Sari is the capital of the beaut

Sari is the capital of the beautiful Mazandaran Province with about half million people residing in the town and same amount in the suburbs, located mainly on the left side of tajan river and about 20 kilometers south of the Caspian (Mazandaran) Sea, Sari is also located in the north of Iran on northern slops of Elburz mountains. Sari boasts as ancient city, as all of the historical maps refering to this city, being the capital of Ancient Hyrcania Civilization 6 centuries before christ and Kingdom of Tabaria till 17 century, Also twice capital of Iran within the last four centuries,

Sari as well as some towns in mazandaran is one of rare cities of iran that nigh life is available specially during summers, Many of people enjoy to gathering earch other in some places such as Barbod, Paradise, Tooska and Nemashown to playing games, enjoying music and pleasant weather, or eating meals, Or to reading some poettry book such as Diwan-i Hafiz. You also find many of restaurants in city center (especially Farhang Street) and a restaurant in the Tavakol alley which provides Italian dishes.

· Population: 568,214 (Est.2006)

· Elevation: 50 m

· Area: 5089 km²

· Religion: Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christian

· Language: Mazandaran (Tabarian), Persian, and some Turkmen.

Get in

By plane

Sari has Dasht-e Naz International Airport. It has four daily flights in the summer season and six weekly flights in other seasons scheduled to and from the Iranian Capital. The fare is about 20 USD $. Also, it has weekly flight destinations to Mashhad and Saudi Arabia. Airport is located in the north east and less than 10 kilometers from city center, Shared and Airport taxis are available in the airport parking, To getting airport from city using Eastern taxi station is recommended, However there is high way being under construction to conecting airport and city directly.

By train

The city is connected to Gorgan and Tehran by Train as well, since it is on a major branch of the Iran's Railroad. Every day there are four passenger trains getting to sari, one Local train runs from gorgan about 6 AM and gets sari before 9 AM, and returns from Sewatcow in 1 PM to getting sari in 2:30 PM, one from tehran runs in 9:10 AM everyday to getting sari about 4:30 PM, and left sari in 8:30 (Summers) and 9:10 (Winters) to getting tehran about 4 AM, There are Twin Mazandaran trains which have Gorgan destination running from Tehran, one runs from tehran in about 7:30 PM (Winters) and 10:10 (Summers) to getting sari about 3:30 AM (Winters) and about 5:50 AM (Summers) and another at the same time gets sari about 10:45 (Summers) and 9:10 (Winters) to getting tehran about 7 AM (Summers) and 5:30 (Winters). Be aware that the scheduled program of Twin Gorgan destination trains are changing periodically, Howevere sari destination train gets the city about 4 PM for more than 70 years.

By car

There are many automobile and car routes from the Main cities next or near by sari. Sari is connected to Neka and Shahi by the A62 Autobahn; all of the Coastal cities in Mazandaran have at least 8 bands (4 forward and 4 backward). Many of people are visiting sari via Turkmenistan-Mazandaran (Iran) borders, it is possible to getting Visa of Iran from border, and to continue trip around Mazanderan Sea.

By bus

There are five bus terminals in Sari. So its easy to get around in the county by buses. City buses has destinations to approximately all of the towns in Iran, but be aware that the buses are not running everyday, but it has hourly buses for Tehran, Also it is possible to getting the bus from the IMAM KHOMEINI SQ. located in the south east of city when no bus may be founded in the busy days. The fare to getting to Tehran must not more than 3.5 USD $ (February 2006)

By boat

The port of Amir Abad is located on the beautiful southern coast of the Mazandaran Sea. However the cruise has not high quality and may not preferred.

Get around

The spreading of the city makes taxis available almost everywhere. There is a wide choice of taxi systems including ceremony taxis, wireless tele Communication taxis, airport or rail station taxis, telephony taxis and shared taxis. You may call 133 from every where of the city and county to asking for taking you from any where of the sari in less than five minutes or taking you from approximately 20 kilometers far distances (requires first registration) and even to serving you getting any destination around Iran, So if a tourist would like to stay more than a week in sari registration with this office is recommended.

By car

Parks may not found in the avenues of sari, and parking is usually in the small streets and allies, or has a small entrance from avenus, it is recommended to Park your car in your hotel's parking,

Driving may be an option for going to some sights in the suburbs such as Soleyman Tanga (meaning Strait of Solomon), or Masandaran Sea. Destinations which are of primary concern to a visitor are the Caves from 70th millinium BC and towers of dynasties of Tabarian Kingdom.

Hutto Cave

· Kamarband Cave

· Xorshid Dabo's Private Cave

· The Resket Tower from the Karen Pawand era

· The Ladjim Tower from the Dabuyans era

· The Farrah-Abad Complex Place

See

· Kolbadi House

· Haaj Mostafa Khan Mosque

· Tomb of Yaha

· Tomb of Zeinol Aabedain

· Tomb of Abbas

· The Clock Tower

There are many Places to go in Sari, Here are just a few:

· Farah Abad Coast

· Gohar Baran Coast

· Derya Kenar Coast

· Khezer Shahr Coast

· Dehkadeh Aramesh Tourist Village

· Tajan River Park

· Zare' Forest Park

· Salardareh Forest Park

· Dasht-E-Naaz National Park

· Pol-e-Gardan hiking trail

· Nemashoun Lake

· Lak-Dasht Lake

· Soleyman-Tangeh Lake

· Bam-e-Shahr Hill (offers a great panoramic view of the city)

· Qor-Maraz (natural spa, Neka)

Sports

There are many sports complexes in Sari. Most popular are Jahan-Pahlavan Takhti Sports Complex, Hashemi-Nassab Sports Complex, and Montazeri Sports complex.

· Wrestling. Sari is the birthplace of lots of popular wrestlers and athletes, and it was the big host of the 2006 World Wrestling Competitions. It has the major fieldhouse, Seyyed Hosseyni Coliseum, which is known throughout Iran as an outstanding place for wrestling.

Learn

Today, Sari is one of the most cultural cities in Iran.Here are a few Universities just to mention:

· University of Agriculture

· Mazandaran University of Medical Science (MazUMS)

· University of Natural Science

· Sarian University of Art & Architecture

· Payam-e-Noor University

· University of Tech & Engineering

· University of Tarbiyat-e Modaress

· Sama Technology Faculty of Azad University

Buy

If you want to buy food, Sari is based on food such as cakes, rice, yogurt and fruits. Some companies in Sari (The wood and paper company) are famous in the Middle East. If you want to buy a home in Sari, Sari’s prices range from Normal to really expensive.Most neighborhoods are quite expensive because of the great weather.

Eat

If you are in Sari ,fish is the best way to go.If youre not that really interested in fish, Kebab shops are scattered all over the city.Dont forget a Meal in this city would not be complete without Salads and Naan Bread(Iranian Bread).

Drink

The Favorite drink of Sari in winter is Caspian Tea (Chay); it is available almost everywhere around the city, especially in winter. In summer when it is hot and humid, Doogh a traditional Yoghurt drink is also available. The Local Cola (ZamZam) is also available.

Sleep

· Salardarreh Hotel, located in Km.17 of Kiyasar Rd. (South), located in the heart of forests with exclusive sights of view to forests and sorrounded hills and vallies, Many of Norwegians, Germans, and Swedish people are the resident of this hotel most of the times, English is guaranteed to speaking, has local church to doing religious practices, The fare is reasonable since it is semi private Hotel.

· Narenj Hotel, located in Km. 5 of Darya Rd. (North), Recommended for springs specially April and May mounthes, since you can open the window of its rooms and sleep by the balmy and Yasmin distributed air.

· Badeleh, Located in Km.10th of Neka Rd. (East) Most of the suites are pre reserved and tourists rarely find the chance to using this hotel.

· Mazandaran Hotel Associate, Located in 21st Alley, Ferdowsi St. It is not prefered however has cheap fares for one night accomadation.

· Mazraeh, Located in Km. 7th of Qaemshahr Rd. (West) Offers villa structured rooms.

· Sarooyah Apartments, Located in Taleghani Blv. has cheap and confortable Guestrooms, Getting twin Sleeping service room with Air conditioner, Refrigator and private bath room must not reach more than 10 USD. Forigen residents who speak English usally rent this hotel but there is no guarantee that secretary speaks English.

· Sari Residental Complex, Located in Peivandi Alley, Farhang St. Is a resonable hospitally center, with clean and hospitable employs.

· Asram Hotel, located next to Tajan Bridge Very expensive hotel with lack of some services and hospitaly. German is also being speaken along with English especially it is guaranteed during summers.

Along with Hotels there are too many guest rooms (Mehman Pazir) are available especially in the Nader Street (Jomhuri-ye Eslami Street) in the city center and next to the Tajan Bridge.

Mazandaran Sea Resorts

Although many residents prefer to using govermental villas in the Farrah Abat, But these resorts may not provide sleeping to forigners, but it is recommended to using Babolsar hotels, which are about 30 Kilometers far from Sari via Bahnamier Rd and about 60 Kilometers in nights via A62 autobahn, They have the view of Sea, Please note that they may not available or by cheap fare during busy days.

Contact

There are many Internet cafés and chat rooms scattered all over the city, the Internet Speeds ranges from acceptable to fast. To finding high speed internet providers yourself, looks that if it has server or not, Foreigners usally use the Cafes around the Time Square.

Stay safe

Sari is relatively a very safe city, even in the middle of the night, so dont let this worry or bother you at all during your stay in Sari.

Cope

If you dont know Mazandarani or Persian, dont let this bother you or make you worried, there are many foreigners and Iranians there who speak English in the city. Also it is recommended to appreciating from the native people who is not able to talking you in English with these Mazandarani sentences: Tie Fieda or Tie RI Bielaarremi but please extend your voice like singing since people can better understand while they extend their voice.

Natural Resources in Mazandaran

Hyrcanian Forest (Caspian Forest)

Hyrcanian forest granted the areas with unique richness of biological diversity, its endemic and endangered species, its natural beauty and its masterpieces of nature creative genius in the form of this ancient forest. North of Iran as along band has diverse natural, economic and social conditions. It characterized by various ecological conditions from 550 to 2200mm precipitation, zero to 5671 m elevation and various vegetation landscape from conifers to broadleaved to Mediterranean plants. These conditions caused great diversity in species. It due to its diverse ecological condition is rich in relict species that some of them referred to the Tertiary period.

Hyrcanian forest contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. It also contains superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. It is outstanding examples in the record of significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms and significant geomorphic or physiographic features. It is also outstanding example representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, ecosystems and communities of plants.

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Hyrcanian forest has a high degree of authenticity and integrity. This ancient forest contains its full original complement of wild plants and animals, much of which has been lost from other adjoining areas. This natural area with its geological diversity and altitudinal range, different weathers, plant communities with high numbers of endemic species, in its most area is substantially unmodified by people and their effects. Having a total area of 1847886 ha is large enough to survive as a natural area, and to maintain genetic diversity even though there are outside influences. Management of the forest, particularly after 2003, demonstrates that the natural environmental quality of the area has been maintained and improved.

Comparison with other similar properties

Along with climate, geology, and topography, which are primary factors that determine plant distribution, similarities between the floras of Hyrcanian Forests, Middle European deciduous broadleaved forests and western North America deciduous broadleaved forests are increased by historical biogeography. Hyrcanian Forest contains remnants (refugee) of the broad leaf forests that once covered most of the North Temperate Zone 25 - 50 million years ago, in the early Cenozoic Era. As the climate and land forms changed, this forest disappeared from most of its former range, being replaced by shrub lands, grasslands, and woodlands. During the Pleistocene ("Ice Ages"), glaciations had minimal impact on Hyrcanian Forest. Instead of the massive ice sheets that covered much of northeastern America, glaciers were largely restricted to high elevations in western North America.

When the Europe covered by ice during the Pleistocene, Hyrcanian Forest were alive and at the end of frozen, plant species of Hyrcanian forests immigrated to Europe and these forests is mother of European forests. There are little similarities in the physiognomic and taxonomic aspects between Hyrcanian forests and European and American deciduous forests. Fertile soil, suitable precipitation and temperate climate causes that some species such as "Fagus orientalis", "Quercus castaneifolia", "Alnus glotinosa" and "Aecr velotinum" can reach 50 meter height and 3 meter diameter at breast height but they have maximum about 25 meter height and 1 meter diameter at breast height in Europe. The Caspian forest areas are among the most unique and splendid biomes of the world. The Caspian forests have high moisture content, so forest trees are host to many epiphytes such as mosses, ferns, lichens, mistletoes and some flowering plants. Soils are productive and rich in minerals and organic matter. There are many well-known and unique communities in these forests, the most important ones being:

Hyrcanian forest, Iran, Azerbaijan

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China

Canaima National Park, Venezuela

Gunung Mulu, Malaysia

Central Sikhote-Alin, Russia

Redwood National Park, USA

Grand Canyon National Park, USA

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, USA

Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

This information availiable at this website: http://wikitravel.org/en/Sari