| Īlām Province استان ایلام |
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| Location | |
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| Info | |
| Admin. Center: • Coordinates: |
Ilam 33°38′18″N 46°25′21″E / 33.6384°N 46.4226°ECoordinates: 33°38′18″N 46°25′21″E / 33.6384°N 46.4226°E |
| Area : | 20,133 km² |
| Population(2006): • Density : |
545,787[1] 27.1/km² |
| No. of Counties: | 8 |
| Time zone: | IRST (UTC+3:30) |
| -Summer (DST): | IRST (UTC+4:30) |
| Main language(s): | Luri Kurdish Persian |
Īlām, also Elam Kurdish, is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Iraq. Its provincial center is the city of Ilam. Covering an area of 19,086 square kilometers, the cities of the province are Ilam, Mehran, Dehloran, Dareh Shahr, Shirvan and Chardavol, Aivan and Abdanan. It neighbors Khuzestan province in the south, Lurestan province in the east, Kermanshah province in the north and Iraq in the west with 425 kilometers of common border. The population of the province is approximately 540,000 people (2005 estimate).
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Geography
Ilam province is among the warmer regions of Iran. The mountainous areas of north and north eastern Ilam are relatively cold however. Average annual rainfall in the province is 578 mm.
In 1996, absolute maximum temperature was 38 °C in August and the minimum temperature recorded was 0.4 °C in February. The number of freezing days in winter was 27 days.
Ilam's highest point is the peak Kabir Kuh at 2790 m, part of the Zagros mountains.
People and culture
The population of Ilam City is predominantly Feyli Kurdish and the population of Ilam Province. Lurs are mostly living in the southern and eastern parts of the province; for example: Abdanan, Darreshahr, Dehloran and Mehran. The northern part of the province is mostly inhabited by Kurdish tribes who speak with two dialects: Kalhuri and Feyli. The majority are Feyli Kurds, such as Kurdish tribes of Khezel ,Arkawâzi ,Beyrey (Ali Sherwan) , Malek shahi and Shuhan.[2] Most are Shi'a Muslims.[2]
Counties
| Map | Abbreviation in map | County (Shahrestan) |
|---|---|---|
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| AA | Abdanan County | |
| Da | Darrehshahr County | |
| De | Dehloran County | |
| E | Eyvan County | |
| I | Ilam County | |
| Me | Mehran County | |
| ShCh | Shirvan-o-Chardavol County |
History
Limited archaeological studies and discoveries indicate 6,000 years of tribal residence in Ilam. Historical evidence indicates that Ilam province was part of the ancient Elamite Empire.
In Elamite and Babylonian inscriptions, Ilam is called Alamto or Alam which means "mountains" or "the country of sunrise".By immigration of Aryans and establishment of Aryan kingdoms Ilam became a part of their territory. It was also part of the Achaemenid Empire. Existence of numerous historical vestiges in Lurestan and Ilam provinces belonging to the Sassanid period indicates the specific importance of the region in that time.In this period Ilam province was divided into two regions,Mehrjankadak in the eastern part and MÂSABAZÂN at the western part.
In the late 11th century, Kurdish tribes governed the region till the early 13th century.
In 1930, in the division of the country, Ilam became a part of Kermanshah province, only later to become a province by itself. Ilam is still a tribal province in many ways, but in recent years the tribal relations have changed drastically.
Ilam today
During the Iran-Iraq war, Ilam province took a heavy pounding, and Iraq's intense bombings left no economic infrastructure for the province. Ilam has thus been one of Iran's more undeveloped provinces. Ilam's unemployment rate was 19.9% in 2003.
Only in recent years has the central government began investing in advanced industries like Petrochemical facilities with Japanese help, in Ilam. Ilam also has a bright future in the tourist sector, with 174 historical sites listed under Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization, though it also remains undeveloped.
Colleges and universities
Ilam province contains the following universities:
- Ilam University of Medical Sciences
- University of Ilam
- Islamic Azad University of Ilam
- Payame noor University of Ilam
Attractions
- Imamzadehs: These are shrines mostly from the Middle Ages: Imamzadeh Ali Saleh, Imamzadeh Seyd mammad Abed, Imamzadeh Seyd Akbar, Imamzadeh Seyd Fakhreddin, Imamzadeh Seyd Nasereddin, Imamzadeh Ibrahim, Imamzadeh Abbas, Imamzadeh Abdullah, Imamzadeh Pir Muhammad, Imamzadeh Baba Seifuddin, Imamzadeh Mehdi Saleh, Imamzadeh Ibrahim Qetal, Imamzadeh Seyd Hasan, Imamzadeh Seyd Salaheddin Muhammad, Imamzadeh Haji Bakhtiar, Imamzadeh Haji Hazer, Imamzadeh Jabir.
- Fire Temples (10 in total): These are Zoroastrian shrines from the Sassanid era, now in ruins: Siyahgol Iwan, Chahar Taghi in Darreh Shahr.
- Mansions, forts, and castles (90 in total): Ghal'eh Vali (Qajar era), Posht Ghal'eh Chowar, Ghal'eh Paghela Chekarbuli, Ghal'eh Falahati (Qajar era),Ghal'eh Ghiran (Achaemenid era), Shiagh castle in Dehloran (Sassanid era), Ismail Khan fort, Sam castle (late Parthian era), Pur Ashraf castle, Mir Gholam Hashemi ghal'eh, Posht Ghal'eh Abdanan (Sassanid), Konjancham fort, Shirin and Farhad Iwan in Mehran (Parthian era), Hezar Dar Castle (Sassanid), Sheikh Makan Fort (Sassanid), Zeinal Fort.
- Bridges from Sassanid era (5 in total).
- Numerous archeological sites (Teppes) and ruins from Sassanid era and earlier (224 in total).
- Ancient reliefs scattered across the province (8 in total).
- Ancient urban settlement ruins (22 in total).
- Springs, caves (like cave of Zinegan) , 3 protected natural habitats, and
provincial parks.
- Tar Spring, in Dehloran.
Tar Spring, Dragon Blood
Ilam province is an auriferous and rich land in west of Iran, where a civilization was established about 5000 years ago called Ilamians. The Ilamians named their territory Hetamiti, meaning the land of god. In some of the epigraphs left from Sumerian, this territory was called Alam, Alamo, or Alamto meaning the high lands where the sun rises. One of the most interesting things that you could find near the city Dehloran is a natural liquid Tar spring. Iranians used to use this tar to render ships water proof as well as roofs from about 3000 years ago. This black spring is located in a natural protected area named Abgarm. You could find interesting things around this area such as Mineral water springs, native trees, and bat caves with rare species of bats. The road to this Black Spring is near city Dehloran. If you go towards Abgarm natural protected area, a sign guides you to the spring via a small road. The last few hundred meters of the road is not suitable for vehicles and needs a few minutes walk to reach to the location of the spring. You could feel the smell of tar when you get closer. The spring’s diameter is about 9 meters and hot water full of liquid tar particles flows out of it. There is a green fence around it to protect animals from going nearby and get trapped in the tar. According to the myths told by the native people, this tar spring was the blood of a dragon that was killed by the Iranian invincible hero, Esfandiar.
See also
References
- ^ [1] National Census 2006
- ^ a b LookLex Encyclopaedia, retrieved 1 February 2008
External links
- (Persian) Ilam Province Department of Education
- (Persian) Ilam Picture Gallery
- Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Shush at the foot of Louvre (Shush dar dāman-e Louvre), in Persian, Jadid Online, 10 March 2009, [2].
Audio slideshow: [3] (6 min 31 sec).
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