Qaem Shahr (; ) which was named Shahi before 1979 Revolution) is a city in the Central District of Qaem Shahr County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Originally known as Šâhi (Shahi), the name was used until the Iranian Revolution in 1979 when the city acquired its current name.
Qaem Shahr is divided into two natural topographic regions: the plain and the foothills of the Alborz. It is at an elevation of 51 meters above sea level. Qaem Shahr has a humid subtropical climate. In most years, winter contributes to half of the city's annual rainfall, while summer is the least rainy season. The average annual precipitation in Qaem Shahr is approximately 850 millimeters. Based on the latest accurate geographic data, Qaem Shahr is considered one of the largest cities in Northern Iran.Geographic International System Data Center
The people of Qaem Shahr belong to the Tabari ethnic group. They speak the Mazandarani language. Specifically, they communicate in the Qaem Shahr dialect, one of the dialects of the Mazandarani language. Most residents of Qaem Shahr are officially Muslim and adhere to the Twelver Shia Islam.Population and Households Statistics Based on the 2016 National Census of Mazandaran Province
The history of human settlement in Qaem Shahr, which also includes the ancient cities of Chamno and Tooji, dates back to the Iron Age. Archaeological excavations in Qaem Shahr have uncovered 5,000-year-old pottery and stone tools. During the Safavid period, the city garnered greater attention.
Its initial foundation as Aliabad took place during the Qajar dynasty. However, the era of significant growth and development for Qaem Shahr traces back to the Pahlavi dynasty. During this period, construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway began in Qaem Shahr, and various factories and facilities were established in the city.
In September 1935, by a decree of the Council of Ministers, the city's name was changed to Shahi. Following the end of World War II, Qaem Shahr's development continued, making it a hub for population settlement. During the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the name Shahi was changed to Qaem Shahr.
Qaem Shahr holds significant strategic geographic importance as it connects Tehran to the northern and northeastern regions of Iran via two different routes: Firuzkuh Road and Haraz Road. It is reported that five million travelers annually commute through Firuzkuh Road to Qaem Shahr, which is linked to a maritime border through the port of Babolsar. This city is recognized as one of Iran's tourism centers, offering a variety of tourist attractions. The clock tower in Taleghani Square serves as the symbol of Qaem Shahr.
Until 1945, Qaem Shahr was part of Sari County. With the establishment of Shahi County that year, the city became its administrative center. Historically, regions like Shahmirzad District, Firuzkuh County, Savadkuh County, Juybar County, and Simorgh County were originally sections of Qaem Shahr before being designated as independent counties. As of the 2016 census, Qaem Shahr's population was approximately 204,953, making it the most densely populated city in Mazandaran Province and northern Iran.Maps, Weather, Videos, and Airports for Qa'emshahr, Iran
Etymology
Chamno: Also known as Jemanan, it consists of two parts: "Chamn" (grass) and "o" (water in the Tabari language). It referred to an area characterized by lush grasslands and water. Historical records of Tabaristan mention that during the 6th century AH, a river flowed through Chamno. Its bridge was repaired at the personal expense of Shah Ghazi Rustam (460 to 536 AH), the ruler of Tabaristan, to prevent its water from going to waste. Ibn Isfandiyar also frequently mentioned Chamno in the History of Tabaristan. Today, there is a neighborhood called Jemanan in Qaem Shahr.
Toji: The origin of the name for the city Toji or Triji remains unclear but may derive from the Toji River located south of Qaem Shahr
Shahi: In the early 1300s (solar calendar), the newly established city of Shahi was founded by order of Reza Shah, his birthplace, and Aliabad was renamed Shahi.
Qaem Shahr: Following the 1979 Revolution, the city was renamed to Qaem Shahr.
Demographics Population In 1951, Qaem Shahr's population was around 18,000, growing to 123,684 in 1991. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 174,246 in 48,055 households. The following census in 2011 counted 196,050 people in 60,347 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 204,953 people in 68,407 households.
History According to existing evidence, including religious sites such as Imamzadeh Yousef Reza and the tomb of the scholar and jurist Sheikh Tabarsi, Qaem Shahr reflects a long-standing history of civilization and culture dating back to before the 6th century AH.
In the city of Shahi, a weekly bazaar was held every Wednesday. On these days, locals from nearby districts, as well as merchants from surrounding villages and even other cities, brought their goods and products to this market for sale. Over time, this bazaar gained significance and established a certain level of prominence and centrality in the region.
During the era of the Umayyad dynasty, the Arab rulers, aiming to control and dominate the southern regions of the Caspian Sea, established 44 military outposts stretching from present-day Astara to Esterabad (modern-day Gorgan). One of the most prominent of these posts was the Arta military fortress. These 44 outposts were commonly known as "Dine Sar," which essentially means "protector of religion." At the Arta military fortress, a commander named Bani Abbas, accompanied by 330 soldiers, governed the areas of present-day Qaem Shahr, Arateh, and Sari.
Before Christ Based on the presence of ancient hills, Qaem Shahr boasts a deep and long-standing history:
Gardkooh Jemanoon Hill: The antiquity of Gardkooh Hill dates back to the Iron Age.
Taleghani Hill: Archaeological findings, historical relics, and human remains from the first millennium have been unearthed here.
Dineh Kafashgarkola Hill in Arateh: This hill, located in the village of Kafashgarkola Arateh in Qaem Shahr County, dates back to the first millennium BC, further proving the region's ancient history.
Ancient era
Before Islam, Mazandaran Province was known as Tapurstan (in Pahlavi: ), derived from the name of the Tapur tribe (in Greek: Τάπυροι). After Islam, the Tabari tribe inherited the name, and their homeland became known as Tabarestan.
According to Vasily Bartold, the Tapurs lived in the southeastern regions of the province and were subjects of the Achaemenid Empire. The Amardians were defeated by Alexander the Great, and later subdued by the Parthians, who resettled them near Rey in the 2nd century BC. The Tapurs then occupied the former lands of the Amardians. In his description of the Deylam region (eastern Gilan on the shores of the Caspian Sea), Ptolemy mentions only the Tapurs.
According to Mojtaba Minovi, the Amardian and Tapur tribes inhabited the land of Mazandaran. The Tapurs resided in the mountainous areas, while the Amardians lived in the plains of Mazandaran. In 176 BC, Phraates I relocated the Amardian tribe to the Khvar region, allowing the Tapurs to occupy the entire Mazandaran area, which then became known as Tapurstan. The cities of Amol, Chalous, Klar, Saeedabad, and Royan were part of the Tapur tribe's territory.
William Smith, in the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, writes that the Tapur tribe was a people whose settlement throughout different historical periods seems to have extended across a vast area from Armenia eastward to the Oxus River (Amu Darya). Strabo places them near the Caspian Gates and Rey, in Parthia, between the Derbices and Aserm Hyrcania, alongside the Amardians and other groups along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. This last perspective, which locates the Tapurs along the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea, aligns with the views of Quintus Curtius Rufus, Dionysius, and Pliny the Elder.
Ptolemy at times considers the Tapurs as part of the peoples of Media, while elsewhere he associates them with Margiana. There is no doubt that the region currently known as Tabarestan derives its name from the Tapurs mentioned by Pliny and Quintus Curtius. Aelian provides a peculiar description of the Tapurs who lived in Media.
Background Throughout its history, Qaem Shahr has been known by various names such as Chamno, Tooji, Aliabad, and Shahi. The earliest recorded name of the city, mentioned in Islamic-era sources from the 7th to 9th centuries AH, is Chamno or Jamno. Chamno was the site of a battle in the 3rd century between Soleiman bin Abdollah, a Taherian ruler of Tabarestan, and Hasan bin Zayd, the leader of the Alavids of Tabarestan. Other historical and geographical sources also refer to the city as Tooji, Triji, or Taranjeh. This fortified city, which also had a castle, has been mentioned under different names.
Some sources consider Taranjeh and Tooji to be the same location, while others treat them as two distinct places. Zahir al-Din Marashi refers to Tooji and Chamno as villages in the western parts of the Sari province. Based on Zahir al-Din Marashi's accounts, the city of Tooji should be located near present-day Qaem Shahr. In Istakhri's Masalik al-Mamalik, the location of Tooji is described as being near Sari and separate from Mamtabar. A significant historical event at the fortress of Tooji was the battle between the forces of Seyyed Kamal al-Din Marashi and Kiyavastasp Jalali.
In sources from the 9th century AH, this city is referred to as the region of Aliabad. In the travelogues of Safavid-era explorers, such as Pietro della Valle, who visited Mazandaran and present-day Qaem Shahr, as well as in Tarikh-e Giti Gosha related to the Zand dynasty period, the city is mentioned under the name Aliabad. In late February 1931, by order of Reza Shah, Aliabad was renamed Shahi.
The position of Tujī in Tabarestan Tujī (also referred to as Trījī, Trījeh, Tarnjeh, and Barjī) is mentioned as one of the cities of Tabarestan.
Ibn Rusta, a historian from the 3rd century, describes Tabarestan as bounded by Gorgan and Qumis in the east, Deylam in the west, the sea in the north, and certain regions of Qumis and Rey in the south. According to Ibn Rusta, Tabarestan consisted of fourteen districts, with Khore of Amol as the capital and central city of the region, and its cities included: Sari, Vasram, Mamteer, Tarnjeh, Roubast, Mileh, Merarkadieh (Kadah), Mehrovan, Tamis, Tamar, Natel, Shalus, Royan, and Kalar (Kalardasht).
Estakhri writes that the cities of Amol, Natel, Salus (Chalous), Kalar (Kalardasht), Royan, Mileh, Barjī, Cheshmeh Al-Ham, Mamteer, Sari, Asram, Mehrovan, Lamresk, and Tamisha are part of Tabarestan.
Ibn Hawqal, in describing Tabarestan, mentions that Amol is the largest city of Tabarestan and was the seat of government at his time. He describes the distances between cities: from Plur to Amol is one stage; Amol to Mileh is two farsakhs; Mileh to Trījī is two farsakhs; Trījī to Sari is one stage; Sari to Esterabad is four stages; Esterabad to Gorgan is two stages; Amol to Natel is one stage; Natel to Chalous is one stage; and towards the sea, Ayn Al-Ham is one stage. Ibn Hawqal lists the cities of Amol, Shalus (Chalous), Kalar (Kalardasht), Royan, Mileh, Trījī, Ayn Al-Ham, Mamteer, Asram, Sariyeh, and Tamisha as belonging to the province of Tabarestan.