Gīlān Province

Gilan Province (Persian: استان گیلان‎, Ostān-e Gīlān ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Mazandaran, east of the province of Ardabil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin. The northern part of the province is part of territory of South (Iranian) Talysh. At the center of the province is the main city of Rasht. Other towns in the province include Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Fuman, Lahijan, Langrud, Masouleh, Manjil, Rudbar, Roudsar, Shaft, Talesh, and Soumahe Sara. The main harbor port of the province is Bandar-e Anzali (previously Bandar-e Pahlavi). The first recorded encounter between Gilak and Deylamite warlords and invading Muslim Arab armies was at the Battle of...