Arak, Iran
| Arak اراک |
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 Arak
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| Coordinates: 34°05′30″N 49°41′21″E / 34.09167°N 49.68917°ECoordinates: 34°05′30″N 49°41′21″E / 34.09167°N 49.68917°E | ||
| Country |  Iran |
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| Province | Markazi | |
| County | Arak | |
| District | Central | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Mohammad Ibrahim Abbasi | |
| Elevation | 1,718 m (5,636 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 526,182[1][2] | |
| Time zone | IRST (UTC+3:30) | |
| • Summer (DST) | IRDT (UTC+4:30) | |
| Area code(s) | 086 | |
| Website | http://www.arak.ir/ | |
Arāk (Persian: اراک, IPA: [æˈɾɒːk] (
listen)), also known as Sultan Abad (Persian: سلطان آباد - Soltān Ābād),[3] is a city in and the capital of Markazi Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 526,182, in 160,761 families.[1][2]
Arak is one of the major industrial cities in Iran. The city has a lot of different industry sites inside and within few kilometers such as Mashinsazi and the aluminum factory. These factories produce near half of the needs of the country in the steel industry, the petrochemical industry, and the locomotive industry. The problem with Arak, similar to other industrial cities in developing countries, is air pollution.
Contents
History[edit]
Arak, which was called Soltan Abad at the time, was originally founded and financed during the Qajar era by an Iranian-Georgian Yusef Khan e Gorji, a pro-Iranian Georgian warlord given refuge by the Iranian king Agha Mohammad Khan following a territorial dispute with his cousins who were supported by Imperial Russian Empress Catherine the Great.
In the period between 1795 and 1797, Yusef Khan e Gorji, renamed Yusef Khan e Sepahdar by the Shah, settled his army in the fertile though poorly-controlled territory that would become modern Arak. Hostile tribes in this region had operated autonomously from Qajar rule. With the Persian Shah's approval, Yusef Khan diverted the main river to drive out the hostiles and built the Sultan Abad fortress, or Baladeh, a war fortress to act as a buffer and serve as the foundation of what would become modern Arak.
Yusef Khan's organized military force was established in this region aptly named (or more accurately, re-named) "Persian Iraq" (Iraq e ajam) from ancient times meaning 'smooth land'. According to historians, Yusef Khan built Arak from his own personal income and with the aid of affluents.
The town would remain a military base and fortress until 1892. The Sultan Abad fortress had a thick wall surrounded by great moats, 7 meters deep. Eight towers were constructed around the town and the governmental building was established in its northern part.
In 1891, deputy governor, Etemad ol Saltane Mirza Hassan, repaired all of the shops, gardens and all government buildings in Sultan Abad's greater town and with the owners of industries from other towns, settled in Arak. Large portions of the town were annexed as personal property to the pre-existing army commanders though these were ultimately turned over to the state from 1918–1922.
The evolution of the modern town name is from Sultan Abad fortress, to Sultan Abad, to Iraq e Ajam (Iraq of Persians), and finally to its current name, Arak, in 1938.
The city officially became a metropolis (Kalânşahr/کلانشهر) after the merger with Karahrud and Senjan occurred on April 6, 2013.[2][4]
Location[edit]
The city is surrounded by mountains in the south, west, and east. Arak is located in adjacency two important cities: Qom and Isfahan. Its average altitude is 1750m above sea level and is 260 km from the capital, Tehran.
Climate[edit]
Arak has a continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dsa) that is, in general, relatively cold and dry. Its weather is warm and dry in summer, windy and cool in autumn, cold and snowy in winter, and mild in spring. The maximum temperature may raise up to 35 degrees Celsius in summer and may fall to below -25 degrees Celsius in winter. The average rainfall is around 350mm and the annual relative humidity is 46%.
| Climate data for Arak | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) |
21.0 (69.8) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.0 (84.2) |
35.0 (95) |
41.0 (105.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
41.0 (105.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
31.0 (87.8) |
24.0 (75.2) |
20.0 (68) |
44 (111.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
25.6 (78.1) |
32.6 (90.7) |
35.8 (96.4) |
34.9 (94.8) |
30.8 (87.4) |
23.1 (73.6) |
14.8 (58.6) |
7.6 (45.7) |
20.78 (69.39) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1.3 (29.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
7.3 (45.1) |
13.1 (55.6) |
18.4 (65.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
27.5 (81.5) |
26.3 (79.3) |
21.9 (71.4) |
15.2 (59.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
2.0 (35.6) |
13.65 (56.57) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
2.0 (35.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.8 (65.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.8 (46) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.2 (28) |
6.94 (44.48) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −28 (−18) |
−30.5 (−22.9) |
−13 (9) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
0.0 (32) |
4.0 (39.2) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.0 (50) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−7 (19) |
−23 (−9) |
−30.5 (−22.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 54.7 (2.154) |
47.6 (1.874) |
53.1 (2.091) |
53.4 (2.102) |
31.9 (1.256) |
1.5 (0.059) |
0.6 (0.024) |
1.1 (0.043) |
0.7 (0.028) |
18.5 (0.728) |
31.6 (1.244) |
51.0 (2.008) |
345.7 (13.611) |
| Average rainy days | 10.8 | 9.8 | 11.4 | 9.4 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 6.1 | 8.9 | 71 |
| Average snowy days | 7.6 | 6.4 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 4.6 | 23.1 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72 | 67 | 55 | 46 | 40 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 67 | 46 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 150.8 | 160.6 | 196.0 | 222.1 | 287.5 | 350.4 | 338.3 | 329.4 | 305.1 | 262.3 | 188.5 | 160.8 | 2,951.8 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990) [5] | |||||||||||||
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Gerdou Valley in winter
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A rainy day in Arak
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Senejan area
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Miqan Pond
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City Park of Arak
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Transportation[edit]
Air[edit]
The city is served by the Arak International Airport, which is located north of the city. Arak International Airport opened in 1938 and is one of the oldest airports in Iran.
Rail[edit]
Since 1935, there is an railway connection between Arak form part of the Iranian Railways. Destinations served direct from bandare Emam To Bandaere Turkman in caspian sea.
Public transportation[edit]
Buses provide the bulk of local public transport.
Sites and structures[edit]
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Parks and gardens[edit]
- Nezam Lashgar (Esmaeili) Garden
- Amir Kabir Park
- Jangali Park
- Kelale Mountain Park
- Arak Zoo
Museums[edit]
- Char Fasl (Four-Season) Bath
- Sultan Abad Museum
- Museum of Artifacts (Hassan Pour Museum)
- Museum of Famous People of Arak
- Museum of Artifacts
- Grand Museum of Arak (under construction)
- Four_Seasons_Bathroom
Sports Complexes[edit]
- Amir Kabir Entertainment and Sports Complex
- Tufan Entertainment and Sports Complex (the biggest one in Iran)
- Shahin Horse riding Complex
Other[edit]
- Doab Bridge (built over Sharra River)
- Opera House of Arak (under construction)
- Traditional bazaar
- Sara ye Mehr, in the traditional bazaar
- Mowstofi Mansion
- Gerdou Valley (famous for its walnut trees and ranges)
Universities[edit]
- University of Arak
- Arak University of Medical Sciences
- Amirkabir School of Technology
- Arak Technological University
- Islamic Azad University of Arak
- Payam noor University of Arak
Industries[edit]
Arak is one of the main industrial cities of Iran, possessing many plants for heavy industries especially for the metal and machinery industries, including:
- Machin Sazi Arak (MSA) and AzarAb factories (producing heavy machinery such as boilers and chemical reactors)
- Wagon Pars (train manufacturer)
- Iranian Aluminium Company (IrAlCo)
- HEPCO (Heavy road construction vehicles)
- Navard Aluminum
- Iran Combine Manufacturing Company (Combine-Sazi e Iran)
- Arak (Shazand) Oil Refinery Company
- Arak (Shazand) Petrochemical Co. (AR.P.C)
- Heavy Water production plant [6]
- Power plant and a low power (less than 40 megawatts) heavy water nuclear power plant (IR-40)
Demography[edit]
Persian people are the only native inhabitants of Arak. Also, in the Safavid era, Armenians had settled in the Arak area,[7] but their numbers have declined due to migration to Tehran.
Agriculture and handicrafts[edit]
The main agricultural products are grain, barley, and fruits which are grape, apple, walnut and almond. Arak also exports hand-knotted carpets which are generally referred to as Sarouk rugs. Saruq is a small village outside of Arak, and its name is used when exporting carpets so consumers do not get confused with rug from Iraq.
Notable people from Arak[edit]
Statesmen and politicians:
- Ghaem Magham Farahani (1779–1835), Prime Minister, was born in Arak, in a Northern region named Farahan.
- Amir Kabir (1807 - January 11, 1852), Prime Minister, was born in Arak, in a northern region known as Hezaveh.
- Morteza Gholi Bayat (1890–1958), Prime Minister (1944–45), was born in Arak.
- Mohammad Mosaddegh(1882–1967), Prime Minister (May 1951-July 1952; August 1952-53), was born in Tehran; his father was from Ashtiyan, north eastern region of Arak.
- Ata'ollah Mohajerani, He was one of Khatami's cabinet ministers during the power of reformists.
Artists and literary figures:
- Parvin E'tesami (1907–1941), the Iranian Poet, was born in Tabriz in 1907; her father was from Ashtiyan, north eastern region of Arak.
- Behjat Sadr (1924–2009), Iran's first eminent female Painter.
- Kader Abdolah, the Dutch Writer Laureate.
- Jahangir Razmi, the 1980 Pulitzer Prize Winner Photographer.
Sportsman:
- Mansour Bahrami, famous tennis player.
- Mehdi Mahdavikia, famous and legend football player.
Media/Television:
- Reza Badiyi, well known for directing episodes of many popular (and quite distinct) American television series, including Get Smart, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, The Incredible Hulk, Mannix, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files and Police Squad, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Falcon Crest, Cagney and Lacey, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the episode "Out of Mind, Out of Sight"), Nikita, Sliders and Baywatch, amongst others.
- Mehran Modiri, well known entertainer, TV presenter, actor, movie director and comedian.
- Niki Karimi, famous Iranian Actress.
- Shaghayegh Farahani, famous Iranian Actress.
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011)". Islamic Republic of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 2013-11-12.
- ^ a b c http://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/840807 تصویب نامه در خصوص تقسیمات کشوری در استان مرکزی شماره۴۰۷۶/ت۴۸۶۸۶ک
- ^ Arak, Iran can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3053519" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
- ^ http://rajanews.com/detail.asp?id=154355 تبدیل یک شهر دیگر به کلان شهر-سه شنبه، 25 تير -رجانیوز1392 15:57
- ^ "Arak Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
- ^ 34°22′12″N 49°14′42″E / 34.370°N 49.245°E
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20080501183516/http://www.arir.org/eng/armiranians.htm
External links[edit]
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Arak. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arak. |
- Arãk entries in the Encyclopaedia Iranica
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