TEHRAN—The number of tourist arrivals in Gilan province has reached five million from September 4 to 8.

More than five million domestic travelers visited Gilan from Monday to Friday, which included some public holidays, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

Due to its climatic diversity, and rich historical, natural, and tourist attractions, Gilan has long been a popular destination throughout the year, Vali Jahani said.

The lush green province, bounded by the Caspian Sea and Alborz mountains, registered seven million visits to its attractions in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21).

Sophisticated Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, has long been a weekend escape for residents of Tehran who are looking to sample the famous local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial action—it's the largest, and wettest town in the northern region. Gilan is divided into a coastal plain, including the large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts of the Alborz mountain range.

The historical Gilan region was within the sphere of influence of the successive Achaemenian, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires that ruled Iran until the 7th century CE. The subsequent Arab conquest of Iran led to the rise of many local dynasties, and Gilan acquired an independent status that continued until 1567.

AFM