Rasht Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Raŝt

Rəsht (Gilaki)

City

Seal

Nickname(s):

Rain City, Rasht-Heaven

Rasht

Location in Iran

Iran

Rasht

Bakhsh

Central

Area

• City

180 km² (70 sq mi)

Population

(2016 Census)

• Urban

679,995

Time zone

UTC+3:30 (IRST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+4:30 (IRDT)

Area code(s)

013

Rasht; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt Recht in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain", it had a population of 639,951 as of the 24 October 2011 census. Rasht is the most densely populated city of Iran in terms of population size and, in terms of population ratio, it is also ranked first in the country day and night.

Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali. Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh in the adjacent mountains and the beaches of Caspian as some of the major attractions.

Historically, Rasht was a major transport and business center which connected Iran to Russia and Europe, and because of this was known as the "Gate of Europe". The city has a history that goes back to the 13th century but its modern history dates back to the Safavid era during which Rasht was a major silk trade center with numerous textile workshops.