Pars Today

In continuation of studying the Iranian ethnicities today we are going to talk briefly on the people of Gilan Province or Gilak people.

Gilak people live in the north of Iran mainly in Gilan province. Due to being located on the coasts of the Caspian Sea, Gilan province has a humid weather and a lush and picturesque nature. The city of Rasht is the capital of this province. The word Gilan has been derived from Gil. But the origin of the word Gil is not properly known. This province shares borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan in the north, Ardebil province in the west, Zanjan and Qazvin provinces in the south and Mazandaran province in the east. This province has the highest quantity of rainfall across the country. Anzali, as the most important port on the Caspian Sea coast is located in this province. Among other cities of Gilan province mention can be made of Lahijan Langarud, Rudsar, Astara, Fuman, Rudbar and Talesh. This province is considered as one of the most beautiful tourist sites in terms of natural attractions. Millions of travellers and tourists go to Gilan province every year. It is the only region in Iran where tea is cultivated. With an area of over 14,000 square kilometers this province enjoys unique forests, large rivers, vast rice paddies, favorable habitats for bird species, ponds and springs, scenic coastlines and rare plants. Gilan is the land of forest, rain, rice and olive. 

The dominant language in Gilan province is Gilaki. Some linguists believe that it is not a language and just a dialect of Farsi language although ample evidences show that this language has preserved its old structure and vocabulary originated in Pahlavi and Avestan languages. There are also other languages in Gilan province such as Azeri and Taleshi. Due to the existence of fertile lands the Gilak people have been engaged in agriculture since old times. Galeshi people are another ethnic group in Gilan. Their language is very close to Gilaki. The Galeshi people live in mountainous areas of the east and west of the province. These people live through animal husbandry. The culture of these people is very intact and interesting. A notable number of these people live in Deylaman region. They have preserved their folkloric music and many of their traditions. There is another ethnicity in this province called Tat. The Tat people mostly live in the south of the province and the villages of Rudbar city. These people have also preserved their language, culture and traditions to much extent. It is interesting no note that most of the Tat population reside in Takestan city and the adjoining towns and villages in Qazvin province. Gilan province is not so vast but it is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic province.

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