Sari

The capital of Mazandaran Province, Sari is located inland from the Caspian Sea in the semi-tropical coastal plain to the north of Alborz Mountains. The rainy season lasts about seven months, with an annual precipitation of more than 1,100 mm, giving the countryside a green, lush appearance amidst the clearly visible mountains. Its present population amounts to 200,000 inhabitants. It has a long history and is said to have been the capital of the ancient Tabarestan during the reign of Sassanians before the Arab Conquest.

There are a number of sights to see in the town; however, most of the tourists use it as a starting point while traveling around in the province of Mazandaran.

Sights to See

• Boqhe ye Majd od-Din
  The present structure is no more than a simple mausoleum with an Ivan where there is a plaster inscription. The original ancient building of the mausoleum has been considered as one of the structures of the early Islamic period.

• Imamzadeh Yahya
  With its conical brick dome is of special artistic significance for several precious, ancient doors and wooden tomb-boxes. The edifice belongs to the end of the 15th century AD and the date carved on the wooden box is 1445 AD. The mausoleum is circular in shape and has a pyramidal brick dome about 20 meters high.

• Sultan Mohammad Reza
  The tomb of Sultan Mohammad Reza which is located next to that of Mulla Majd od-Din, is a simple structure void of any historical or artistic value.

• Sultan Zain ol-`Abedin
  The Sultan Zain ol-`Abedin tower with its octagonal conical dome, constitutes one of the most important historic building of the city of Sari, in respect of its construction, its tile-decorations, and its tomb-box, as well as costly wooden door.

• Imamzadeh Abbas
  This structure is of historical and artistic significance for having a conical brick dome and also because of its construction style. On its inlay wooden box, the date 1491 is carved. In this mausoleum, three Imamzadehs, respectively called Imamzadeh Abbas, Mohammad, and Ghassan, are buried.

Excursions around Sari

• BABOL & AMOL
  Leaving Chalus and the adjoining town of Nowshahr on your way towards Babolsar the Caspian will be in sight most of the way until you reach Babolsar. In this stretch of the road the coastal plain averages 8 km in width.
  Babol, founded in early 14th century on the site of ancient Mamtir, was called Barforoush until early 1930s. It has got three historic sites each worth a short visit: 1) Mausoleum of Sultan Mohammad Taher; 2) Shrine of Qassem ibn-Musa Kazim; and 3) Mohammad Hassan Khan bridge.
  The most interesting sites towards Haraz road where the travelers can rest to visit are:
  1) Imamzadeh Mir Bozorg
  2) Gonbad-e Nasser ol-Haq and Gonbad-e
  Shams-e Tabors
  3) Boq`eh Se Seyed
  4) Imamzadeh Ibrahim

• BABOLSAR
  This is the easternmost bathing resort of the Caspian, however farther from Tehran (225 km) than Chalus. This bathing resort can be considered as a starting-point for excursions in the Gorgan region on the threshold of the eastern steppes.

• BEHSHAHR
  Safi Abad Palace
  At Behshahr (formerly called Ashraf) we are in Italy, the landscape is of Tuscany or Verona.
  Safi Abad Palace is one kilometer to the north and located on a high hill in a vast park overlooking beautiful woodland scenery, has been built by the order of Shah Abbas I.

• NOWSHAHR & CHALUS
  The port of Nowshahr, at sea level in the province of Mazandaran, is so small that you can walk it through in about ten minutes. The town has enlarged during the last few years to engulf what used to be a popular beach for paddling, but there is little shipping business as yet, so the town relies on internal tourism for its livelihood.
  Chalus is a small resort town only 5 km west of Nowshahr, now virtually a suburb of its larger neighbor is 200 km to the north of Tehran in an altitude of 20 m above sea level.

• RAMSAR
  Known as the bathing resort of the Caspian and by far the most beautiful site of the whole coast, it is unique in terms of scenery including forest, forested hills, and proximity to the Caspian beach. Wooded hills roll down nearly to the beach itself while the powerful outlines of the Alborz Mountains range from an impressive background. The last Shah built a palace (now a palace museum, or Muzeh kakh-e Shah) in the thickly wooded hill overlooking Ramsar, the setting of which is one of the most magnificent anywhere along the Caspian coast.