{"history":[],"article":{"id":"1f5f2d41-cebe-458a-b2de-49b86934f1ba","title":"Semnan, Iran","slug":"semnan-iran","content":":::summary\n**Official Name:** Semnan \n**Other Name:** also known as Saman \n**Nickname:** City of Compassion \n**Settlement Type:** City \n**Motto:** Welcome; \n**Image Skyline:** Shah (Imam)-Soltani Mosque. Semnan 6.jpg \n**Image Caption:** Imam Soltani mosque \n**Image Seal:** Semnan Logo.png \n**Pushpin Map:** Iran \n**Subdivision Type:** Country \n**Subdivision Name:** [Iran](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) \n**Subdivision Type 1:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-iran) \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** [County](https://bliptext.com/articles/counties-of-iran) \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-county) \n**Subdivision Type 3:** [District](https://bliptext.com/articles/bakhsh) \n**Subdivision Name 3:** [Central](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-district-semnan-county) \n**Government Type:** [Municipality](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipality) \n**Leader Title:** Mayor \n**Leader Name:** Seyed Hossein Mousavi \n**Established Title:** Settled \n**Established Date:** circa 240[BCE](https://bliptext.com/articles/bce) by [Parni](https://bliptext.com/articles/parni) tribesmen \n**Established Title 3:** Incorporated (city) \n**Established Date 3:** 1926 \n**Population As Of:** 2016 \n**Population Total:** 185129 \n**Timezone:** [IRST](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran-standard-time) \n**Utc Offset:** +3:30 \n**Coordinates:** 35.58111°N, 53.38333°W \n**Elevation M:** 1130 \n**Elevation Ft:** 3707 \n**Area Code:** +98 23 \n**Blank Name:** Main Languages \n**Blank Info:** [**Persian**](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language), [**Semnani**](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-language) \n**Blank 1 Name:** [Climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification) \n**Blank 1 Info:** [BWh](https://bliptext.com/articles/desert-climate) \n**Website:** http://www.semnan.ir \n:::\n\n# \n**[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** is a city in the [Central District](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-district-semnan-county) of **[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** County, **[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** province, [Iran](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran), serving as capital of the province, the county and the district.\nThe city is on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in the north-central part of the country, 216 km east of [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) and 640 km west of [Mashhad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashhad).\nWith a population of 185,129 people in 2016, Semnan is the most populous city in the province and the hub of the [Semnani language](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-languages), a sub-branch of the [Iranian languages](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-languages) spoken to the north.\nIt is home to the [Semnani](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-people) ethnic group.\nSemnan offers various recreational activities; historical and religious sites; festivals, gardens and parks; and centers of higher education and Semnani culture.\nThe city is the cultural and political capital of Semnan province.\nThe city's main souvenirs are [daffodil flowers](https://bliptext.com/articles/narcissus-plant), [Shirmal](https://bliptext.com/articles/sheermal) pastry, [Kolüçe](https://bliptext.com/articles/kol-e) cookies, [kilim](https://bliptext.com/articles/kilim) rugs, and [shortbread](https://bliptext.com/articles/shortbread).\n\n# Etymology\nThere are several theories which seek to explain the origin of the name Semnan.\n

Semnan was an ancient pre-[zoroastrian](https://bliptext.com/articles/zoroastrian) city in which the locals practiced idol-worshipping.\nTheir religion was called samīna, hence the name Semnan.
Semnan was an ancient civil establishment by the [Scythians](https://bliptext.com/articles/scythians), an [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-peoples) people who named their settlement Sakanān.
A theory produced by the local people themselves claims the first settlers of Semnan were two of the Prophet [Noah](https://bliptext.com/articles/noah)'s children, Sim An-Nabi and Lam An-Nabi, and that their settlement became known as Simlam; the local people believe that over time the name Simlam turned into Semnan.
Semnan was established by the mythical character [Tahmuras](https://bliptext.com/articles/tahmuras), and that he named his city Saminā.
The ancient regional language was known as Sa ma nān, and that the city of these people took on the name of their language.
The name Semnan comes from the phrase sa ma nān, which is supposed to be a corrupted Persian way of saying 'three months of bread.' This phrase traces back to the Semnani women's tradition of cooking three months worth of bread in one day.\n

\n# [The name \"Semnan\" in Persian calligraphy. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Semnan///Calligraphy///Font.jpg]\n\n# History\n\n## Pre-Islamic Era\nThe city of Semnan has historically been one of the fourteen civil establishments of the ancient, [Avesta](https://bliptext.com/articles/avesta)-era province of \"Vern.\"\nSemnan remained an important city throughout the era of the [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) [Achaemenid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/achaemenid-empire).\nAfter the invasion of [Alexander the Great](https://bliptext.com/articles/alexander-the-great), which resulted in the fall of the [Achaemenid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/achaemenid-empire), and the establishment of the [Seleucid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/seleucid-empire), the region which hosts the city of Semnan became known as Komesh.\nThe beginning of the prosperous era of the city arrived with the rise of the [Arsacid dynasty of Parthia](https://bliptext.com/articles/arsacid-dynasty-of-parthia).\nThe Parthians are an [Iranian people](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-peoples).\nThe [Arsacid dynasty of Parthia](https://bliptext.com/articles/arsacid-dynasty-of-parthia) was very interested in the importing of [Hellenism](https://bliptext.com/articles/hellenization), or Greek culture.\nThis resulted in the pioneering of sculpting and other forms of [Western](https://bliptext.com/articles/western-culture) art in the city of Semnan.\nOne of the capital cities of the [Parthian Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/parthian-empire) was [Hecatompylos](https://bliptext.com/articles/hecatompylos), and its ruins and numerous historical sites remain between the modern day city of Semnan and [Damghan](https://bliptext.com/articles/damghan).\nWith the fall of the [Parthian Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/parthian-empire), and the rise of the [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) [Sassanid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/sassanid-empire), [Zoroastrianism](https://bliptext.com/articles/zoroastrianism) was chosen as the state religion, and the city of Semnan was once again brought under the reign of [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) customs and traditions.\n# [Coinage during the Parthian Era | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Artabanosi.jpg]\n\n## Post-Islamic Era\nAfter the [Muslim conquest of Persia](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim-conquest-of-persia), the religion of [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) was established within the city of Semnan.\nThough, unlike modern day Semnan, the people of the city originally practiced [Sunni Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunni-islam), similar to the rest of early Islamic Persia.\nHowever, the institution of [Sunni](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunni) [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) did not last very long.\nThe [Alavids](https://bliptext.com/articles/alavids) of [Tabaristan](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabaristan) had established a [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islamic](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic) [emirate](https://bliptext.com/articles/emirate) and upon conquering Semnan, brought the [Zaidi](https://bliptext.com/articles/zaidiyyah) [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) sect of Islam.\nThen, in the year 427 [AH](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar), the [Seljuq Turks](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-turks) invaded and devastated the city.\nNevertheless, it was the very [Seljuq Turks](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-turks) that built many of the historical monuments and infrastructure of [medieval](https://bliptext.com/articles/medieval) Semnan.\nAs the Seljuq Empire grew weak, the Abbasids managed to reconquer and assert their sovereignty over Persia.\nThe people of Semnan suffered severely under the [Abbasid Caliphate](https://bliptext.com/articles/abbasid-caliphate).\nIt is possible that the years of Abbasid rule traumatized the people of Semnan, and even to this day, the Semnani people despise the color black because of its utilization for the black flags of the [Abbasid Caliphate](https://bliptext.com/articles/abbasid-caliphate).\nThe Abbasid rule was ended by the brutal, devastating invasion of the Mongols in the year of 618 [AH](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar).\nThe Mongol hordes massacred the people and burnt much of the city to the ground.\nSemnan would not recover until the rise of the [Turco-Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/turco-persian) [Safavid dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/safavid-dynasty).\nThe Safavids brought the [Twelver Shi'ism](https://bliptext.com/articles/twelver-shi-ism) sect of Islam to Semnan, and contributed to the reconstruction of the city.\n# [Semnan within the bounds of the Shi'a Alavid Emirate | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Alavids-map.png]\n\n## Qajar Era\nWith the rise of the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty), historical Semnan witnessed economical, cultural, infrastructural, and political progress.\nThe very tribe that rose into becoming the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty) was based out of the mountainous terrain between modern-day [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-iran), [Mazandaran](https://bliptext.com/articles/mazandaran), and [Golestan](https://bliptext.com/articles/golestan-province).\nThe Qajars turned Semnan into a civil fortress, from which they oversaw the major trade route between their capital in [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) and the holy city of [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad).\nIn addition to infrastructural growth, some Qajar royals built their estates in the city.\nSemnan was also an important medical center for members of the Qajar imperial family and was home to many notable physicians and doctors of the era.\nEconomically, the city consisted of several feudal estates with agricultural plantations which relied on serf labor.\n# [Imperial emblem of the Qajar dynasty | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Imperial///Emblem///of///the///Qajar///Dynasty///%28Lion///and///Sun%29.svg]\n\n## Pahlavi Era\nThe Pahlavi era marked the transition of Semnan into the industrial era.\nSemnan's original loyalty to the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty) and the city's importance under the Qajars prompted a lot of anti-Pahlavi sentiment with the rise of Reza Shah.\n[Reza Shah Pahlavi](https://bliptext.com/articles/reza-shah-pahlavi)'s government began the immediate construction of modern infrastructure and paved roads throughout the city, however, this called for the destruction of the citadel of Semnan and the artistic monuments of the Qajars.\nUpon attempting to destroy the Gate of Semnan, the locals chained themselves to the building and stopped its destruction.\nMany prominent families in Semnan were also restricted from attaining high political posts as a result of their previous connection with and service to the Qajar imperial family.\nThis resulted in the exodus of many prominent Semnani families to [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) during the early Pahlavi era.\nDespite the tension and confrontation, the [Pahlavi dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/pahlavi-dynasty) was successful in transforming Semnan into a more modern city.\nThroughout the early Pahlavi era, Semnan experienced several rounds of extreme drought, famine, crop devastation, and poverty.\nProminent [Semnani language](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-language) poets such as Nosratollah Nouhian encouraged the Farmers and General Labor class to rise up and demand their rights from the unjust, well-fed landlords who were carelessly watching the very farmers who grew the food starve and deteriorate into ruin and agony:\nPatience and contentment is no more, rise up!\nOppression and atrociousness shall be no more, rise up!\n―Nosratollah Nouhian\n# [Imperial coat of arms of the Pahlavi dynasty | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Imperial///Coat///of///Arms///of///Iran.svg]\n\n# Demographics\n\n## Language and ethnicity\nThe [Persian language](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language) is the official language of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and thus within the city of Semnan.\nEvery literate person in Semnan knows how to communicate in the Persian language.\nThe majority of the city dwellers are Persians.\nOlder Semnan was made up of four main districts: Shaji (Shahjoo), Naasaar, Latibaar and Espanjon (Esfanjan).\nThese four districts still exist today, but the city has grown and become much larger including some new districts.\nTo the west of the city is \"Maleh\" which used to be a separate settlement but was not a part of Semnan.\nIn the local language the inhabitants are known as Malezh.\n\"Maleh\" consists of three parts: Koery (Kodivar), Koshmeni (Kushmaqaan) and Zaveni (Zavaqaan).\n\"Maleh\" is now part of Semnan.\nAs a result of the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty)'s heavy influence on the city of Semnan, especially under [Fath Ali Shah](https://bliptext.com/articles/fath-ali-shah)'s reign, some families in Semnan can trace their lineage back to the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nFurthermore, much of the city's most important monuments have been built under [Turkic](https://bliptext.com/articles/turkic-peoples) dynasties.\nFor example, the Jame' Mosque of Semnan, constructed nearly 1,000 years ago, was built by the [Seljuq dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-dynasty).\nThe Imam Mosque, originally known as Soltani Mosque, was constructed by the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nThe Gate of Semman, or Arg e Semnan, which is the representative symbol of the city of Semnan, was also constructed by the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nMany other historical sites within the city and the surrounding villages demonstrate a strong [Turkic](https://bliptext.com/articles/turkic-peoples) and [Ilkhanate](https://bliptext.com/articles/ilkhanate) influence in their architectural designs.\nAlso, much of the city's [Sayyid](https://bliptext.com/articles/sayyid) population tends to descend from the [Alavids](https://bliptext.com/articles/alavids) of the [Caspian region](https://bliptext.com/articles/caspian-region) to the north of the province.\n\n### Semnani language\nThe city also has its own language known as \"Zaban e Semnani\" in Persian or \"Semani Zefön\" in the Semnani language of the locals.\nThe [Iranian Constitution](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-constitution) recognizes the use of regional dialects and languages, and permits their usage second to the Persian language.\nAccording to the book Dictionary of Semnan Ancient Dialect, Semnan traditionally has had its own language.\nThe book collected more than 12,000 words belonging to this language.\nThe local people call their language Semani.\nMost of the older generations and some among the younger generations of the city still know and maintain communication in this language.\nHowever, the majority of the younger generations do not communicate in Semani as a result of schooling and education in [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language).\n\n## Religion\nThe people of the city of Semnan are almost all entirely [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim).\nThe [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islamic faith](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-faith) dominates the culture, norms, traditions, and beliefs of the city, and continues to dictate the style of life in city.\nAs a result, the celebrations, rituals, and days of religious mourning play a major role in the life of a Semnani city dweller, and are for some families, more important that the national [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) customs and holidays.\nThe majority of the people of Semnan observe [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) quite conservatively; hence, the martyrdom and birthdays of [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Imams](https://bliptext.com/articles/imams) are very important days on the calendar.\n\n## Population\nAt the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 124,999 in 36,298 households.\nThe following census in 2011 counted 153,680 people in 45,311 households.\nThe 2016 census measured the population of the city as 185,129 people in 49,124 households.\n\n# Geography\n\n## Location\nThe city of Semnan is situated on an alluvial fan at 1,138 metres above [sea level](https://bliptext.com/articles/sea-level), straddling the southern foothills of the [Alborz Mountains](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz-mountains) and the vast desert plain to the south of the city.\nThe Golrudbar creek, which begins in the mountains to the north of [Shahmirzad](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahmirzad), has historically provided a reliable supply of water for municipal and agricultural consumption.\nIrrigation methods since ancient times have allowed the people of Semnan to drink clean water, raise livestock such as cattle and sheep, and cultivate diverse crops.\n# [Typical terrain and geography of the region | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Alborz///in///Semnan///Province///of///Iran.jpg]\n\n## Climate\nSemnan has a [hot desert climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/hot-desert-climate) (BWh) bordering a [cold desert climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/cold-desert-climate) (BWk) according to the [Köppen climate classification](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification).\nThe city enjoys the traditional four seasons of [winter](https://bliptext.com/articles/winter), [spring](https://bliptext.com/articles/spring-season), [summer](https://bliptext.com/articles/summer), and [autumn](https://bliptext.com/articles/autumn) each year.\nThe rain season starts in December and lasts into May, however, precipitation throughout the rain season is generally very light.\nDuring some winters, moisture-abundant [blizzards](https://bliptext.com/articles/blizzards) make their way down from the [Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz) mountains to the north of the city and dump several centimeters of snow in a single twenty-four-hour period.\nAs a result of the city's position straddling the open [desert plain](https://bliptext.com/articles/dasht-e-kavir), many winter days are dominated by a cold and gusty wind that often produces a potent windchill factor which makes the city feel much colder than the actual air temperature.\nAccording to Iranian Meteorological statistics, Semnan experiences around 44.5 days in which the minimum temperature falls below freezing each year.\nSpring is characterized by mild to warm day temperatures and cold to cool nights.\nMuinimun Temperatures do not fall below freezing from May to October and rarely do so in March, April and November.\nSummers are often hot during the day and mildly warm at night.\nSummer months remain extremely dry with only trace amounts of rain.\nOccasionally, moisture from the [Caspian Sea](https://bliptext.com/articles/caspian-sea) passes over the [High Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz).\nWith the right amount of heat and moisture, thunderstorms may develop during the afternoon and evening hours.\nThough the amount of precipitation is light, these thunderstorms often produce strong and gusty winds with frequent [lightning strikes](https://bliptext.com/articles/dry-thunderstorm).\nAutumn is mostly a transitional season.\n\n# Historical sites and places of interest\nDue to the relatively small size of Semnan when compared to other major [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) cities such as [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran), [Tabriz](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabriz), and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad), Semnan's rich historical monuments and scholarly figures are often forgotten.\nThe following are some of the city's historical sites and places of interest:\n\n## Religious structures\n\n## Secular structures\n# [Historical entrance to the Semnan Citadel at night | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Arg-semnan.jpg]\n# [Shah Mosque | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF///%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87///%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA///%DA%86%D9%BE.jpg]\n\n## Historical innovations\nSemnan's proximity to the [Kavir](https://bliptext.com/articles/dasht-e-kavir) Desert has provided the city with the opportunity to construct numerous facilities in order to cope with the dry climate.\nAs a result, Semnan has numerous ancient, traditional irrigation systems known as [qanat](https://bliptext.com/articles/qanat).\nIn addition, the roofs of many buildings are decorated with windcatchers known in Persian as [badgir](https://bliptext.com/articles/badgir).\nThese badgirs were normally attached to a small [cistern](https://bliptext.com/articles/cistern) of drinking water known in Persian as [Ab Anbar](https://bliptext.com/articles/ab-anbar).\nThese ancient, traditional, and clever designs and systems helped Semnan grow and prosper before the introduction of modern plumbing and appliances.\nWithin the vicinity of the city, ancient [caravanserais](https://bliptext.com/articles/caravanserais) from the active era of the historic and legendary [Silk Road](https://bliptext.com/articles/silk-road) can be found.\n# [Example of a badgir attached to a cistern of water in Yazd, Iran similar in construct to the ones in Semnan | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/BadGir.JPG]\n\n# Economy\nThe city of Semnan has traditionally been an important center of commerce along the historical [Silk Road](https://bliptext.com/articles/silk-road), and is still an important agricultural, industrial, and cultural center today.\n\n## Industrial sector\nThe production of [textiles](https://bliptext.com/articles/textile) and [carpets](https://bliptext.com/articles/carpet) were the most important industries in the history of the city.\nBut nowadays, in relation to its population, Semnan has very powerful industrial sectors, with special regards to its automobile industry (cars and bikes).\nAnother major industry is the production of cement from the nearby cement plants.\nThe mountains and foothills around Semnan also hold major deposits of minerals used in the production of plaster; these mines are known in Persian as ma'dan e gach.\nOther minerals that are mined around the city consist of [gypsum](https://bliptext.com/articles/gypsum), [salts](https://bliptext.com/articles/salts), [zeolite](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeolite), [bentonite](https://bliptext.com/articles/bentonite), and [celestine](https://bliptext.com/articles/celestine-mineral).\nSome heavy industries of Semnan consist of the [Iran Khodro](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran-khodro) Semnan Production Plant (producing 100,000 [Samand](https://bliptext.com/articles/samand) cars per year), Oqab Afshan Production Plant (largest bus production plant in the region of [Asia](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)), the Semnan Sodium Carbonate Company (largest in the region of [Asia](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)), and the Semnan Rolling Mills Group (major producer of piping and profiles).\nOne of the largest industrial zone in the city is the Semnan Industrial Town, which features 2,100 hectares of land and 900 industrial units.\n\n## Agricultural sector\nAgricultural traditions still persist around and within the city of Semnan.\nThe Golrudbar river, which starts in the [Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz) mountains in the north, runs through the western side of the city.\nWith proper irrigation, the municipality has managed to convert the entire southwestern portion of the city into green and lush pomegranate gardens.\nAround the city, further irrigation of the Golrudbar river and the surrounding creeks and tributaries have provided the proper environment for the cultivation of herbs, eggplants, potatoes, walnuts, and cotton.\nSemnan also produces handwoven rugs called Glim.\nThese rugs consist of naturally dyed wools, woven into elaborate tribal and local designs.\n\n# Customs and traditions\n\n## Norms\n# [Artistic impression of jinn | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Jinn///from///Ali///manuscript.jpg]\n\n## Muharram traditions\n[Muharram](https://bliptext.com/articles/muharram) is the first month of the [Islamic Calendar](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar), and also the month which marks the brutal and tragic martyrdom of the third [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) Imam, [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein) and 72 members of his household.\nThe people of Semnan observe Muharram and the overall 50 days of mourning by refraining from worldly pleasures, such as music and joyful gatherings, wearing dark clothes to show intimate grief, and participating in outdoor rallies consisting of massive mourning accompanied by sorrowful chants which recall the events of the tragedy in [Karbala](https://bliptext.com/articles/karbala), the place of [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein)'s martyrdom.\nIn addition, the mournings on the tenth day of Muharram, known as [Ashura](https://bliptext.com/articles/day-of-ashura), consist of [self-flagellation](https://bliptext.com/articles/self-flagellation) rituals in which the participants attempt to symbolically inflict pain upon themselves.\nAnother major event held in Semnan during the month of [Muharram](https://bliptext.com/articles/muharram) is the reenactment of the tragedy of [Karbala](https://bliptext.com/articles/karbala).\nParticipating locals would wear the armor and clothing of the armies of [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein) and his enemies, as well as decorating the local horses in the cavalry uniform of the era.\nThus, the battle would be reenacted.\nDuring this month's sorrowful rituals, it is custom to cook a community meal (usually a stew).\nThis is done by placing colossal cauldrons outside upon a source of heat, then, people would take turns stirring the stew until it is ready to be consumed by the community's mourners.\n# [Artistic impression of a historical Ashura mourning ceremony, by Fausto Zonaro (1909) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/10///Muharram.jpg]\n\n## Nowrouz traditions\nThe celebrations of [Nowrouz](https://bliptext.com/articles/nowrouz) are slightly different in the city of Semnan.\nSince the beginning of the Iranian (Islamic) solar month of [Esfand](https://bliptext.com/articles/esfand), a man dressed in red with a charcoal-blackened face known as [Hajji Firuz](https://bliptext.com/articles/hajji-firuz) sits on top of a wooden horse, decorated with textiles, in the bazaars of Semnan.\nHe congratulates the people and takes part in the establishment of the holiday environment.\nHe sings in the Semnani language: arbaab e mani somboli baleikom, arbaab e mani sarbalaayii hei kon, arbaab e mani bozboz e qandi, arbaab e mani chera nemikhandi.\nAs the celebrations approach the Nowrouz, many celebrators blacken their faces with charcoal and join the celebrations.\nAnother interesting aspect of the Nowrouz celebrations are the massive gatherings of the womenfolk in which they make covenants with God to cook large batches of [samanu](https://bliptext.com/articles/samanu) for the poor.\n# [Sample of samanu | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Samanoo-Samanou-Persian-sweet-paste-for-Nowruz-Haft-Sin-Tablet.jpg]\n\n# Unique foods and dishes\nThe people of Semnan have many foods and dishes that are specific to Semnan.\nSome of the common ingredients used in Semnani dishes consist of [pomegranate](https://bliptext.com/articles/pomegranate) extracts, fresh walnuts from [Shahmirzad](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahmirzad) (şômırzé), a variety of greens and herbs known in Persian as sabzijat, and more recently, potatoes.\nSemnani food tends to be slightly sour and spicey when compared to the general culinary preferences of Tehran.\nIn fact, there is an old proverb among the local people that says, \"Semnan has so many foods, that a wife from this city can cook a different dish for every night of the year.\"\nSome of the famous dishes are: Chelo Gousht, Sabzi polo, and [Khoresht](https://bliptext.com/articles/khoresht) e Esfanaj va Gerdou (espenôj vu yüz).\nThe Semnani people are also quite fond of a variety of breads such as [shirmal](https://bliptext.com/articles/shirmal), [shortbread](https://bliptext.com/articles/shortbread) (kamôç), and [Kolüçe](https://bliptext.com/articles/koloocheh-and-masgati) pastries.\nIn the Semnani language, bread that is baked in an oven is referred to as \"nün,\" while bread made by other means is referred to as \"sôdjí.\"\nThe following are the names of some foods in English and Semnani: chicken (gırká), pomegranate (nôr), grapes (engír), cucumber (djürüng), walnut (yüz), eggplant (vıngun), and apricot (şillık).\n# [Kolüçe cookies (right) demonstrate the Caspian region's culinary influence on Semnan | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Kolooche.jpg]\n\n# Culture\n\n## Poetry\nPoetry is the most important form of literature in the city of Semnan, especially in terms of its cultural value.\nSemnani people have contributed greatly to their poetry; they use poetry to express their emotions, philosophies, politics, etc., as well as to preserve the native **Semani** language.\nOther poetic works tend to be about God and nature.\nAlso, many books have been published full of traditional poetry.\nPerhaps the most famous is Nanén Hıkôtí, or Mom's Sayings.\nTwo famous Semnani poets are Zabihullah Andaliba and Rahim Me`marian.\nThe following is an excerpt from a poem about Spring, by Rahim Me`marian, in the Semnani language, along with an English translation:\nThe Season of Spring has arrived...\nIt sways (the emotions) of the heart,\nIt spreads across the meadows and the desert... A velvet-like green.\n-Rahim Me`marian\n\n## Short stories\nThere are countless short stories that belong to the Semnani language.\nSimilar to poetry, short stories account for a major section of the literature of Semnan.\nDue to the previous, little use of orthography, the Semnani language was not able to produce any large single story or novel.\nNevertheless, short stories were created to both record history and entertain.\nThese short stories were passed on generation after generation, and have now been recently recorded in books.\nOne famous short story is \"frônsé shô vu rüá,\" or \"(The) French King and (the) Cat.\"\n\n# Media\n\n## Television\nThe city of Semnan receives all the nationwide stations broadcast by [IRIB](https://bliptext.com/articles/irib).\nIn addition to the nationwide channels, Semnan is the broadcasting location of **Semnan TV**, the provincial television station.\nSemnan TV has made several great achievements in the film and documentary fields.\nOne notable documentary is that of the life of Ali Akbar Moallem Damghani, an Islamic scholar and mystic.\nBecause of the wide variety of dialects spoken throughout the Semnan Province, all of Semnan TV's main broadcasting is in the Persian language in order to avoid the unfair advancement of the city's own dialect.\nThis policy has angered a significant portion of the population which remains deeply concerned with regards to the deteriorating state of the Semnani language altogether.\n\n## Radio\nSimilar to television, the city of Semnan receives all the national radio frequencies broadcast by [IRIB](https://bliptext.com/articles/irib).\nDue to Semnan's status as the provincial capital, **Radio Semnan** is based in the city and broadcasts for the entire Semnan Province.\nRadio Semnan first began to operate in 1976 with the utilization of 10 [kilowatts](https://bliptext.com/articles/kilowatts).\nA few years after the [Islamic Revolution](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-revolution), Radio Semnan underwent a major expansion in the year 1981.\nThis provided a variety of broadcasting, i.e. religious, political, recent events, cultural, etc., as well as increasing the broadcasting duration up to fifteen hours per day.\nToday, Radio Semnan is an important media asset for the entire Semnan Province, and serves as a major source of reliable information and discussions from a wide variety of topics.\nAccording to the representative of Radio Semnan, Abdulreza Dehrouye, \"the variety of regional dialects, the strategic geographical location, the good climate, the contributions of the educated elite, the centers of industry and mineral extraction, the various university complexes, the massive labor force, and the highly literate and educated municipal population are all contributing factors into establishing the framework of the great and spiritual network Radio Semnan offers today.\"\nFurthermore, Radio Semnan is unique in offering broadcast time in which residents may call in and engage in direct dialogue with city representatives and officials.\nThis provides the people as well as city officials the opportunity to address general public concerns and discuss future plans.\n\n## Newspapers\nIn addition to the numerous nationwide newspapers such as \"hamshahri\" and \"Jomhuri ye Eslami\", Semnan publishes many of its own newspapers as well as newspapers for other major cities throughout the Semnan Province.\nThese newspapers consist of:\nThe city's extensive online newspaper can be accessed at www.semnannews.com.\nThe [Islamic Republic News Agency](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-republic-news-agency) also features a provincial news outlet dedicated to the Semnan Province.\n\n# Transportation\n\n## Airports and aviation\nThe city is served by both the [Semnan Municipal Airport](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-municipal-airport) and [New Semnan Airport](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-semnan-airport).\n\n## Railways\nThe city is served by the **Semnan Railway Station**, which features double rails and services to the major cities of Tehran (Westward) and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad) (Eastward).\nIn addition to services to Tehran and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad), there are separate railway services to the cities of [Garmsar](https://bliptext.com/articles/garmsar), [Shahrud](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahrud), [Damghan](https://bliptext.com/articles/damghan), [Meyami](https://bliptext.com/articles/meyami), and [Sorkheh](https://bliptext.com/articles/sorkheh), all within the Province of Semnan.\nThe Semnan Railway Station features modern electric rail services as well.\nThe city is further served by the **Semnan Municipal Train** system which connects the major points of the city by rail.\nThis train service resembles the [light rail transit](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-rail-transit) systems that serve several cities throughout the [Western world](https://bliptext.com/articles/western-world).\n\n## Other transportation services\nSemnan also offers an extensive bus route throughout the entire municipality as well as numerous public and private taxi services.\nSimilar to most cities in Iran, Semnan has a particular taxi service referred to in Persian as \"agence.\"\nThis originally [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-language) word is used to denote taxis that arrive at the individual's place of residence and provide service to the individual's destination.\nThis form of service varies from the regular taxi services in Semnan, which only operate on pre-assigned routes.\n\n# Higher education\nAround 99% of all of Semnan's residents are literate.\nAs a result, many residents seek higher education and high level services such as medical, pharmacological, and high-tech engineering professions.\nSome of the major centers of higher education are:\nThe University of Industry of Semnan is another planned, future university.\n# [An entrance to the Semnan University campus | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Semnan///University.jpg]\n\n# Notable people\n\n## Photo gallery","current_revision":null,"created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T21:36:06.779Z","updated_at":"2025-01-25T21:36:06.779Z","search_vector":"'iran':2 'semnan':1","search_content":" \n**Official Name:** Semnan \n**Other Name:** also known as Saman \n**Nickname:** City of Compassion \n**Settlement Type:** City \n**Motto:** Welcome; \n**Image Skyline:** Shah (Imam)-Soltani Mosque. Semnan 6.jpg \n**Image Caption:** Imam Soltani mosque \n**Image Seal:** Semnan Logo.png \n**Pushpin Map:** Iran \n**Subdivision Type:** Country \n**Subdivision Name:** [Iran](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) \n**Subdivision Type 1:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-iran) \n**Subdivision Name 1:** [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province) \n**Subdivision Type 2:** [County](https://bliptext.com/articles/counties-of-iran) \n**Subdivision Name 2:** [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-county) \n**Subdivision Type 3:** [District](https://bliptext.com/articles/bakhsh) \n**Subdivision Name 3:** [Central](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-district-semnan-county) \n**Government Type:** [Municipality](https://bliptext.com/articles/municipality) \n**Leader Title:** Mayor \n**Leader Name:** Seyed Hossein Mousavi \n**Established Title:** Settled \n**Established Date:** circa 240[BCE](https://bliptext.com/articles/bce) by [Parni](https://bliptext.com/articles/parni) tribesmen \n**Established Title 3:** Incorporated (city) \n**Established Date 3:** 1926 \n**Population As Of:** 2016 \n**Population Total:** 185129 \n**Timezone:** [IRST](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran-standard-time) \n**Utc Offset:** +3:30 \n**Coordinates:** 35.58111°N, 53.38333°W \n**Elevation M:** 1130 \n**Elevation Ft:** 3707 \n**Area Code:** +98 23 \n**Blank Name:** Main Languages \n**Blank Info:** [**Persian**](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language), [**Semnani**](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-language) \n**Blank 1 Name:** [Climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification) \n**Blank 1 Info:** [BWh](https://bliptext.com/articles/desert-climate) \n**Website:** http://www.semnan.ir \n \n\n# \n**[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** is a city in the [Central District](https://bliptext.com/articles/central-district-semnan-county) of **[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** County, **[Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-province)** province, [Iran](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran), serving as capital of the province, the county and the district.\nThe city is on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in the north-central part of the country, 216 km east of [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) and 640 km west of [Mashhad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashhad).\nWith a population of 185,129 people in 2016, Semnan is the most populous city in the province and the hub of the [Semnani language](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-languages), a sub-branch of the [Iranian languages](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-languages) spoken to the north.\nIt is home to the [Semnani](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-people) ethnic group.\nSemnan offers various recreational activities; historical and religious sites; festivals, gardens and parks; and centers of higher education and Semnani culture.\nThe city is the cultural and political capital of Semnan province.\nThe city's main souvenirs are [daffodil flowers](https://bliptext.com/articles/narcissus-plant), [Shirmal](https://bliptext.com/articles/sheermal) pastry, [Kolüçe](https://bliptext.com/articles/kol-e) cookies, [kilim](https://bliptext.com/articles/kilim) rugs, and [shortbread](https://bliptext.com/articles/shortbread).\n\n# Etymology\nThere are several theories which seek to explain the origin of the name Semnan.\n \n Semnan was an ancient pre-[zoroastrian](https://bliptext.com/articles/zoroastrian) city in which the locals practiced idol-worshipping.\nTheir religion was called samīna, hence the name Semnan. \n Semnan was an ancient civil establishment by the [Scythians](https://bliptext.com/articles/scythians), an [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-peoples) people who named their settlement Sakanān. \n A theory produced by the local people themselves claims the first settlers of Semnan were two of the Prophet [Noah](https://bliptext.com/articles/noah)'s children, Sim An-Nabi and Lam An-Nabi, and that their settlement became known as Simlam; the local people believe that over time the name Simlam turned into Semnan. \n Semnan was established by the mythical character [Tahmuras](https://bliptext.com/articles/tahmuras), and that he named his city Saminā. \n The ancient regional language was known as Sa ma nān, and that the city of these people took on the name of their language. \n The name Semnan comes from the phrase sa ma nān, which is supposed to be a corrupted Persian way of saying 'three months of bread.' This phrase traces back to the Semnani women's tradition of cooking three months worth of bread in one day.\n \n \n# [The name \"Semnan\" in Persian calligraphy. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Semnan///Calligraphy///Font.jpg]\n\n# History\n\n## Pre-Islamic Era\nThe city of Semnan has historically been one of the fourteen civil establishments of the ancient, [Avesta](https://bliptext.com/articles/avesta)-era province of \"Vern.\"\nSemnan remained an important city throughout the era of the [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) [Achaemenid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/achaemenid-empire).\nAfter the invasion of [Alexander the Great](https://bliptext.com/articles/alexander-the-great), which resulted in the fall of the [Achaemenid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/achaemenid-empire), and the establishment of the [Seleucid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/seleucid-empire), the region which hosts the city of Semnan became known as Komesh.\nThe beginning of the prosperous era of the city arrived with the rise of the [Arsacid dynasty of Parthia](https://bliptext.com/articles/arsacid-dynasty-of-parthia).\nThe Parthians are an [Iranian people](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-peoples).\nThe [Arsacid dynasty of Parthia](https://bliptext.com/articles/arsacid-dynasty-of-parthia) was very interested in the importing of [Hellenism](https://bliptext.com/articles/hellenization), or Greek culture.\nThis resulted in the pioneering of sculpting and other forms of [Western](https://bliptext.com/articles/western-culture) art in the city of Semnan.\nOne of the capital cities of the [Parthian Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/parthian-empire) was [Hecatompylos](https://bliptext.com/articles/hecatompylos), and its ruins and numerous historical sites remain between the modern day city of Semnan and [Damghan](https://bliptext.com/articles/damghan).\nWith the fall of the [Parthian Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/parthian-empire), and the rise of the [[Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia)](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) [Sassanid Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/sassanid-empire), [Zoroastrianism](https://bliptext.com/articles/zoroastrianism) was chosen as the state religion, and the city of Semnan was once again brought under the reign of [[Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia)](https://bliptext.com/articles/persia) customs and traditions.\n# [Coinage during the Parthian Era | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Artabanosi.jpg]\n\n## Post-Islamic Era\nAfter the [Muslim conquest of Persia](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim-conquest-of-persia), the religion of [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) was established within the city of Semnan.\nThough, unlike modern day Semnan, the people of the city originally practiced [Sunni Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunni-islam), similar to the rest of early Islamic Persia.\nHowever, the institution of [Sunni](https://bliptext.com/articles/sunni) [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) did not last very long.\nThe [Alavids](https://bliptext.com/articles/alavids) of [Tabaristan](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabaristan) had established a [[Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a)](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islamic](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic) [emirate](https://bliptext.com/articles/emirate) and upon conquering Semnan, brought the [Zaidi](https://bliptext.com/articles/zaidiyyah) [[Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a)](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) sect of Islam.\nThen, in the year 427 [AH](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar), the [Seljuq Turks](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-turks) invaded and devastated the city.\nNevertheless, it was the very [Seljuq Turks](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-turks) that built many of the historical monuments and infrastructure of [medieval](https://bliptext.com/articles/medieval) Semnan.\nAs the Seljuq Empire grew weak, the Abbasids managed to reconquer and assert their sovereignty over Persia.\nThe people of Semnan suffered severely under the [Abbasid Caliphate](https://bliptext.com/articles/abbasid-caliphate).\nIt is possible that the years of Abbasid rule traumatized the people of Semnan, and even to this day, the Semnani people despise the color black because of its utilization for the black flags of the [Abbasid Caliphate](https://bliptext.com/articles/abbasid-caliphate).\nThe Abbasid rule was ended by the brutal, devastating invasion of the Mongols in the year of 618 [AH](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar).\nThe Mongol hordes massacred the people and burnt much of the city to the ground.\nSemnan would not recover until the rise of the [Turco-Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/turco-persian) [Safavid dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/safavid-dynasty).\nThe Safavids brought the [Twelver Shi'ism](https://bliptext.com/articles/twelver-shi-ism) sect of Islam to Semnan, and contributed to the reconstruction of the city.\n# [Semnan within the bounds of the Shi'a Alavid Emirate | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Alavids-map.png]\n\n## Qajar Era\nWith the rise of the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty), historical Semnan witnessed economical, cultural, infrastructural, and political progress.\nThe very tribe that rose into becoming the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty) was based out of the mountainous terrain between modern-day [Semnan](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-iran), [Mazandaran](https://bliptext.com/articles/mazandaran), and [Golestan](https://bliptext.com/articles/golestan-province).\nThe Qajars turned Semnan into a civil fortress, from which they oversaw the major trade route between their capital in [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) and the holy city of [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad).\nIn addition to infrastructural growth, some Qajar royals built their estates in the city.\nSemnan was also an important medical center for members of the Qajar imperial family and was home to many notable physicians and doctors of the era.\nEconomically, the city consisted of several feudal estates with agricultural plantations which relied on serf labor.\n# [Imperial emblem of the Qajar dynasty | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Imperial///Emblem///of///the///Qajar///Dynasty///%28Lion///and///Sun%29.svg]\n\n## Pahlavi Era\nThe Pahlavi era marked the transition of Semnan into the industrial era.\nSemnan's original loyalty to the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty) and the city's importance under the Qajars prompted a lot of anti-Pahlavi sentiment with the rise of Reza Shah.\n[Reza Shah Pahlavi](https://bliptext.com/articles/reza-shah-pahlavi)'s government began the immediate construction of modern infrastructure and paved roads throughout the city, however, this called for the destruction of the citadel of Semnan and the artistic monuments of the Qajars.\nUpon attempting to destroy the Gate of Semnan, the locals chained themselves to the building and stopped its destruction.\nMany prominent families in Semnan were also restricted from attaining high political posts as a result of their previous connection with and service to the Qajar imperial family.\nThis resulted in the exodus of many prominent Semnani families to [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran) during the early Pahlavi era.\nDespite the tension and confrontation, the [Pahlavi dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/pahlavi-dynasty) was successful in transforming Semnan into a more modern city.\nThroughout the early Pahlavi era, Semnan experienced several rounds of extreme drought, famine, crop devastation, and poverty.\nProminent [Semnani language](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnani-language) poets such as Nosratollah Nouhian encouraged the Farmers and General Labor class to rise up and demand their rights from the unjust, well-fed landlords who were carelessly watching the very farmers who grew the food starve and deteriorate into ruin and agony:\nPatience and contentment is no more, rise up!\nOppression and atrociousness shall be no more, rise up!\n―Nosratollah Nouhian\n# [Imperial coat of arms of the Pahlavi dynasty | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Imperial///Coat///of///Arms///of///Iran.svg]\n\n# Demographics\n\n## Language and ethnicity\nThe [Persian language](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language) is the official language of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and thus within the city of Semnan.\nEvery literate person in Semnan knows how to communicate in the Persian language.\nThe majority of the city dwellers are Persians.\nOlder Semnan was made up of four main districts: Shaji (Shahjoo), Naasaar, Latibaar and Espanjon (Esfanjan).\nThese four districts still exist today, but the city has grown and become much larger including some new districts.\nTo the west of the city is \"Maleh\" which used to be a separate settlement but was not a part of Semnan.\nIn the local language the inhabitants are known as Malezh.\n\"Maleh\" consists of three parts: Koery (Kodivar), Koshmeni (Kushmaqaan) and Zaveni (Zavaqaan).\n\"Maleh\" is now part of Semnan.\nAs a result of the [[Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty)](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty)'s heavy influence on the city of Semnan, especially under [Fath Ali Shah](https://bliptext.com/articles/fath-ali-shah)'s reign, some families in Semnan can trace their lineage back to the [[Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty)](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nFurthermore, much of the city's most important monuments have been built under [Turkic](https://bliptext.com/articles/turkic-peoples) dynasties.\nFor example, the Jame' Mosque of Semnan, constructed nearly 1,000 years ago, was built by the [Seljuq dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/seljuq-dynasty).\nThe Imam Mosque, originally known as Soltani Mosque, was constructed by the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nThe Gate of Semman, or Arg e Semnan, which is the representative symbol of the city of Semnan, was also constructed by the [Qajar dynasty](https://bliptext.com/articles/qajar-dynasty).\nMany other historical sites within the city and the surrounding villages demonstrate a strong [Turkic](https://bliptext.com/articles/turkic-peoples) and [Ilkhanate](https://bliptext.com/articles/ilkhanate) influence in their architectural designs.\nAlso, much of the city's [Sayyid](https://bliptext.com/articles/sayyid) population tends to descend from the [Alavids](https://bliptext.com/articles/alavids) of the [Caspian region](https://bliptext.com/articles/caspian-region) to the north of the province.\n\n### Semnani language\nThe city also has its own language known as \"Zaban e Semnani\" in Persian or \"Semani Zefön\" in the Semnani language of the locals.\nThe [Iranian Constitution](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-constitution) recognizes the use of regional dialects and languages, and permits their usage second to the Persian language.\nAccording to the book Dictionary of Semnan Ancient Dialect, Semnan traditionally has had its own language.\nThe book collected more than 12,000 words belonging to this language.\nThe local people call their language Semani.\nMost of the older generations and some among the younger generations of the city still know and maintain communication in this language.\nHowever, the majority of the younger generations do not communicate in Semani as a result of schooling and education in [Persian](https://bliptext.com/articles/persian-language).\n\n## Religion\nThe people of the city of Semnan are almost all entirely [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim).\nThe [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islamic faith](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-faith) dominates the culture, norms, traditions, and beliefs of the city, and continues to dictate the style of life in city.\nAs a result, the celebrations, rituals, and days of religious mourning play a major role in the life of a Semnani city dweller, and are for some families, more important that the national [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) customs and holidays.\nThe majority of the people of Semnan observe [[Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a)](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam) quite conservatively; hence, the martyrdom and birthdays of [[Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a)](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) [Imams](https://bliptext.com/articles/imams) are very important days on the calendar.\n\n## Population\nAt the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 124,999 in 36,298 households.\nThe following census in 2011 counted 153,680 people in 45,311 households.\nThe 2016 census measured the population of the city as 185,129 people in 49,124 households.\n\n# Geography\n\n## Location\nThe city of Semnan is situated on an alluvial fan at 1,138 metres above [sea level](https://bliptext.com/articles/sea-level), straddling the southern foothills of the [Alborz Mountains](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz-mountains) and the vast desert plain to the south of the city.\nThe Golrudbar creek, which begins in the mountains to the north of [Shahmirzad](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahmirzad), has historically provided a reliable supply of water for municipal and agricultural consumption.\nIrrigation methods since ancient times have allowed the people of Semnan to drink clean water, raise livestock such as cattle and sheep, and cultivate diverse crops.\n# [Typical terrain and geography of the region | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Alborz///in///Semnan///Province///of///Iran.jpg]\n\n## Climate\nSemnan has a [hot desert climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/hot-desert-climate) (BWh) bordering a [cold desert climate](https://bliptext.com/articles/cold-desert-climate) (BWk) according to the [Köppen climate classification](https://bliptext.com/articles/k-ppen-climate-classification).\nThe city enjoys the traditional four seasons of [winter](https://bliptext.com/articles/winter), [spring](https://bliptext.com/articles/spring-season), [summer](https://bliptext.com/articles/summer), and [autumn](https://bliptext.com/articles/autumn) each year.\nThe rain season starts in December and lasts into May, however, precipitation throughout the rain season is generally very light.\nDuring some winters, moisture-abundant [blizzards](https://bliptext.com/articles/blizzards) make their way down from the [Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz) mountains to the north of the city and dump several centimeters of snow in a single twenty-four-hour period.\nAs a result of the city's position straddling the open [desert plain](https://bliptext.com/articles/dasht-e-kavir), many winter days are dominated by a cold and gusty wind that often produces a potent windchill factor which makes the city feel much colder than the actual air temperature.\nAccording to Iranian Meteorological statistics, Semnan experiences around 44.5 days in which the minimum temperature falls below freezing each year.\nSpring is characterized by mild to warm day temperatures and cold to cool nights.\nMuinimun Temperatures do not fall below freezing from May to October and rarely do so in March, April and November.\nSummers are often hot during the day and mildly warm at night.\nSummer months remain extremely dry with only trace amounts of rain.\nOccasionally, moisture from the [Caspian Sea](https://bliptext.com/articles/caspian-sea) passes over the [High Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz).\nWith the right amount of heat and moisture, thunderstorms may develop during the afternoon and evening hours.\nThough the amount of precipitation is light, these thunderstorms often produce strong and gusty winds with frequent [lightning strikes](https://bliptext.com/articles/dry-thunderstorm).\nAutumn is mostly a transitional season.\n\n# Historical sites and places of interest\nDue to the relatively small size of Semnan when compared to other major [Iranian](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran) cities such as [Tehran](https://bliptext.com/articles/tehran), [Tabriz](https://bliptext.com/articles/tabriz), and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad), Semnan's rich historical monuments and scholarly figures are often forgotten.\nThe following are some of the city's historical sites and places of interest:\n\n## Religious structures\n\n## Secular structures\n# [Historical entrance to the Semnan Citadel at night | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Arg-semnan.jpg]\n# [Shah Mosque | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AC%D8%AF///%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87///%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%AA///%DA%86%D9%BE.jpg]\n\n## Historical innovations\nSemnan's proximity to the [Kavir](https://bliptext.com/articles/dasht-e-kavir) Desert has provided the city with the opportunity to construct numerous facilities in order to cope with the dry climate.\nAs a result, Semnan has numerous ancient, traditional irrigation systems known as [qanat](https://bliptext.com/articles/qanat).\nIn addition, the roofs of many buildings are decorated with windcatchers known in Persian as [badgir](https://bliptext.com/articles/badgir).\nThese badgirs were normally attached to a small [cistern](https://bliptext.com/articles/cistern) of drinking water known in Persian as [Ab Anbar](https://bliptext.com/articles/ab-anbar).\nThese ancient, traditional, and clever designs and systems helped Semnan grow and prosper before the introduction of modern plumbing and appliances.\nWithin the vicinity of the city, ancient [caravanserais](https://bliptext.com/articles/caravanserais) from the active era of the historic and legendary [Silk Road](https://bliptext.com/articles/silk-road) can be found.\n# [Example of a badgir attached to a cistern of water in Yazd, Iran similar in construct to the ones in Semnan | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/BadGir.JPG]\n\n# Economy\nThe city of Semnan has traditionally been an important center of commerce along the historical [Silk Road](https://bliptext.com/articles/silk-road), and is still an important agricultural, industrial, and cultural center today.\n\n## Industrial sector\nThe production of [textiles](https://bliptext.com/articles/textile) and [carpets](https://bliptext.com/articles/carpet) were the most important industries in the history of the city.\nBut nowadays, in relation to its population, Semnan has very powerful industrial sectors, with special regards to its automobile industry (cars and bikes).\nAnother major industry is the production of cement from the nearby cement plants.\nThe mountains and foothills around Semnan also hold major deposits of minerals used in the production of plaster; these mines are known in Persian as ma'dan e gach.\nOther minerals that are mined around the city consist of [gypsum](https://bliptext.com/articles/gypsum), [salts](https://bliptext.com/articles/salts), [zeolite](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeolite), [bentonite](https://bliptext.com/articles/bentonite), and [celestine](https://bliptext.com/articles/celestine-mineral).\nSome heavy industries of Semnan consist of the [Iran Khodro](https://bliptext.com/articles/iran-khodro) Semnan Production Plant (producing 100,000 [Samand](https://bliptext.com/articles/samand) cars per year), Oqab Afshan Production Plant (largest bus production plant in the region of [[Asia](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)), the Semnan Sodium Carbonate Company (largest in the region of [[Asia](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)](https://bliptext.com/articles/asia)), and the Semnan Rolling Mills Group (major producer of piping and profiles).\nOne of the largest industrial zone in the city is the Semnan Industrial Town, which features 2,100 hectares of land and 900 industrial units.\n\n## Agricultural sector\nAgricultural traditions still persist around and within the city of Semnan.\nThe Golrudbar river, which starts in the [Alborz](https://bliptext.com/articles/alborz) mountains in the north, runs through the western side of the city.\nWith proper irrigation, the municipality has managed to convert the entire southwestern portion of the city into green and lush pomegranate gardens.\nAround the city, further irrigation of the Golrudbar river and the surrounding creeks and tributaries have provided the proper environment for the cultivation of herbs, eggplants, potatoes, walnuts, and cotton.\nSemnan also produces handwoven rugs called Glim.\nThese rugs consist of naturally dyed wools, woven into elaborate tribal and local designs.\n\n# Customs and traditions\n\n## Norms\n# [Artistic impression of jinn | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Jinn///from///Ali///manuscript.jpg]\n\n## Muharram traditions\n[Muharram](https://bliptext.com/articles/muharram) is the first month of the [Islamic Calendar](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-calendar), and also the month which marks the brutal and tragic martyrdom of the third [Shi'a](https://bliptext.com/articles/shi-a) Imam, [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein) and 72 members of his household.\nThe people of Semnan observe Muharram and the overall 50 days of mourning by refraining from worldly pleasures, such as music and joyful gatherings, wearing dark clothes to show intimate grief, and participating in outdoor rallies consisting of massive mourning accompanied by sorrowful chants which recall the events of the tragedy in [Karbala](https://bliptext.com/articles/karbala), the place of [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein)'s martyrdom.\nIn addition, the mournings on the tenth day of Muharram, known as [Ashura](https://bliptext.com/articles/day-of-ashura), consist of [self-flagellation](https://bliptext.com/articles/self-flagellation) rituals in which the participants attempt to symbolically inflict pain upon themselves.\nAnother major event held in Semnan during the month of [Muharram](https://bliptext.com/articles/muharram) is the reenactment of the tragedy of [Karbala](https://bliptext.com/articles/karbala).\nParticipating locals would wear the armor and clothing of the armies of [Imam Hussein](https://bliptext.com/articles/imam-hussein) and his enemies, as well as decorating the local horses in the cavalry uniform of the era.\nThus, the battle would be reenacted.\nDuring this month's sorrowful rituals, it is custom to cook a community meal (usually a stew).\nThis is done by placing colossal cauldrons outside upon a source of heat, then, people would take turns stirring the stew until it is ready to be consumed by the community's mourners.\n# [Artistic impression of a historical Ashura mourning ceremony, by Fausto Zonaro (1909) | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/10///Muharram.jpg]\n\n## Nowrouz traditions\nThe celebrations of [Nowrouz](https://bliptext.com/articles/nowrouz) are slightly different in the city of Semnan.\nSince the beginning of the Iranian (Islamic) solar month of [Esfand](https://bliptext.com/articles/esfand), a man dressed in red with a charcoal-blackened face known as [Hajji Firuz](https://bliptext.com/articles/hajji-firuz) sits on top of a wooden horse, decorated with textiles, in the bazaars of Semnan.\nHe congratulates the people and takes part in the establishment of the holiday environment.\nHe sings in the Semnani language: arbaab e mani somboli baleikom, arbaab e mani sarbalaayii hei kon, arbaab e mani bozboz e qandi, arbaab e mani chera nemikhandi.\nAs the celebrations approach the Nowrouz, many celebrators blacken their faces with charcoal and join the celebrations.\nAnother interesting aspect of the Nowrouz celebrations are the massive gatherings of the womenfolk in which they make covenants with God to cook large batches of [samanu](https://bliptext.com/articles/samanu) for the poor.\n# [Sample of samanu | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Samanoo-Samanou-Persian-sweet-paste-for-Nowruz-Haft-Sin-Tablet.jpg]\n\n# Unique foods and dishes\nThe people of Semnan have many foods and dishes that are specific to Semnan.\nSome of the common ingredients used in Semnani dishes consist of [pomegranate](https://bliptext.com/articles/pomegranate) extracts, fresh walnuts from [Shahmirzad](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahmirzad) (şômırzé), a variety of greens and herbs known in Persian as sabzijat, and more recently, potatoes.\nSemnani food tends to be slightly sour and spicey when compared to the general culinary preferences of Tehran.\nIn fact, there is an old proverb among the local people that says, \"Semnan has so many foods, that a wife from this city can cook a different dish for every night of the year.\"\nSome of the famous dishes are: Chelo Gousht, Sabzi polo, and [Khoresht](https://bliptext.com/articles/khoresht) e Esfanaj va Gerdou (espenôj vu yüz).\nThe Semnani people are also quite fond of a variety of breads such as [shirmal](https://bliptext.com/articles/shirmal), [shortbread](https://bliptext.com/articles/shortbread) (kamôç), and [Kolüçe](https://bliptext.com/articles/koloocheh-and-masgati) pastries.\nIn the Semnani language, bread that is baked in an oven is referred to as \"nün,\" while bread made by other means is referred to as \"sôdjí.\"\nThe following are the names of some foods in English and Semnani: chicken (gırká), pomegranate (nôr), grapes (engír), cucumber (djürüng), walnut (yüz), eggplant (vıngun), and apricot (şillık).\n# [Kolüçe cookies (right) demonstrate the Caspian region's culinary influence on Semnan | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Kolooche.jpg]\n\n# Culture\n\n## Poetry\nPoetry is the most important form of literature in the city of Semnan, especially in terms of its cultural value.\nSemnani people have contributed greatly to their poetry; they use poetry to express their emotions, philosophies, politics, etc., as well as to preserve the native **Semani** language.\nOther poetic works tend to be about God and nature.\nAlso, many books have been published full of traditional poetry.\nPerhaps the most famous is Nanén Hıkôtí, or Mom's Sayings.\nTwo famous Semnani poets are Zabihullah Andaliba and Rahim Me`marian.\nThe following is an excerpt from a poem about Spring, by Rahim Me`marian, in the Semnani language, along with an English translation:\nThe Season of Spring has arrived...\nIt sways (the emotions) of the heart,\nIt spreads across the meadows and the desert... A velvet-like green.\n-Rahim Me`marian\n\n## Short stories\nThere are countless short stories that belong to the Semnani language.\nSimilar to poetry, short stories account for a major section of the literature of Semnan.\nDue to the previous, little use of orthography, the Semnani language was not able to produce any large single story or novel.\nNevertheless, short stories were created to both record history and entertain.\nThese short stories were passed on generation after generation, and have now been recently recorded in books.\nOne famous short story is \"frônsé shô vu rüá,\" or \"(The) French King and (the) Cat.\"\n\n# Media\n\n## Television\nThe city of Semnan receives all the nationwide stations broadcast by [IRIB](https://bliptext.com/articles/irib).\nIn addition to the nationwide channels, Semnan is the broadcasting location of **Semnan TV**, the provincial television station.\nSemnan TV has made several great achievements in the film and documentary fields.\nOne notable documentary is that of the life of Ali Akbar Moallem Damghani, an Islamic scholar and mystic.\nBecause of the wide variety of dialects spoken throughout the Semnan Province, all of Semnan TV's main broadcasting is in the Persian language in order to avoid the unfair advancement of the city's own dialect.\nThis policy has angered a significant portion of the population which remains deeply concerned with regards to the deteriorating state of the Semnani language altogether.\n\n## Radio\nSimilar to television, the city of Semnan receives all the national radio frequencies broadcast by [IRIB](https://bliptext.com/articles/irib).\nDue to Semnan's status as the provincial capital, **Radio Semnan** is based in the city and broadcasts for the entire Semnan Province.\nRadio Semnan first began to operate in 1976 with the utilization of 10 [kilowatts](https://bliptext.com/articles/kilowatts).\nA few years after the [Islamic Revolution](https://bliptext.com/articles/iranian-revolution), Radio Semnan underwent a major expansion in the year 1981.\nThis provided a variety of broadcasting, i.e. religious, political, recent events, cultural, etc., as well as increasing the broadcasting duration up to fifteen hours per day.\nToday, Radio Semnan is an important media asset for the entire Semnan Province, and serves as a major source of reliable information and discussions from a wide variety of topics.\nAccording to the representative of Radio Semnan, Abdulreza Dehrouye, \"the variety of regional dialects, the strategic geographical location, the good climate, the contributions of the educated elite, the centers of industry and mineral extraction, the various university complexes, the massive labor force, and the highly literate and educated municipal population are all contributing factors into establishing the framework of the great and spiritual network Radio Semnan offers today.\"\nFurthermore, Radio Semnan is unique in offering broadcast time in which residents may call in and engage in direct dialogue with city representatives and officials.\nThis provides the people as well as city officials the opportunity to address general public concerns and discuss future plans.\n\n## Newspapers\nIn addition to the numerous nationwide newspapers such as \"hamshahri\" and \"Jomhuri ye Eslami\", Semnan publishes many of its own newspapers as well as newspapers for other major cities throughout the Semnan Province.\nThese newspapers consist of:\nThe city's extensive online newspaper can be accessed at www.semnannews.com.\nThe [Islamic Republic News Agency](https://bliptext.com/articles/islamic-republic-news-agency) also features a provincial news outlet dedicated to the Semnan Province.\n\n# Transportation\n\n## Airports and aviation\nThe city is served by both the [Semnan Municipal Airport](https://bliptext.com/articles/semnan-municipal-airport) and [New Semnan Airport](https://bliptext.com/articles/new-semnan-airport).\n\n## Railways\nThe city is served by the **Semnan Railway Station**, which features double rails and services to the major cities of Tehran (Westward) and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad) (Eastward).\nIn addition to services to Tehran and [Mashad](https://bliptext.com/articles/mashad), there are separate railway services to the cities of [Garmsar](https://bliptext.com/articles/garmsar), [Shahrud](https://bliptext.com/articles/shahrud), [Damghan](https://bliptext.com/articles/damghan), [Meyami](https://bliptext.com/articles/meyami), and [Sorkheh](https://bliptext.com/articles/sorkheh), all within the Province of Semnan.\nThe Semnan Railway Station features modern electric rail services as well.\nThe city is further served by the **Semnan Municipal Train** system which connects the major points of the city by rail.\nThis train service resembles the [light rail transit](https://bliptext.com/articles/light-rail-transit) systems that serve several cities throughout the [Western world](https://bliptext.com/articles/western-world).\n\n## Other transportation services\nSemnan also offers an extensive bus route throughout the entire municipality as well as numerous public and private taxi services.\nSimilar to most cities in Iran, Semnan has a particular taxi service referred to in Persian as \"agence.\"\nThis originally [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-language) word is used to denote taxis that arrive at the individual's place of residence and provide service to the individual's destination.\nThis form of service varies from the regular taxi services in Semnan, which only operate on pre-assigned routes.\n\n# Higher education\nAround 99% of all of Semnan's residents are literate.\nAs a result, many residents seek higher education and high level services such as medical, pharmacological, and high-tech engineering professions.\nSome of the major centers of higher education are:\nThe University of Industry of Semnan is another planned, future university.\n# [An entrance to the Semnan University campus | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Semnan///University.jpg]\n\n# Notable people\n\n## Photo gallery","revisionCount":0},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}