Golestan

Golestan is a very historical province, its history goes back to thousands of years ago. Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan are three sister provinces that got separated about 30 years ago. In old times these three sister provinces were like one solid land that stretched from east to west (From Khorasan to Azerbaijan). After some negotiations, the government separated them just for political and logistics and some other aims. Now we have three neighboring provinces mentioned above and now Golestan province is the newest among them. The capital of Golestan province is Gorgan city and it is one of the most populated and even modernized besides the classic life of its people. Golestan, like the other two provinces, is very beautiful, green, diverse and historical and each day thousands of tourists’ rush to this province in spring and summer because of the natural beauty of this land. The old name “Gorgan” means “the wolves” that came from the Tabari people who lived in Gorgan and Golestan province from a thousand years ago .

History of Golestan
 

The old name “Gorgan” means “the wolves” that came from the Tabari people who lived in Gorgan and Golestan province from a thousand years ago .  In old times the name of Golestan was actually “Tabarestan” that means the land of “Tabari people”. As mentioned before Golestan or Tabarestan is a very historic land. Even today you can find the remaining of Great wall of Gorgan which is the exactly in root of Great wall of china. As everyone knows the Great wall of China stretched from east to west to protect the mainland against barbers in the north from the east sea to the mountains of Everest and the Great wall of Gorgan follows the same route from the mountains of Everest to the Caspian sea. Most of the great wall of Gorgan was destroyed and disappeared and there is a small remaining of it around Gorgan city and you can visit it today. From many old times to nearly 100 years ago Golestan was the habitat of the Hyrcanian Tiger, A huge beast which is extended unfortunately and you can find a taxidermy of that animal in natural museums in Tehran and few in western world. Hyrcanian tiger was as rare as the Siberian tiger and today scientists try to mix the genes of Hyracanian tigers and Siberian tigers to make a hybrid of both and release them to Golestan and Mazandaran.

tourism in  Golestan

 golestan national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and very famous because of biodiversity in flora and fauna , also because of diversity between people and tribes living together in Golestan province. One particularly fascinating resident is the Calyciphora golestanica, a rare species of firefly endemic to the region. These bioluminescent beetles illuminate the night with their twinkling light, adding another layer of magic to Golestan's enchanting natural beauty. 
there is a very tall Minar or tower made from baked bricks , which is very interesting to visit  ,its name is “Gonbad-e Qabus” tower. It is about about 52 meters tall and established on a 15 meters’ platform, it is one of the tallest pure brick towers in the world.
 Gorgan is very famous because of pure genuine natural sceneries and Hyracanian forests and “Nahar Khoran” recreation area . Today in “Nahar Khoran” you can find many public recreational facilities like accommodation, hotels, motels, boutique hotels, amusement parks and many different facilities that each tourist needs. In Gorgan you can find hikers, sportsmen and even many scientists visiting forests and other natural resources and flora and fauna,  Because this province is very rich in this concept and many international tourists visit this province just because of this rich biodiversity of flora and fauna in this land .
One of the precious products of the Golestan province is “Caviar” , it is the black gold of Mazandaran and Golestan province. The sturgeon fish that lives in the Caspian Sea brought millions of dollars’ revenue to the province. Golestan Caviar now is exported to many countries around the world and it is one of the best quality products of the world. It is controlled by the government and you can buy it from the special shops notarized by the government authorities, especially at the airports.
Golestan palace is inhabited by many wild species like wild ibex, trans Caspian sheep, wild boars, wild hyena, fox, wolf and many different wild animals and birds, each year many bird watchers come to Iran for bird watching. In Golestan province you can find many natural lakes like “Alma Gol” international lagoon , “Agi Gol” lake, “Alagol lake” and many other south lakes each year millions of migratory birds from upper lands in Siberia migrate to breeding and many bird watchers enjoy watching them during moderate winters in Iran and specially in Golestan province.

culture and customs of Golestan

Gorgan itself is a territory of different cultures and many tribes like Turkmen the siblings of Mughals that invaded Iran, Kurds that migrated from west , the people of Sistan and Baluchistan, Turks, Fars , old tribes of Iran, and many other tribes made the cocktail of cultures and humanity.
 Tabari people in golestan were brave and aggressive to defend their mother land and because of this there are many epics about the “Tabari people” and “Tabarestan” in Persian literature.
In golestan you can Witness vibrant celebrations like Nowruz, the Persian New Year, where streets come alive with colorful decorations, joyous music, and friendly gatherings. Golestan's cuisine is a delightful adventure for your taste buds. Savor flavorful stews like dizi, aromatic kebabs bursting with saffron and barberries, and flaky pastries drizzled with honey. Every bite in Golestan is a journey through tradition and a warm welcome to this unforgettable region.
While modern clothing is common, you might see some people wearing traditional attire. Men might wear long coats and head coverings, while women might wear colorful head scarves and flowing dresses.

How to arrange your itinerary?

Tourists who choose to visit Iran and Golestan Province itself are divided into three groups, first are the  national and international cultural tourists, this group choose the province just for recreation and leisure and stay there for days just to enjoy and relieve themselves from city life. This group normally choose hotels, homes, boutique hotels and motels and after few days leave the Golestan and return home, his group need normal tour and travel facilities and in normal situations they use their own car, they do not need very complicated itinerary and just visit some cultural and recreational parts and there is a chance to return to the same place times and times. These regular commuters are normal tourists and love to visit the province because more than ¾ of the country is covered by deserts and hot lands and the green shores of Caspian Sea is like a heaven for everybody in deserts.
The second group of tourists are more sophisticated and aimed for special activities like hiking, bird watching, off road car riders, kite runners, motor cycling adventures, desert adventures, oat riders, sport car riders…etc. this group in normal situations bring their own gears, normally use tents to stay and they are special kind of adventurers spend lots of time and money just to enjoy natural life.
The Third group are scientists which investigate in the province and focus on special items and flora and fauna and even rocks and stones, naturalists which love to stay in nature's nights and days. This group is invited by universities and science centers and they have their own facilities and are controlled by governments during their stay.

Best time to travel to Golestan

Because of the moderate climate of Golestan , there is no limit to travel. You can find good accommodation and a good car and start your program. There is an airport in Gorgan city .  In normal times we prefer to choose a car to visit Gorgan , the road is a fascinating attraction itself. In winters there is more rain and in high elevations you can see snow too. There is a good highway from Tehran to North and there are several tourist buses which transfer people from west of Tehran to north and other parts of the country. 
Even Though the best time to visit Golestan is in spring and in fall, in spring all the greens in Iran blooming and you can find best sceneries in the country. In fall you can see a rainbow of colors, note that at the end of fall it is a little cold.

Conclusion

Golestan Province is rich in many aspects to visit. Beside Gilan and Mazandaran province, Golestan is also green and rich in flora, fauna, culture, architecture and other characteristics of a touristic destination. compared to the hot central deserts of Iran, it is green enough to be called a paradise in Iran.Depending on which group of visitors you are and what your aim is, It is obvious you can arrange your program yourself but writing a proper itinerary in rush times is a little tricky. Because many foreigners are not very familiar with our culture there is a chance you choose a special event in Golestan and when you arrive you confront with huge amount of people rushing to Golestan to recreate and even finding a bottle of water makes a problem for international tourists. It is better you choose a professional guide to help you finding the best program, Itinerary, Accommodation and dining, a proper car for transfer between different points. If you have time enough, do not hesitate to come. We invite you to visit Iran . Please do not forget we are ready to arrange your program and help you in any details of your travel , contact us and with the help of our professionals , plan a wonderful trip to the north of iran and Golestan province soon . You can follow our social media pages and get updates about tourism in Iran . 

(Sana Persian tour and travel service provider group)