History of Garmsar

Garmsar city, located west of Semnan province is 110 km southeast of Tehran province

History of Garmsar
History of Garmsar[1] Garmsar city, located west of Semnan province is 110 km southeast of Tehran province (about 1 hour, 35 minutes’ drive) Garmsar neighbors from the North are Firooz Kooh and Damavand, from the East Aradan and Iran’s central desert , from the South Kavir National part and from the West Varamin and Qom province. At the Parthian era, due to its proximity to the desert and being inferior to its neighboring areas, it was called “Kharan” ( meaning the inferior in Farsi), and afterward the citizens named it “Khaare” or “Khaar”[1] . In Avesta, the name Khaar has been mentioned, and in Assyrian tablets, this area is called “Khara”. Damavand and what is Savad Kooh today were part of this area. During the Medes era, it was part of the Parthian state and acted as the border between the Parthian and Median countries. In some time during the Sassanid era, this city was part of Qoms[2], and in some period, it was part of Rey city. Finally, after the advent of Islam, Khaar became part of Rey and was named Khaari. People of Khaar speak Persian and, in some areas, Taat[3] language. Still, in some of the villages of this county, we hear other languages and dialects such as Zanjani, Turkish, Lor, and Kurdish sporadically. This is because in the course of time and to the decree of rulers, people from Zanjan, Lorestan, Gilan, and other provinces have come to this land. We have to say that some of these migrations were due to different reasons such as exile, unsuitable climate, and war. This is why Khaar is called the Island of Tribes.
Dehnamak Caravanserai, Garmsar, Semnan, Iran
In different eras, Khaar has had various applications. In the course of time, it has been winter quarters, place of exile, and at times arena for the invasion of Mongols and Turkmens. Garmsar has always been the apple of the eye of rulers, and in the Qajar era, too, it had a high stance of importance. One of the reasons for this special attention of rulers an merchants to this city in the course of history was its location on the route of the Silk Road and the pilgrimage city of Mashhad. In addition to that, abundant salt mine has turned this area into a strategic place, as in old times, salt was worth as much ad gold and was used in lieu of money for transactions. These two attributes, alongside one another, had added value to this region. Among other reasons for the popularity of this city we can refer to its amiable climate, Garmsar was a popular winter quarter for the kings. Still, in course of time and due to global warming and a decrease in precipitations and frequent droughts, this city gradually lost its climatic appeal and turned into a hot and dry region. Today salt caves and mines have turned Garmsar into one of the main suppliers and exporters of salt, next to its tourist attractions. According to the new country division law in November 1937, AH, Khaar was considered part of Semnan city. In 1937 after the construction of the national railway under Reza Khan, the name of Khaar was officially changed to Garmsar. In 1946 the Garmsar section was separated from Semnan province, joined around Tehran, and became part of Damavand. Finally, in 1958 Garmsar changed from district to county. Garmsar now consists of three regions: Central, Ivanki, and Aradan, and is one of the subordinate cities of Semnan province.

[1] Khaar in Avesta means shining, that is why this area is called the land of the bright sun or shining moon [2] Qoms: A vas land, made up of cities, villages, and fields situated on the slopes of Tabarestan Mountain ( Dehkhoda Dictionary, from Mo’jam Alboldan) [3] One of the dialects of north-south Iran. _________________________________ Photos by: Babak Arjomandi #lake_desert

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