Qazvin is one of the oldest cities in Iran. According to several historical sources, Sepah Street in Qazvin is the first street built in Iran. It shows the importance of Qazvin. Once, during a period of Iranian history, the city used to be the capital of Iran. There are also many gardens and monuments in Qazvin.

The bazaar of Qazvin and its caravansaries are also some of the attractions of Qazvin. The pastries of the city have many fans. Of course, Qazvin has a very wonderful nature too.

Qazvin province has a border with Gilan province at its north, with Alborz province at its east, with Zanjan and Hamedan provinces at its west, and with Markazi province at its south. Qazvin is located on the southern foothills of Alborz mountain range.

Considering the location of Qazvin, this city has been a transit point for the connection between the center and the west of Iran. Therefore, due to the strategic location of Qazvin, the Safavid dynasty choose it as the capital of Iran.

The altitude of this province is 1304 m from the sea level. As the mountain range of central Alborz and the mountains of Ramand of Kharaqan surrounded Qazvin province, the weather of the province is cold and mountainous with an average of 10°C during the year.

In Qazvin, July and August are the hottest months of the year, while January and February are the coldest months. The average of minimum and maximum annual temperature is respectively 2°C and 18°C.

Relative humidity in Qazvin reaches the highest point during winter months. With a minimum relative humidity, the summer is dry and hot in Qazvin.

The cold winds blow from the northwest and north to Qazvin, which is the dominant wind of the city. The annual average relative humidity in Qazvin is 51%.

Based on the Iranian 2016 census, the population of Qazvin province was 1,273,761.

Since Safavid era, many industrial units have been active in Qazvin City and have formed the major part of the city’s economy.

In the contemporary era, and exactly in 1967, the authorities built the first industrial city of Iran in Qazvin. It is called Alborz City. As of now, this province has eight industrial towns. Iran will soon add two new industrial towns to Qazvin.

Traditional pastries such as Baklava, fresh fruits, and nuts are the main souvenirs of Qazvin.

Handicrafts are other tourist attractions of this city and are very popular among visitors. Nevertheless, since the last few decades, the local people set up many new industries such as crystal and glass, steelmaking, galvanization, ceramics and household appliances in this city. Therefore, we can say that Qazvin is one of the industrial centers of Iran.

There are hundreds of ancient mounds in Qazvin, such as the Sage Zabad mound, which represents a 9,000-year-old settlement in this area. Different governors and rulers have considered the importance of the area. For example, during the rule of the Medes, this city was one of the major points in the country. At that time, “Mag Bito” fortress, located in the southwest of Qazvin, was under the reign of Hanna Syroka, one of the Median governors.

Historians believe that Shahpur II, also known as Shahpur II the Great, constructed the current city of Qazvin, and after many years, other governors created military and economic bases in the city.

Chehelsotun Palace

The Safavid era’s building known as Chehelsotun Palace together with its museum make one of the most beautiful and most important historical monuments of Qazvin. Architects have built this palace during the Safavid period. Chehelsotun palace is an icon for this city.

During the reign of the Safavid king, Tahmasp I, Qazvin was the capital of Iran. It was during this period that the architects built the Chehelsotun Palace. The construction of this Chehelsotun Palace was an inspiration for building the Chehelsotun of Esfahan. The Chehelsotun Palace of Qazvin is located in Azadi Square, known as Sabzeh Meydan.

Aminiha Hosseiniyeh

The word Hosseiniyeh refers to a building or congregation hall for Muslim Shiites to hold certain martyrdom commemoration ceremonies. Aminiha Hosseiniyeh is one such a building constructed in the 19th century. This structure is one of the top tourist attractions of Qazvin.

The building includes halls with beautiful sash windows. In the morning of Ashura, people lift away the sash windows to interconnect the three halls of the Hosseiniyeh. This makes a large covered area with beautiful mirror decorations.

In the middle of the Great Hall, there are forty lights. The antique carpets of the hall are identical. In the basement of the halls, there are subbasement, Sherbet Khaneh (sweet drink house) and storage rooms.

Ovan Lake of Alamut

This Lake is located between the four villages of Ovan, Varbon, Zavardasht, and Zarabad, in Qazvin Province. This lake is more than 70,000 square meters. It is located at an altitude of 1,800 meters above sea level. According to estimations, landslides have created Ovan Lake some 500 years ago.