Manjil
Encyclopedia
Manjil is a city in the Central District
of Rudbar County
, Gilan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 16,028, in 4,447 families.
mountains i.e., at a small cleft in Alborz that funnels the wind through Manjil to the Qazvin plateau
. Throughout the history Manjil has been a gate to the Southern Caspian region. There are numerous archaeological site excavations (mostly illegal) in Manjil area because of its rich cultural history. Some of these sites are related to the Ismaili
era i.e., Hassan Sabbah movement based in Alamoot forte (one may find artifacts from 2-3 millennia B.C., in some households in the area!).
Manjil is also known for its olive
gardens and the river Sefīd-Rūd (or "Sepid Rood", "Sefid Rood", "white river"). This river that passes by the town is formed in Manjil by two joining rivers and since 1960 has been the site of Manjil dam
built on it that significantly contributes to Gilan's agriculture while generating electric power. The lake behind the Sepid Rood dam also ads to the beauty of the area (visible on Google earth
at the above coordinates).
and White Russian
forces on June 12, 1918. The latter forces (led by General Dunsterville
and Colonel Bicherakhov) willing to pass through Manjil as the only passage to the Caspian in order to reach Baku
and overthrow the newly formed Baku Commune (led by Stepan Shahumian). General Dunsterville's private diaries and notes, including those kept during his command of the Dunsterforce Mission to North Persia and Baku, 1918 were transcribed from the original by General Dunsterville's great granddaughter, and are co-located on the Great War Primary Documents Archive http://www.gwpda.org/Dunsterville/Dunsterville_main.html.
Although devastated by an earthquake
of magnitude 7.3 on June 21, 1990, for the last few decades Manjil has enjoyed industrial and economic growth but could have more potential given its natural and human resources.
Central District (Rudbar County)
The Central District of Rudbar County is a district in Rudbar County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 65,797, in 17,800 families. The District has four cities: Rudbar, Rostamabad, Lowshan, and Manjil....
of Rudbar County
Rudbar County
Rudbar County is a county in Gilan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Rudbar. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 101,884, in 27,902 families. The county is subdivided into four districts: the Central District, Rahmatabad and Blukat District, Amarlu District, and Khorgam...
, Gilan Province
Gilan Province
Gilan Province 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....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 16,028, in 4,447 families.
History and Geography
Manjil is located between N36º45´18˝-N36º41´42˝ and E49º23´6˝ and E49º31´ 48˝. Its known as the windy city of Iran; a reputation it owes to its geographical position in the AlborzAlborz
Alborz , also written as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan...
mountains i.e., at a small cleft in Alborz that funnels the wind through Manjil to the Qazvin plateau
Qazvin Province
The Qazvin Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the north-west of the country, and its center is the city of Qazvin. The province was created in 1993 out of part of Tehran Province and includes 20 cities: Qazvin, Takestan, Abyek, Buin-Zahra, Eqhbalieh, Mohammadieh, Alvand,...
. Throughout the history Manjil has been a gate to the Southern Caspian region. There are numerous archaeological site excavations (mostly illegal) in Manjil area because of its rich cultural history. Some of these sites are related to the Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
era i.e., Hassan Sabbah movement based in Alamoot forte (one may find artifacts from 2-3 millennia B.C., in some households in the area!).
Manjil is also known for its olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
gardens and the river Sefīd-Rūd (or "Sepid Rood", "Sefid Rood", "white river"). This river that passes by the town is formed in Manjil by two joining rivers and since 1960 has been the site of Manjil dam
Manjil Dam
Manjil Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Iran with an installed electricity generating capability of 87 MWh. It is situated in Gilan Province.-References:...
built on it that significantly contributes to Gilan's agriculture while generating electric power. The lake behind the Sepid Rood dam also ads to the beauty of the area (visible on Google earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
at the above coordinates).
Modern history
In modern era Manjil was the site of a historical battle between the nationalist revolutionary forces of Jangal (led by Mirza Koochak Khan) and the joint BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and White Russian
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
forces on June 12, 1918. The latter forces (led by General Dunsterville
Lionel Dunsterville
General Lionel Charles Dunsterville CB, CSI was a British general, who led the so-called Dunsterforce across present-day Iraq and Iran towards Caucasus and oil-rich Baku.-Biography:...
and Colonel Bicherakhov) willing to pass through Manjil as the only passage to the Caspian in order to reach Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
and overthrow the newly formed Baku Commune (led by Stepan Shahumian). General Dunsterville's private diaries and notes, including those kept during his command of the Dunsterforce Mission to North Persia and Baku, 1918 were transcribed from the original by General Dunsterville's great granddaughter, and are co-located on the Great War Primary Documents Archive http://www.gwpda.org/Dunsterville/Dunsterville_main.html.
Although devastated by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
of magnitude 7.3 on June 21, 1990, for the last few decades Manjil has enjoyed industrial and economic growth but could have more potential given its natural and human resources.