General information about Arak

Arak city is located in Markazi Province, approximately 288 kilometers from Tehran. The city borders Saveh city in the north, Hamadan in the northwest, the cities of Malayer, Khomein, Ali Goudarz in the west and Mahalat in the east. The city has cold, dry weather with warm summers, windy and cool autumns, cold and snowy winters, and mild springs. Despite archeological finds around the city suggesting its history dates back to the Median (678 -549 BC) and Sassanid (224-651 CE) eras, the modern city of Arak was originally a fortress named Soltan Abad built near the village of Karahrud during the reign of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (1772–1834) by his son-in-law Yusef Khan-e Gorji (?-1824). According to an inscription above the city’s traditional bazaar, Yusef Khan-e Gorji, who was also the governor of Soltan Abad, founded the city in 1808. The city’s name was officially changed to Arak in 1938. There is much speculation about the meaning of the word Arak. Some believe it means capital, date orchard and township and others believe Arak is the Persian pronunciation of Iraq, as in the olden days Muslim geographers referred to this area as the Iraq of Ajam (Persian or non-Arab). The Arak, with its bold floral medallions, is one of the finest Persian carpets produced in Iran. In general, lower quality rugs from this city are simply known as Arak rug and high quality carpets which have blue weft and salmon or tomato-red color designs are known as Sarouk.

History of Markazi Province

The medieval Iraq-i Ajam, more recently Arak is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. The word markazi means central in Persian. In 2014 it was placed in Region 4. Markazi lies in western Iran. Its capital is Arak. Its population is estimated at 1.41 million.The present borders of the province date to the 1977, when the province was split into the current Markazi and the Tehran Province, with portions being annexed by Esfahan, Semnan Province, and Zanjan. The major cities of the province are: Saveh, Arak, Mahallat, Zarandiyeh, Khomein, Delijan, Tafresh, Ashtian, Shazand (previously known as Sarband) and Farahan. Markazi province was part of the Median Empire in the first millennium BC, which included all of the central and western parts of modern-day Iran. The region is considered to be one of the ancient settlements on the Iranian plateau. Numerous remaining ruins testify to the antiquity of this area. In the early centuries Islam, the name of the area was changed to Jibal or Qahestan. By the early 10th century, Khorheh had become a famous city of Jibal province, followed by Tafresh and Khomein. In recent times, the expansion of the North-South railroad (commonly known as the Persian Corridor) and the establishing of major industries helped boost development in the area. Many figures in Iranian history trace their beginnings to this province. namely: Mirza Abulqasem Qaem Maqam, Abbas Eqbal Ashtiani, Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir, Qaem Maqam Farahani Mahmoud Hessabi, Ayatollah Khomeini, Haji Aga Mohsen Araki, and many others.

Geographical and Historycal Description of Arak

The city of Arak covers an area of over 7000 square kilometers, standing 1800 meters above the sea level. This city is the Capital of Markazi Province. This city was initially built by the Qajarid King, Fath Ali Shah, as a fortification under the name of Sultan-Abad in the year 1812 AD, for the Iranian army to be equipped and organized over there. In the year 1272 AH, this city developed, and a large number of traders settled in it, such that in the early years of 14 Century AH it was one of the well-developed cities of Iran; and countless foreign and Iranian companies were established in this city. Finally, in the year 1316 solar hijri, this city was renamed as Arak. The city of Arak maintains the climate of Iran’s central plain; with long, chilly, and humid winters; and warm, dry, and short summers. Note that the presence of mountains, plains, and Miqan plain in the vicinity of Arak has highly influenced the regional climate. Although Arak is a dry region with a low rate of rainfall; snow blankets the mountains in the environs of this city, which melts in spring, and summer seasons, creating several springs and creeks. Numerous rivers run across southwest and west of the city of Arak, including Tavandasht Roud, Kouh Roud, and Saarouq Rivers. Haftaad-goleh Mountain Range are a protected habitat in Markazi Province, covering more than 83,000 hectares. It is situated east of the city of Arak. This Mountain Range is the habitat of a wide range of wild animals; and in the past was one of the well-known hunting sites of Iran. An inscription which has been engraved concurrent with the Qajarid era in this region goes to show its diverse plant and animal species in those days. The fact of the matter is that currently this region is home to 200 different plant and animal species, including partridges, pigeons, vultures, and falcons, ewes, rams, goats, and deer. Development of a metal, chemical, textile, construction, and food industries in Arak and the distinguishing geographical position of this city has turned Arak into a metropolis. Hence, in the recent two decades this city has significantly grown. Arak is also home to numerous historical monuments, including the historical market of Arak, Chahar-Fasl Public Bathroom, Imamzadeh Hussein Holy Shrine, and Pirmorad-Abad Tomb. In this part, we will brief you on a number of these priceless historical monuments. The historical market of Arak, which covers an area of 14 hectares, is one of the glittering examples of urban development in early 13th Century AH. It is part of the initial fiber of city of Arak; consisting commercial and residential units, such as a mosque, a public bathroom, a school, a guest house, and water store. There are two corridors in this historical market which intersect each other. The north-south corridor is 720 meters in length, maintaining two gateways. Moreover, the east-west corridor is 200 meters in length. These two corridors intersect each other in a region which is popularly known as Chahar-Souq. There is a stone-made pond in this region. For long, Arak historical market has highly contributed to the economy of this region as the commercial hub of the city of Arak. Like other Iranian markets, each section of Arak historical market is allocated for a particular economic activity. Carpet trade is one of the main economic features of this historical market. A fundamental architectural style has been taken into consideration in construction of Arak historical market. This market is equipped with a ventilation system. Also, the usage of bricks and wooden logs in the design and construction of this market has added to its beauty. The ceiling of this market is domed, on which apertures have been installed for entry of light rays. Given the particular architectural style of Arak historical market, this market is warm in the cold season and cool in the summer season. The Markazi Province Handicrafts Museum is situated in Arak historical market. This market was enlisted among the national historical monuments in the year 1976. Sepahdar School is one of the historical monuments of this city, which dates back to Qajarid era and has been constructed concurrent with the foundation of the market. It is the first religious sciences center in the city of Arak. A large number of scholars study theology and other Islamic sciences in this school. The architectural style of this school is mainly rooted in the architectural style of Safavid era schools, and includes a mosque, a water store, and other welfare facilities. This school maintains two gates; one of which leads to the market. It also has a large courtyard; in the middle of which is a stone-made pond. One of the most beautiful historical monuments of Arak is Chahar-Fasl Public Bathroom, which dates back to late Qajarid era. Paintings have been drawn on the four corners of this public bathroom. The architectural style of this public bathroom is unique. The bathroom covers an area of more than 1600 square meters and it is known as the biggest public bathroom of Iran. The ancient public bathrooms in Iran maintain a highly interesting architectural style. Usually upon entry to pubic bathroom we embark upon the fitting room, which is decorated with tile works. This historical public bathroom has been currently turned into a museum, in which valuable historical items, such as ceramic dishes, coins belonging to different historical periods, Qajarid era contracts, hand-written books, copper-made dishes, ceramic jars, and spinning tools have been maintained. Now that we have become appropriately familiar with Arak’s historical monuments; it is interesting to know that carpet-weaving is of paramount importance among this city’s handicrafts. Arak is one of the four carpet-weaving centers of Iran and carpets of this city maintain global fame. Carpet-Weaving grew and developed in Arak as of the Qajarid era.

Top foods to try:

Ash-e Tarkhineh Dough or Tarhana and Dough Soup— A thick soup made of tarhana, pinto beans, leafy greens like spinach and whey, decorated with fried mint, garlic and onion.
Abgousht-e Kashk or Whey Abgousht- A thick soup with lamb, chickpea, potato, and whey seasoned with turmeric. This soup is decorated with fried mint and served with bread and fresh herbs.
Tahtali- Round minced meat patties cooked with potato, onion, tomato, unripe grapes, and bell pepper disks served with rice or bread.