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Covering an area of 105,937 square kilometers, isfahan
province is located in the central part of Iran.
according to the latest divisions of the country,
Isfahan province includes 17 townships which are:
Isfahan, Ardestan, Barkhar and Maymeh, Khomaini-Shahr,
khansar, Semirom, Shahreza (Ghomsheh), Faridan,
Freydoon-Shahr, Falavarjan, Kashan, Golpayehgan, Lanjan,
Mobarakeh, Na’een, Nadjafabad and Natanz. Isfahan, being
the capital city of the province, is the most populated
city of the province.The population of the province in
1996 was 3,223,255 of which 74.3% were urban dwellers
and 25.7% were living in rural areas. Locating in the
central part of Iran plateau, Isfahan province, due to
its vastness, consists of several mountainous and plain
areas. These are: Ardestan mountainous area; north-east
and east mountainous area which Natanz city is located
on its slope; western mountainous area encompassing
Faridan and Freydoon-Shahr townships; and plain area
which has come into existence from alluviums of Zayandeh
Rood river and includes south-east of Isfahan.
Regarding the above natural and topographical situation,
the climate of the province is changeable as well.
although the province generally enjoys a dry and
temperate climate, but it can be classified as three
climatic regions depending on the distance with western
mountainous area and desert (Kavir) plain in the east
and south-east. These climatic regions are: arid,
including Na’een, Biabanak and Anarak to the north of
Ardestan; semi-arid consisting Isfahan township; and
semi-humid and cold encompassing west and south-west of
the province.
According to the reports of Meteorological Organization,
maximum temperature of Isfahan is 40.6C. deyree minimum
temperature is 10.6(C and average annual temperature is
16.7C.deyree. The annual freezing days of the province
are 76 days ad average annual precipitation is 116.9mm.
As the result of geographical conditions of Isfahan
province, eco-tourism attractions of it is less than
that of other provinces like Gilan, Mazandaran and
Azarbaijan. But some certain parts of Isfahan enjoy
valuable eco-tourism potentials both from local and
national points of view. having more than 12 forest
parks and protected areas, several springs and
waterfalls, luxuriant and fresh orchards, pleasant
summer resorts and vcreates suitable conditions for
leisure time of native people as well as tourists. The
largest river in the central plateau of Iran called
Zayandeh Rood, passing through this province, creates
many impressive sights. there are recreational
facilities both on Zayandeh Rood where flowing through
Isfahan and near the large dam constructed across the
river, 117 km. south of the city.
The most important tourist attractions of Isfahan
province are various and significant historical and
architectural monuments specially in Isfahan city which
mostly belong to Saljoughi and Safavid periods. Most of
these historical monuments have international value
reflecting their antiquity and hsitorical ups and downs
in this territory. Among these monuments, it can be
pointed out to some of them like Ali-Qapoo edifice,
Chehel-Sotoon palace, Siosehpol (33 arches) bridge,
Khajoo bridge, Shahrestan bridge, Menar Jonban (shaking
minaret), Isfahan and Kashan Bazaars, Imam (Naghsh-e-Jahan)
square, Boroujerdis’ house and tens of other historical
and architectural valuable sites scattered all around
the province each of them are unique and eye-catching as
far as art and beauty are concerned.
The other tourism potentials of the province are
religious sites and buildings with their own antiquity
scattered throughout the province annually attracting so
many pilgrims and tourists who have spiritual ties with
them. Moreover, some of these sites, as invaluable and
important memorials of the past, reflect great national,
cultural and religious heritage of residents of this
region in different historical periods. Among them Jame’
mosque, Imam mosque, Sheik Lotfollah mosque, Chahar-Bagh
school, and tens of Imamzadeh, shrines and tombs of
luminaries can be pointed out.
Isfahan province, since a very long time ago, had been
the residence of different peoples including Aryans,
Semitic, Turks, Armenians and Georgians who were under
the influence of Iranian culture. Cultural interactions
of these people resulted in widespread rituals and
traditions throughout the province including various
ceremonies, mourning, celebrations, music, local dances
andvIn, spite of this, existing tribes and nomads in the
region including Ghashghai, Bakhtiari, Boyirahmedi, and
Semirom, have retained major parts of their own native
culture and are hung up on them. Thus, this phenomenon
is one of the important attractions for visitors who are
not acquainted with tribal life style and other social
characteristics of them.
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