Shahmirzad
Encyclopedia
Shahmirzad is a city in and capital of Shahmirzad District
Shahmirzad District
Shahmirzad District is a district in Mehdishahr County, Semnan Province, Iran. It was formed after the 2006 census. The District has one city: Shahmirzad....

, in Mehdishahr County
Mehdishahr County
Mehdishahr County is a county in Semnan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Mehdishahr. It was separated from Semnan County in 2007. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 36,093, in 9,573 families. The county has two districts: the Central District and Shahmirzad District...

, Semnan Province
Semnan Province
Semnan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its center is Semnan. The province of Semnan covers an area of 96,816 square kilometers and stretches along the Alborz mountain range and borders to Dasht-e Kavir desert in its southern parts.Counties of...

, 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 7,273, in 1,860 families.

Shahmirzad or Shamerza is located 150 miles (241.4 km) northeast of 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...

. Shahmirzad has a very fine climate and is a suitable summer resort for tourists. During summer, people flock to the town from their permanent homes around the country, and sometimes abroad. The town's population fluctuates between 8,000 and up to 40,000 people during summer.

Shir Ghaleh a centuries old fortress, located 3 km to the north west of Shahmirzad is a source of pride for many of the inhabitants of the village.

The legend holds that the ancestors of Shahmirzadis were exiles from the ancient Sham. Historically, Shahmirzad has been home to people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, such as people of Mazandarani
Mazandarani people
The Mazandarani people are Iranian people of Caucasus origin living primarily in south of the Caspian Sea coast. The Elburz mountains mark the southern limit of Mazandarani peoples .- People:...

 origin, including Jewish
Persian Jews
Persian Jews , are Jews historically associated with Iran, traditionally known as Persia in Western sources.Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran. The Book of Esther contains some references to the experiences of Jews in Persia...

 families, who immigrated to the larger cities and abroad over the past several decades. The largest group of Shahmirzadis settled in the United States, most notably the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

. Shahmirzadi, a Caspian language
Caspian languages
Caspian languages are a branch of Northwestern Iranian languages spoken in northern Iran, south of the Caspian Sea.Caspian languages include:* Deilami* Gilaki * Mazanderani * Shahmirzadi-External links:*...

 close to Mazandarani and Gilaki is the most important facet of Shahmirzadi identity.



Shahmirzad's walnut orchard with the size of is noted by the UN, Food and Agriculture Organization, as the largest of its kind in the world. Shahmirzadi homeowners are given a proprietary interest in the walnut orchard in proportion to the amount of land they own in the village. Shahmirzad also produces mineral water "Tenab Shahmirzad".

Famous Shahmirzadis

  • Zabihollah Safa
    Zabihollah Safa
    Zabihollahhh Safa was a scholar and professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at the University of Tehran....

    , Professor of the University of Tehran(died at 2001)
  • Farid Sobhani, Iranian-American physician
  • Salman Ghaffari, I.R.Iran's Ambassador in Vatican(1986–1990) , Researcher , Religious author , lecturer

External links

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