Aligoodarz
Encyclopedia
Aligudarz is a city in and capital of Aligudarz County
, Lorestan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 78,690, in 18,115 families.
Aligudarz is located 503 km from Tehran
and situated in a region which is a mixture of plain and foothill, thus enjoying a mountainous mild climate. Oshtorankuh Mountain range and Aligudarz River are situated here.
hero from the Persian national epic Shahnameh
).
In the past, the monastery of this city was a religious training center for the Kizilbash
and darvishes
.
Important natural and historical sites of Aligudarz include:
and Luri
. The overwhelming majority of the population are of the Shia Muslim confession. Throughout the centuries very large numbers of people of Khunsar and Golpayegan have settled in the city. There was once a small Jewish community that has either been assimilated into mainstream Islam or emigrated out of the city. The last known Jewish inhabitants fled the city during the Islamic Revolution.
Aligudarz County
Aligudarz County is a county in Lorestan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Aligudarz. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 134,802, in 28,668 families. The county is subdivided into three districts: the Central District, Zaz va Mahru District, and Besharat District. The...
, Lorestan Province
Lorestan Province
Lorestan Province is a historic territory and province of western Iran, amidst the Zagros Mountains. The population of Lorestan was estimated at 1,716,527 people in 2006.Lorestan covers an area of 28,392 km²...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 78,690, in 18,115 families.
Aligudarz is located 503 km from Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
and situated in a region which is a mixture of plain and foothill, thus enjoying a mountainous mild climate. Oshtorankuh Mountain range and Aligudarz River are situated here.
History
The origins of the city are unknown. The city of Aligudarz was once called Al-e Goodarz (meaning sons or tribe of Goodarz, a mythical IranianIranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
hero from the Persian national epic Shahnameh
Shahnameh
The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...
).
In the past, the monastery of this city was a religious training center for the Kizilbash
Kizilbash
Qizilbash or Kizilbash is the label given to a wide variety of Shī‘ī Islamic militant groups that flourished in Anatolia and Kurdistan from the late 13th century onwards, some of which contributed to the foundation of the Safavid dynasty of...
and darvishes
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
.
Main sights
In the mountains and hills around Aligudarz antique objects have been discovered like cubic rectangular brick earthenware belonging to the 13 century AD.Important natural and historical sites of Aligudarz include:
- Absefid (literallu "White Water") Eater Fall
- Aligudarz Forests
- Sayleh castle
- Tamandar and Bexnavid caves
- Masisilan Ancient Hill
- Mandish mountain
Ethnicities
The city's inhabitants belong to the Bakhtiari ethnic group, and are bilingual in PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Luri
Luri language
Lori or Luri is a collection of Southwestern Iranian languages which are mainly spoken by the Lurs and Bakhtiari people in the Iranian provinces of Loristan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and parts of Khuzestan and Esfahan province and Fars provinces...
. The overwhelming majority of the population are of the Shia Muslim confession. Throughout the centuries very large numbers of people of Khunsar and Golpayegan have settled in the city. There was once a small Jewish community that has either been assimilated into mainstream Islam or emigrated out of the city. The last known Jewish inhabitants fled the city during the Islamic Revolution.