Babol

Babol (known as "Orange Blossom City" , also Romanized as Bābol; formerly known as Barfrouch) is a city in, and the capital of, the Central District of Babol County, Mazandaran province, Iran, and also serves as capital of the county. Babol is divided into two metropolitan areas (under Iranian law).
At the 2006 census, its population was 198,636 in 55,943 households. The following census in 2011 counted 219,467 people in 67,069 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 250,217 people in 81,572 households.
Babol is located 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 one of the most important cities in the north of Iran, known as a regional center for education, trade, industry, and medical services.
Babol is a new name for the site of the ancient city of Mamatir, that then was named as Barforush. The city receives abundant rainfall. It is famous for its orange groves.
History and name
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.
Geography and climate
The city is located approximately 20 kilometers south of the Caspian Sea on the west bank of Babolrud River and receives abundant annual rainfall. 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.
The Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Cf)
Population
In 2012 population census of the city, the population was 219,467 people (79,837 households) and a population of 495,472 people in the located in the city.
Mazandarani people have a background in Tabari ethnicity and speak Mazandarni. 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.
The native people of Sari, Shahi, Babol, Amol, Nowshahr, Chalus, and Tonekabon are Mazandarani people and speak the Mazandarani language.
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.
Historical and natural attractions
Mohammad Hassan Khan bridge
Babol Royal Palace
Babol Museum
Emamzadeh Ghasem
Kazem Beik Mosque
Watchtower
Babol Jameh Mosque
Mohaddesin Mosque
Tekyeh Moghri Kola
Sultan Mohammad Taher Tomb Tower
Darvish Fakhr Al-Din Tomb
Post Building
Head University of Medical Sciences
Ibn Shahr Ashub Tomb
Sarast Tower
Darvish Alam-bazi Tower
Hasirforoshan Mosque
Azroud Thermal Spring
Babolroud
Babolkenar Forest Park
Historic homes Qajansb
Aghajan Nasab House
Osia House
Najafi Mansion
Sheikh Mousa Yaylak and Waterfall
Kimoun Waterfall
Shiadeh Dam
Saghanefar Kija Tekyeh
Porang High School
Shiadeh Saghanefar
Abuol Hasan Kola Saghanefar
Mulana Mosque
Tirkan Waterfall
Haft Waterfall
Filband Village
Bandpey Village
Pir Alam Tekyeh
Moftakher ul-Mamalek Caravanserai
Sadr Hawza
Chahar Suq Mosque
Lafoor Jungle
Bagh-e Ferdows
Noshirvani Park
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
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.
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.
Notable people
Hossein Fallah Noshirvani (1902–1972) - philanthropist
Shahrokh Meskoob (1924–2005) - academic and writer
Alireza Mashaghi (born 1977) - scientist
Ahmad Ghahreman (1928–2008) - botanist
Farhad Rachidi (born 1962) - scientist
Amir Pazevari (17th century) - poet
Muhammad Ashrafi (1804-1898) - Shia Marja'
Mohammad-Ali Barfrushi (1820–1849) - Babi leader
Sheikh Mohammad Haeri Mazandarani (1960) - religious
Zeinolabedin Haeri Mazandarani (1919–1996) - religious
Ali Asghar Mazandarani (1826–1911) - cleric
Karim Motamedi (born 1929) - minister
Hassan Ghashghavi (born 1957) - ambassador
Delkash (1924–2004) - singer
Afshin (born 1978) - singer
Maziar (1952–1997) - singer
Hassan Anousheh (born 1945) - writer
Zeinolabedin Rahnama (1893–1989) - writer
Davoud Rashidi (1933–2016) - actor
Tal'at Basari (born 1925) - feminist writer
Mokarrameh Ghanbari (1928–2005) - painter
Hamid Reza Chitgar (1949–1987) - politician
Reza Salehi Amiri (born 1962) - politician
Arya Aramnejad (born 1983) - singer
Bijan Mortazavi (born 1957) - singer and musician
Towhidi Tabari (born 1964) - artist
Parviz Bahram (1933–2019) - dubber
Mohammad Hossein Mahdavian (born 1981) - film director
Parinaz Izadyar (born 1985)- actress
Leyli Rashidi (born 1973) - actress
Maryam Kavyani (born 1970) - actress
Masoud Hedayatifard (born 1971) - scholar in fishery science
Masih Alinejad (born 1976) - journalist
Sohrab Entezari (born 1977) - football player
Emam-Ali Habibi (born 1931) - wrestler
Morteza Pouraliganji (born 1992) - football player
Mehdi Kheiri (born 1983) - football player
Hadi Norouzi (1985–2015) - football player
Bashir Babajanzadeh (born 1989) - wrestler
Sousan Hajipour (born 1990) - taekwondo practitioner
Noshad Alamian (born 1991) - table tennis player
Nima Alamian (born 1992) - table tennis player
Mojtaba Mirzajanpour (born 1991) volleyball player
Alireza Firouzja (born 2003) - chess player
See also
Babolsar
Babolrud
References
External links
Babol Noshirvani University of Technology
Views of Noshirvani Park
Ofoq kourosh
Babol County
Cities in Mazandaran Province
Populated places in Mazandaran Province
Populated places in Babol County