Babol

Babol (Template:Langx; Template:Pronunciation)Template:Efn is a city in the Central District of Babol County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.<ref name="Mazandaran Province Structure">Template:Cite report</ref> Babol is divided into two metropolitan areas (under Iranian law).

History and etymology

File:Bahman Square of Babol.jpg

Bahman Square Babol in 1946

Founded by the Safavids in the 16th century, it was built on the site of the ancient city of Mamtir (deriving from "Mah Mithra" "great Mithra). 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 and the darkness of Ahriman. Babol was formerly called Barforushdeh (meaning Market Town) and Barforush afterwards. In 1931, the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty Reza Shah (1878-1944) ordered urban planning efforts to commence in the city and changed its name to Babol, which means city with abundant water supply.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

Mazandarani people have a background in Tabari ethnicity and speak Mazandarni.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The native people of Sari, Shahi, Babol, Amol, Nowshahr, Chalus, and Tonekabon are Mazandarani people and speak the Mazandarani language.<ref>Windfuhr, G. L. 1989. New Iranian languages: Overview. In Rüdiger Schmitt, ed., Compendium linguarum Iranicarum. Wiesbaden: L. Reichert. pp. 490.</ref>

Population

Template:Historical populations At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 198,636 in 55,943 households.<ref name="2006 Mazandaran Province">Template:Cite report</ref> The following census in 2011 counted 219,467 people in 67,069 households.<ref name="2011 Mazandaran Province">Template:Cite report</ref> The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 250,217 people in 81,572 households.<ref name="2016 Mazandaran Province">Template:Cite report</ref>

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.<ref>Iranian Students' News Agency - ISNA |http://mazandaran.isna.ir/Default.aspx?NSID=5&SSLID=46&NID=18028</ref>

Geography

Location

Babol is in the north of Iran, north-east of Tehran, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of the Caspian Sea.The city is located approximately 20 kilometers south of the Caspian Sea on the west bank of Babolrud River. Babol borders Babolsar and Fereydunkenar to the north, Qaem Shahr and Shirgah District to the east, Savadkuh to the southeast, Firuzkuh to the South and Amol to the west. Babol University is famous for its spectacular scenery.

File:MazandaranBabol.PNG

Map showing the location of Babol county as well as Babol city in Mazandaran.

Climate

the city receives abundant annual rainfall. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa, Trewartha: Cs)<ref name="Climate-Data.org">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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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 oranges, lemons, and tangerines. There are many rice farms around the city, and, until about 20 years ago, tea, tobacco, and cotton were processed.

The city is served by Refah Chain Stores Co., Iran Hyper Star, Isfahan City Center, Shahrvand Chain Stores Inc., Kowsar Market, 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 Babolsar 10 km north, Amol 30 km west and Qaemshahr 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 Caspian Sea with connection to other Caspian ports.

Colleges and universities

File:Babol Noshirvani University of Technology-Main Building.jpg

Noshirvani University of Technology

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

Babol Noshirvani University of Technology 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Babol University of Medical Sciences
Mazandaran University of Science and Technology
Educators University - Education Center Martyr Rajai Babol
PNU - Babol Center
PNU - Bandpey Unit
Islamic Azad University - 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 Mazandaran
Babol Machine Mfg. & Ind
MSco
Khazar Khodro Babol.Co

Sports

Babol is home to the Iranian Basketball Super League 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 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 as the main road from Babol to Amol. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>