Tonekabon

Tonekabon is a city in the Central District of Tonekabon County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The languages of Tonekabon are Mazandarani and Gilaki.

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 43,128 in 13,087 households. The following census in 2011 counted 45,338 people in 14,975 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 55,434 people in 18,878 households.

Etymology
Toneka was a large and fortress-like city with a fence and a hard and strong surface in the west of Ruyan district. Shortly after the destruction of Toneka Castle, a lower city was built from the ruins of the old city, and it was called Toneka Bon. This name was extended to all the lands that formed the local rulers.

History
The territory of Tonekabon was originally part of Gilan. Numerous evidences discovered in various parts of the region, indicate that it was a flourishing city in the past. The ancient Tonekabon came under the realm of the Royan territory, also called Rostamdar. The Padusbanan held the power of this vicinity till the reign of Shah Abbas Safavid I. Thereafter until the year 1209 CE. which was the beginning of the reign of Aqa Mohammad Khan Qajar and the Qajar dynasty, the city was known as Feiz.

After the downfall of the Qajar dynasty, the city was renamed Shahsavar. After the 1979 Revolution the name was returned to its original historic one, Tonekabon. Most present-day people of the city still use the Shahsavar name.

Geography
Tonekabon is located on the coast of the southern Caspian Sea, 257 km north of Tehran, between Ramsar and Chalus.

The town of Tonekabon is nearby along the Caspian Sea, and Tonekabon County has common borders with Qazvin Province to the south.

In its northern regions it has a moderate and humid climate and in the southern portions cold weather prevails. The Cheshmeh Kileh River flows through it.

Climate
Tonekabon has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Cf), with warm, humid summers and cool, damp winters.

Economy
A famous variety of orange, Shahsavari Orange, is grown in the city and bears its former name. The other products of Tonekabon are kiwi fruit, rice, and tea. Tonekabon has a semi tropical climate. The temperature is mild year round.

The "Ghalegardan high lands" and "Dohezar Valley" are famous resort areas in the Alborz (Elburz) mountain range, southwest of Tonekabon. There are also dense forests in Dohezar and the Sehezar Road areas of the Alborz.

Tourist attractions

 * Alam Kuh
 * Sialan
 * Cheshmeh Kileh Bridge
 * Wildlife Museum
 * Municipality Palace of Tonekabon
 * Do Hezar Forest Park
 * Se Hezar Forest Park
 * Toneka Castle
 * Markuh Castle
 * Se Hezar Hot water
 * Sang Bon Cheshmeh Waterfall
 * Chaldarreh
 * Daryasar Plain
 * Dinar Sara
 * Beles Kūh
 * Kouhsar Waterfall
 * Falakdeh Hot water
 * Tonekabon Fish Market
 * Garma Poshteh Village

Notable people

 * Benyamin Bahadori (born 1944), singer
 * Simin Ghanem (born 1982), singer
 * Moslem Bahadori (born 1927), pathologist
 * Shahab Hosseini (born 1974), actor
 * Shamseddin Hosseini (born 1967), politician
 * Foad Manshadi (born 1987), musician
 * Jamshid Mashayekhi (born 1934), actor
 * Javad Asghari Moghaddam (born 1979), futsal player
 * Mohammad Mokhtari (born 1983), football player
 * Ladan Mostofi (born 1972), actor
 * Parisa (born 1950), singer
 * Kambiz Dirbaz (born 1975), actor
 * Kourosh Sotoodeh (born 1978), photographer
 * Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni (1846–1926), politician
 * Mohammad Zohari (1926–1995), poet