Geographical locations of Shahson nomads
Today, the Shahsavan nomads are spread over a wide area of north-west Iran, in a territory which only in part corresponds to their traditional lands. The drawing of the Russian border in 1828, which runs along the course of the Araxs river, divided their best winter grazing land into two separate countries, forcing many tribes to find new pastures. Persian carpet
Even though the home of the Shahsavan is traditionally recognised as Azerbaijan, many groups have settled outside this area, particularly in the regions of Hamedan, Gilan and Kurdistan. Rather than heed political and administrative boundaries, the Shahsavan respect natural barriers, such as those imposed by rivers, roads or mountain chains.
In spite of this, the tribe is able to move within a large, homogenous territory, punctuated by the furthermost reaches of the Caucasus mountains, with their fertile, well-irrigated valleys and densely cultivated plains. the Shahsavan nomads
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The imposing, snow- capped peaks of the Sahand and Sabalan ranges dominate the landscape, and greatly increase the volume of the region’s rivers during the summer thaw. The climate, although severe in winter, is tempered by the large expanses of Lake Urmia to the west, and the Caspian Sea to the east.
The heart of the Shahsavan territory is the Dasht-e Moghan – the Moghan Plain. Today, it is divided by the frontier, yet it is still host to the tribe’s main winter quarters.
Wedged between the harsh Caucasus massif and the Caspian Sea, this area was once swampy and unhealthy.
Today, thanks to the construction of the dam across the Araks, it has become a fertile plain. Persian carpet designs The land was immediately turned to agricultural use and sugar beet is a major crop.
The plain enjoys a mild climate in winter, but becomes very hot and dry from May onwards, when a strong, east wind rises and temperatures reach 40° centigrade. The plain then becomes inhospitable, except to snakes and scorpions which nest in the bone-dry grasses. It is then time for men and their herds to seek better pastures.
To the south, the tribe’s territory is bounded by Mount Sabalan massif: an extinct volcano and the source of many Shahsavan legends, and by the Boqrow mountains, an extension of the Talish range. Mount Sabalan’s imposing mass towers above the plains. the Shahsavan nomads
It is permanently snow-clad and constantly shrouded in storm clouds. Many thermal springs, which bear witness to a volcanic origin, rise from its sides. The many legends that surround Mount Sabalan describe it as sacred and pure, in some way symbolic of the pure ancestry of the nomads.Silk carpet
The city of Ardebil rises on the edge of the Dashte Moghan. The city has played an important role in the history of Persia, and is still an important market centre and collection point for textiles. To the south, in a parallel valley enclosed by the Bozkuh mountains, are two smaller centres, where the Shahsavan gather: Meshkin and Sarab.
The microclimate of Lake Urmia makes the Hashtrud Plain mild and hospitable. Hashtrud literally means ‘eight rivers’, and takes its name from the Kezel Owqan river which flows across it.
It is rich in torrent-like tributaries, which flow from the side-valleys. The Hashtrud is in fact, a large basin bounded by mountain chains: the Sahand and Bozkuh to the north, the Talish to the east and further south, the Kaflankuh. To the west rise the Keplet Dagh and the inaccessible Karadagh. Innovative return to old carpets in Iran
The Hashtrud Plain continues south to the Khamseh region, which embraces the five Zanjan districts (Khamseh, in fact means ‘five’), and stretches as far as Kurdistan, where it opens out towards the Kurdish city of Bijar, also on the Kezel Owqan river.
The Khamseh is bounded on the east by the Kaflankuh mountains and on the west by the Cheheldagh and Karaghan ranges. To the south, the plain abuts the folds of Mount Qeydar and the Karaghan range, behind which lie the mountainous regions of Hamadan and Zagros. Densely populated, thanks to the abundant and reliable water supply provided by the mountains, the Hamadan region is intensely cultivated. Its countless villages and hamlets are home to small numbers of settled nomads of various origins, among them Shahsavan.
This is documented in many of the tribes’ names which end in -lu. For example, the Taherlu, who reside close to Kabutar Ahang, the Arablu, north of Hamadan and the Baharlu, who live in the Kurdish region.
The high Elborz Mountains, dominated by the snow- capped Damavand (5,771 m.), fan out along the coast of the Caspian Sea. Between the Elborz and the Hamadan region lies a flat, cultivated area which extends eastwards as far as Tehran.
It is crossed by abundant, seasonal waterways and is dotted with small, rural villages and towns of ancient origin, such as Saveh, Varamin and Qazvin. Numerous Shahsavan clans live here, alongside many other nomadic groups. They have either settled of their own accord, or been encouraged to do so by the Shahs, in various periods of Iranian history.