May 8, 2021 A number of ancient artifacts were discovered during digging a water channel in Burs Village, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Khorasan Razavi Province, said Ali Mohammadi, 5 head of the city’s Cultural Heritage Department, chtn.ir reported. IRNA surfiran.com he northwestern part of Iran has still remained rela- During the Safavid Era, the tribe was formed to protect the tively unknown to many travelers. Yet, the region has king from the rebellious tribes in the west. The Shahsavan Tsome of the most beautiful natural countrysides of nomads have traditionally pursued a nomadic pastoral way of the country. Thanks to the many natural resources such as life for centuries. They migrate between winter pastures near springs, rivers, mountains and valleys, this part of Iran offers the Caspian Sea in Mugan Plain and summer quarters, 100- a lot to those who love to explore intact natural attractions. 200km to the south on the Sabalan and neighboring regions. Mugan Plain, also known as Moghan, is one of those at- Although the history of Shahsavan nomads is recorded tractions which, due to its unique location on the bank of since the early 18th century, they reached the heyday of their Aras River, has some of the most picturesque landscapes of power and influence in the first decades of the 20th century, Iran, surfiran.com reported. when they were involved in various important events during Covering more than 350,000 hectares, one-third of this the Constitutional Revolution. vast plain is situated in Iran, while the rest in Azerbaijan. Ac- Today, this tribe is most famous because of producing tually, the plain is a part of Ardebil Province, which shares some of the most beautiful handwoven rugs of Iran. Shahsa- borders with Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea and is divided van women produce colorful flat-woven rugs, storage bags, into three cities: Bileh Savar, Germi, and Parsabad. and blankets with unique, wonderful patterns. Selling rugs Because of its fertile soil and suitable climate, Mugan is is an important source of income for Shahsavan Tribe and considered to be one of the most important livestock and ag- many of their products are exported to the foreign market, ricultural fields of the region and even the whole country. rugrabbit.com helping them to preserve their nomadic lifestyle. Since ancient times, Mugan Plain was an area where many Colorful handwoven rug of Shahsavan Tribe As mentioned earlier, Mugan is situated on the bank of the Azeri people inhabited in. Excavations done in this region re- Aras R iver, which provides it with sufficient water for agricul- vealed some evidence dating back to 5,000 BCE, related to of this settlement such as ancient potteries can be seen today to one of the oldest Iranian tribes, Shahsavan can be another ture and fresh grasses for livestock. If you travel to Mugan during the ancient settlement of Alikemek-Tepesi (Alikemektepesi). in museums, revealing their rich history. reason for the popularity of the region. Seeing the tribal life- the spring, what you see will be miles and miles of green lands, Building mudbrick circular and oval and semioval architec- It’s not just the favorable weather of the plain with mild style of Shahsavan people and their day-to-day life can turn a stretched in a vast area. You’ll also have the chance to meet Shah- ture were typical for people of this culture, a style which still winters and cool summers that seem attractive to the visitors. trip to Mugan to an unforgettable memory. savan people and escape from the hustle and bustle of the city life is preserved by nomads of the region. Some of the remaining In addition to the rich history of Mugan Plain, being home The word Shahsavan means the protector of the king. by spending a few days in this magnificent land with them. House and tomb of Mirza Kuchak Khan in Rasht Falafel a delicious and nutritious food attract huge tourists are parts of the restoration project, implement- ed by the Gilan Province’s Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization. The elements that make up this building are mostly bricks, tiles, clay and wood and all are local materials whose combination with the green environment and the ancient trees around, recall the forest and adapt to the liberal spirit of that fighter character. After Reza Khan Pahlavi took power in 1920, he issued a highly classified document request- ing high-ranking security officials to deliver Mirza Kuchak to him, dead or alive, offering a large reward to whoever did so. This secret document shows that the king was desperately irancook.ir seeking to suppress the Jungle Movement as soon as possible in order to crack down on the Falafel is one of the delicious and very nu- then fried in plenty of oil. To fry falafel, it is new freedom movements mobilized in different tritious foods that is usually known as Ara- necessary to cover the balls with oil so that all parts of Iran. Mirza and his companion named bic food and related to the southern regions parts are fried evenly. iranparadise.com Gaouk, a Russian-German revolutionary adven- of Iran. Falafel is served with a variety of sauc- Tomb of Mirza Kuchak Khan turer, fleeing from the central government forc- Today, this food is cooked as fast food es, including white or ketchup. But sauces es both died of frostbite in the Talesh Mountains in many urban areas in Iran. It is served such as mustard sauce and especially Mirza Kuchak Khan Jangali (1880-1921), a na- Shivan Foomani and other celebrities of this area. near Masal on December 2, 1921. as a sandwich to those interested. Falafel mango give a unique and pleasant taste. tional hero in the modern Iranian history, had The city of Rasht, capital of the northern has been imported to Iran from Iraq. These If cooking at home, it can be much tastier founded a revolutionary movement which was House of Mirza Kuchak Khan province of Gilan, has long been a weekend es- days, in addition to Khuzestan Province, with a different type of local bread such based in the forests of Gilan Province, northern cape for Tehranis looking to sample the famous cooking falafel is common in Ilam, Bush- as sangak, barbari, taftoon, lavash than Iran, known as the Jungle Movement. Covering an area of 1,120 square meters, the local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial ac- ehr, and Hormozgan provinces. The meth- baguette bread. Many people who are not Mirza Kuchak Khan’s house, located on Soheil house of Mirza Kuchak Khan is located in the tion — it’s the largest, and wettest, town in the od of cooking falafel in Syria has more de- interested in eating junk fast foods such Dabiri Street, is one of the most visited places in Ostadsara neighborhood. The Rasht Municipal- northern part of Iran. Travelers use it as a base to tails than in other countries, Rasht, and is home to many foreign and domestic ity purchased the house from its owner in order explore the amazing Rudkhan Castle and pho- visitiran.ir wrote. tourists every year. The tomb of him, reputedly to convert it into a cultural center. Painting, re- togenic Masuleh, but if they linger they’ll dis- The main ingredient of all known as Sardar-e-Jangal, is located in the south pairing the roof and stairs, and fixing the bricks cover vibrancy among its young population. types of falafel is raw chick- of Rasht. This simple and at the same time beauti- peas. However, we will ex- ful monument is also held in high respect of all plain the main kind of cook- who visit the vicinity, iranparadise.com wrote. ing falafel in the Khuzestan Province in Iran. Chickpeas Tomb of Mirza Kuchak Khan are usually soaked in water for a few days before, and the wa- The building in Mirza Kuchak Khan’s mem- ter is changed every few hours ory, beautiful in its simplicity was built taking to prevent the chickpeas from into account the canons of traditional architec- rotting. This method leads to donyayesafar.com ture. It is in the form of a regular octagon, one of eliminate flatulence. Chickpeas the usual architectural geometric forms of Iran, are then minced with onions and garlic. And as sausages, burgers, and hot dogs and with eight beautiful columns and wooden capi- then add boiled potatoes, tomatoes or tomato want to try healthy food are usually regu- tals all around the mausoleum. paste, curry powder, pepper, salt, and turmeric. lar customers of falafel. Because falafel is Around the mausoleum of this great man, the They also add local aromatic vegetables, in- not fast food, and the preparation is very historical protagonist of the struggles of Gilan cluding parsley, mint, and a variety of spicy time-consuming. The final step of cooking and Iran, the bodies of the militants of the Jungle herbs. This mixture is the raw material of makes it look like fast food, thanks to being Movement are buried, whose names are engraved falafel, which is usually prepared and frozen in only fried in oil. Falafel is a complete meal on their respective sepulchers. Next to the tomb large quantities so that some of it can be used and is usually sold separately in dedicated of Mirza Kuhak Khan there is also the mausole- kojaro.com for cooking when necessary. The mixture is places. Interestingly, many of these places um of a famous and popular poet of this region, House of Mirza Kuchak Khan formed into small balls through a metal tool have made it possible for customers to fill dedicated to shaping falafel.