Cities in Markazi province Populated places in Mahallat County