Rasht City
Recognized as the largest city on the coast of Iran’s Caspian Sea, Rasht is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran and one of the wettest places in Iran. During the ancient Persian era, this province known as Deylam, was the origin of the Buyid dynasty. Having a humid tropical climate with the heaviest rainfall in Iran between September and December, Rasht is known internationally as the "City of Silver Rains" and within Iran as the "City of Rain".
Large parts of the city are mountainous, green and forested. The coastal plain along the city is mainly used for rice paddies. The coastline is cooler and attracts large numbers of domestic and international tourists and visitors.
Rasht is a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh in the adjacent mountains in the southeast of Rasht and the beaches of Caspian as some of the major attractions. Masouleh is built in a fashion dissimilar to usual settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the next house above which enthralls visitors.
Rasht, more broadly, Gilan province has a rich culinary tradition derived in part from the climate which allows for a wide variety of fruit, vegetables and nuts to be grown in the province. Seafood is a particularly strong component of the cuisines. The dominant cuisine of Rasht people is the various types of fish.
Sturgeon, often smoked or served as kebab, and caviar are delicacies along the whole Caspian littoral towns. Different types of fish, traditional Persian stews such as Ghalieh Mahi (fish stew) and Ghalieh Meygu (shrimp stew) are also featured and prepared in a uniquely Gilani fashion. It’s also a great place to taste the garlic-stoked, vegetable-rich Gilan cuisine. Zeitoun Parvarde is a kind of delicacies prepared from olive and it is a popular seasoning in Rasht city.
Thus, Rasht and its surroundings offer a starkly different experience from southern Iran. People for all around the country travel to the city to enjoy not only the natural beauty but also a much wetter and colder climate than the rest of the country.
