page_title: Babol
section_title: History and Name
hierarchical_section_title: Babol / History and Name
caption_attribution_description: English: Bahman Square Babol 1946
context_page_description: Babol is the capital of Babol County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. Babol is divided into two metropolitan areas. At the 2012 census, its population was 219,467, in 66,944 families.
  Babol is located in the north of Iran, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains and southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Babol is on the north-east of Tehran and is one of the most important cities in the north of Iran. It is the region's chief center. 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 farms, for which it is dubbed "the city of orange blossoms".
context_section_description: Founded 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. The city was later named Barforoush, which literally means market town. 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.
caption: Bahman Square Babol in 1946
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