Astara District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the southeast of the country, in the Lankaran-Astara Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Lankaran and Lerik, as well as the Ardabil and Gilan provinces of Iran. Its capital and largest city is Astara. As of 2020, the district had a population of 110,000.
Modern history
Astara District was established in 1930. In 1963, it was abolished as a district and its territory incorporated into Lankaran District and in 1965, its administrative district status was restored. Overall area of the district is . Its population is 95,300 people. Average temperature is -1.5◦ C - 4◦C in January, 15-25◦C in July. Annual rainfall is 1200–1750 mm.
Geography
Astara shares boundaries with Iran (Gilan Province) in the south, Lankaran and Lerik districts in the north, the Talysh Mountains in the west and the Caspian Sea in the east. The height of some peaks in the mountainous parts in Astara is 2000 m. Through the narrow lane on the Caspian coast anthropogenic sediments are spread, in the mountainous and foothills, the Paleogene sediments are spread. Two rivers- Tangar River and Astara River flows through the region. The forests cover about the area of 37,400 ha in Astara. The flora of Astara include chestnut oak, irontree, silk acacia, azat, as well as oak, hawthorn, peanut, walnut, golden gum, lime and so on. A part of the Hirkan National Park is located in Astara. The annual rainfall here is over 1600 mm.
"Yanar Bulag" complex, one of the geological objects in Astara, is located in the south of the village of Archivan, near the Alat-Astara highway. The spring water is rich with sulfur and methane gas. The spring is of great interest to both locals and tourists. “Istisu” (hot water), a herbal spring in Astara is known all over Azerbaijan.
Nature
Astara is located in lowland and mountain zone. The region is surrounded by the rich Talish mountain range in the west. The district is famous for its dishes made of rare fish species from the Caspian Sea. The king of rare trees in the forests of Astara is iron tree. This tree has a strategic importance, besides giving beauty to these forests. Lime, orange, kiwi, kinkan, feijoa and other citrus fruits, especially rice are grown in Astara. In the lower parts of the woods there are evergreen branches, as well as elder ones. The Caucasian Cherry creates special jungles on slightly wet slopes. Caspian Shelter dominates in the area. On the slopes of the forests, the Lankaran stream, lime and many other trees create specially mixed woods. At a slight height above the sea surface, another type of maple forms the thick woods with peanut. On the lower floors of this type of forest, blackberries, chumshads, and a small amount of granite create a special floor.
Most of the Hirkan National Park is located in the Astara region. The fauna of Astara include leopard, lynx, bear, forest cat, hedgehog, squirrel, badger, jackal, fox, wild boar, pheasants, wolves, goose, ducks, pigeons, thyme and so on.
Rivers
Astarachay River flows through the border between Azerbaijan and Iran. It flows into the Caspian Sea. The length of the river is 38 km, the basin area is 242 square km. It takes its source from the Shingan fortress (1817 m high) in the Talysh Range. About 70% of annual flows is rain water, 22% is underground waters, and 8% is snow waters. Strong floods are observed in the spring months. The river is used in irrigation. The city's name is derived from the name of Astarachay.
Astara is now famous for its environmentally friendly and high-quality rivers. In 2002 and subsequent years, Astara River was awarded the highest award and won a gold medal at the International Exhibitions held in Madrid, capital of Spain, an award in Moscow.
Etymology
There are two main theories for the etymology of the city's name. One is that it derived from the Persian or Talysh word (Aste-ro or Aheste-ro), meaning "the place where the travel gets slower", given the marshlands that surrounded the region before.
Architectural monuments
102 of the district's monuments were included in the "Distribution of Real Property and Cultural Monuments to State Protection in the Territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan" in 2001 and issued an official inventory number. According to the decree, 26 monuments are of national significance, 48 architectural monuments of local significance, 2 are monumental memorial monuments, 21 are archaeological monuments of local importance, 5 decorative. The most ancient of these monuments is the "Stone Box Necropolis" in the village of Ezettd, from the early first millennium BCE, "Miki dolmen necropolis" in Miki village. Architectural monuments include a 12th-century tomb in Shahagaj village and Sheikh Mohammed Zalani's tomb in Burzubend village.
There are more than 8,000 exhibits in the Astara Regional History and Ethnography Museum. Iron and Bronze Age include copper coins, mostly from the 9th to 12th centuries.
There are over 400 historical and architectural monuments in the district, among them a tower in Şindan village often called Babek tower, an ancient tower in Nudis village, Məşədi Abutalıb bath house, Hajı Teymur and Haji Jahanbakhish mosques in Pensər village, tomb in Şahağac village, Karbalayi Hamid Abdulla bath house in Ərçivan village. Ərçivan village has sulphur-rich springs which burn if ignited. There are stone monuments of the Stone and Bronze Ages in Qapıçıməhəllə village. Ruins of 8th-century bridges in Sipiyəpart, Seləkəran, Lomin və Pəlikəş villages are a major tourist attraction. Of the total population, 54,100 are men and 53,500 are women. More than 26 percent of the population (about 28,100 persons) consists of young people and teenagers aged 14–29.
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