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Sanandaj

Kurdish: سنە

Sine
City
Persian: سنندج
Sanandaj from Abidar.jpg
Sanandaj Museum.jpg
عمارت خسرو.jpg
Qeshlaq Bridge - Taken by Edriss (64).jpg
Sanandaj from Abidar, Sanandaj Museum, Khosro Abad Mansion, Qeshlaq Bridge
Official seal of Sanandaj
Seal
Sanandaj is located in Iran
Sanandaj
Sanandaj
Location in Iran
Sanandaj is located in Iran Kurdistan
Sanandaj
Sanandaj
Location in Iran Kurdistan
Country Iran
Province Kurdistan
County Sanandaj
District Central
Area
 • Total 3,033 km2 (1,171 sq mi)
Elevation
1,538 m (5,046 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total 412,767
 • Density 136.092/km2 (352.48/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+3:30 (IRST)
Area code(s) 087
Climate Csa

Sanandaj (Persian: سنندج; pronounced [sænænˈdædʒ]) is a city in Iran. It is the capital of the Kurdistan province. Sanandaj is a large city, being the 23rd biggest in Iran. It is also the second largest city where many Kurdish people live.

History of Sanandaj

Sanandaj was founded about 250 years ago. Even though it's not a very old city, it has become a major center for Kurdish culture. During the Iran–Iraq War, Iraqi planes attacked the city. A cool fact is that since 2019, UNESCO has recognized Sanandaj as a "Creative City of Music."

The name "Sinna" first appeared in records around the 1300s. Before that, the main city in this area was called Sisar. The exact location of Sisar is not known today. Some people think the name "Sinna" might come from "Sadkhaniya," which means "hundred springs."

The name "Sisar" disappeared in the 1300s, and "Sinna" took its place. Later, a ruler named Soleyman Khan Ardalan helped develop Sinna in 1636-1637 CE. The city grew a lot under Aman Allah "the Great" from 1797 to 1825. In the 1800s, Sinna was a busy place for trade. It exported things like oak galls, tragacanth, furs, and carpets.

People of Sanandaj

Different Groups of People

Most of the people living in Sanandaj are Kurdish. There used to be a small number of Armenian people, but most of them have moved away. Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, there was also a small Jewish community.

Languages Spoken

People in Sanandaj speak different languages. Here's a look at what languages are spoken:

Sanandaj linguistic composition
Language percent
Central Kurdish
  
86%
Hawrami
  
7%
New Persian
  
4.95%
Southern Kurdish
  
2%
Aramaic
  
0.05%

Religions in Sanandaj

Most people in Sanandaj follow the Shafi‘i branch of Sunni Islam.

City Population

In 2006, the city had about 311,446 people. By 2011, the population grew to 373,987. The most recent count in 2016 showed that 412,767 people lived in Sanandaj.

Geography and Climate

Where Sanandaj is Located

The city of Sanandaj is located between the Qishlaq river and a mountain called Mount Awidar. This mountain separates Sanandaj from an older capital city called Hasanabad. One of the biggest industries in Sanandaj is making carpets.

Sanandaj Climate

Sanandaj city center
Sanandaj city center in 2021

Sanandaj has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has cold and wet winters. Its summers are very hot and dry.

The weather station in Sanandaj started recording weather in 1959.

  • The highest temperature ever recorded was 44°C (111°F) on July 16, 1981.
  • The lowest temperature ever recorded was -31°C (-24°F) on February 6, 1974.
Climate data for Sanandaj (1991-2020, extremes 1959-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.5
(63.5)
21.4
(70.5)
27.8
(82.0)
32.8
(91.0)
36.6
(97.9)
41.0
(105.8)
44.0
(111.2)
43.0
(109.4)
39.4
(102.9)
33.8
(92.8)
26.0
(78.8)
22.9
(73.2)
44.0
(111.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6)
9.7
(49.5)
15.0
(59.0)
20.5
(68.9)
26.4
(79.5)
33.7
(92.7)
37.7
(99.9)
37.5
(99.5)
32.5
(90.5)
24.9
(76.8)
15.3
(59.5)
9.7
(49.5)
22.5
(72.5)
Daily mean °C (°F) 0.8
(33.4)
3.0
(37.4)
7.8
(46.0)
12.8
(55.0)
17.8
(64.0)
24.3
(75.7)
28.4
(83.1)
27.6
(81.7)
21.9
(71.4)
15.4
(59.7)
7.8
(46.0)
3.1
(37.6)
14.2
(57.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.4
(24.1)
−2.7
(27.1)
1.1
(34.0)
5.4
(41.7)
9.1
(48.4)
13.6
(56.5)
18.1
(64.6)
17.1
(62.8)
11.1
(52.0)
6.8
(44.2)
1.8
(35.2)
−2.1
(28.2)
6.2
(43.2)
Record low °C (°F) −28.0
(−18.4)
−31.0
(−23.8)
−16.0
(3.2)
−7.0
(19.4)
−2.0
(28.4)
3.0
(37.4)
7.0
(44.6)
5.0
(41.0)
1.0
(33.8)
−4.6
(23.7)
−14.0
(6.8)
−23.6
(−10.5)
−31.0
(−23.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 44.6
(1.76)
50.7
(2.00)
58.0
(2.28)
65.9
(2.59)
28.9
(1.14)
2.2
(0.09)
1.3
(0.05)
0.2
(0.01)
1.0
(0.04)
28.2
(1.11)
55.8
(2.20)
47.4
(1.87)
384.2
(15.14)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 6.8 7.1 7.9 7.6 4.3 0.6 0.3 0.1 0.5 3 6.4 5.9 50.5
Average rainy days 6.9 8.8 11.4 11.4 5.9 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.4 4.9 10.4 8.3 70.1
Average snowy days 8.0 6.4 2.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 3.9 21.3
Average relative humidity (%) 70 64 55 53 46 28 24 24 29 43 63 69 47
Average dew point °C (°F) −4.7
(23.5)
−3.9
(25.0)
−2.3
(27.9)
1.6
(34.9)
3.7
(38.7)
2.2
(36.0)
3.7
(38.7)
3.0
(37.4)
0.8
(33.4)
0.9
(33.6)
0.1
(32.2)
−2.9
(26.8)
0.2
(32.3)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 155 166 211 231 295 356 357 347 313 255 183 152 3,021
Source 1: NCEI
Source 2: IRIMO (extremes, snow/sleet days for 1959-2010)

Economy of Sanandaj

The economy of Sanandaj is based on several important industries. These include making carpets, processing animal hides and skins, and milling rice. Other key products are refined sugar, woodworking, cotton weaving, metalware, and cutlery.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sanandaj para niños

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