Ilam Province

Ilam, also Elam (ایلام), is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Iraq. Its provincial center is the city of Ilam. Covering an area of 19,086 square kilometers, the cities of the province are Ilam, Mehran, Dehloran, Dareh Shahr, Shirvan Va Chardavol, Arkovaz Malek Shahi, Aivan and Abdanan. It neighbors Khuzestan province in the south, Lurestan province in the east, Kermanshah province in the north and Iraq in the west with 425 kilometers of common border. The population of the province is approximately 540,000 people (2005 estimate).

Geography

Ilam province is among the warmer regions of Iran. The mountainous areas of north and north eastern Ilam are relatively cold however. Average annual rainfall in the province is 578 mm.

In 1996, absolute maximum temperature was 38°C in August and the minimum temperature recorded was 0.4° C in February. The number of freezing days in winter was 27 days.

Ilam's highest point is the peak Kabir Kuh at 2790m, part of the Zagros mountains.

People and culture

Ilam's ethnic composition is predominantly Kurdish and Lur, the former concentrated primarily in the capital, and the latter living mostly in the southern regions of the province. Most are Shi'a Muslims. ^*

History

Limited archaeological studies and discoveries indicate 6,000 years of tribal residence in Ilam. Historical evidence indicates that Ilam province was part of the ancient Elamite Empire.

In Elamite and Babylonian inscriptions, Ilam is called Alamto or Alam which means "mountains" or "the country of sunrise". It was also part of the Achaemenid Empire. Existence of numerous historical vestiges in Lurestan and Ilam provinces belonging to the Sassanid period indicates the specific importance of the region in that time.

In the late 11th century, Kurdish tribes governed the region till the early 13th century.

In 1930, in the division of the country, Ilam became a part of Kermanshah province, only later to become a province by itself. Ilam is still a tribal province in many ways, but in recent years the tribal relations have changed drastically.

Ilam today

During the Iran-Iraq war, Ilam province took a heavy pounding, and Iraq's intense bombings left no economic infrastructure for the province. Ilam has thus been one of Iran's more undeveloped provinces. Ilam's unemployment rate was 19.9% in 2003.

Only in recent years has the central government began investing in advanced industries like Petrochemical facilities with Japanese help, in Ilam. Ilam also has a bright future in the tourist sector, with 174 historical sites listed under Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization, though it also remains undeveloped.

Colleges and universities

Ilam province contains the following universities:

Attractions

Imamzadehs: These are shrines mostly from the middle ages: Imamzadeh Ali Saleh, Imamzadeh Seyd mammad Abed, Imamzadeh Seyd Akbar, Imamzadeh Seyd Fakhreddin, Imamzadeh Seyd Nasereddin, Imamzadeh Ibrahim, Imamzadeh Abbas, Imamzadeh Abdullah, Imamzadeh Pir Muhammad, Imamzadeh Baba Seifuddin, Imamzadeh Mehdi Saleh, Imamzadeh Ibrahim Qetal, Imamzadeh Seyd Hasan, Imamzadeh Seyd Salaheddin Muhammad, Imamzadeh Haji Bakhtiar, Imamzadeh Haji Hazer, Imamzadeh Jabir.
Fire Temples (10 in total): These are Zoroastrian shrines from the Sassanid era, now in ruins: Siyahgol Iwan, Chahar Taghi in Darreh Shahr.
Mansions, forts, and castles (90 in total): Ghal'eh Vali (Qajar era), Posht Ghal'eh Chowar, Ghal'eh Paghela Chekarbuli, Ghal'eh Falahati (Qajar era), Shiagh castle in Dehloran (Sassanid era), Ismail Khan fort, Sam castle (late Parthian era), Pur Ashraf castle, Mir Gholam Hashemi ghal'eh, Posht Ghal'eh Abdanan (Sassanid), Konjancham fort, Shirin and Farhad Iwan in Mehran (Parthian era), Hezar Dar Castle (Sassanid), Sheikh Makan Fort (Sassanid), Zeinal Fort.
Bridges from Sassanid era (5 in total).
Numerous archeological sites (Teppes) and ruins from Sassanid era and earlier (224 in total).
Ancient reliefs scattered across the province (8 in total).
Ancient urban settlement ruins (22 in total).
Springs, caves, 3 protected natural habitats, and provincial parks.

External links

Kurdistan | Provinces of Iran

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