Qazvin is located one 100 km west of Tehran, used to be capital of Iran for a period of time on Safavid era. Many historical sites by archaeologists have found in this area, indicating multi-thousand-year-old civilizations. In the first millennium BC The Kassi people came to the region from Gillan province, near to Caspian Sea, and founded Qazvin. Being located on the Silk Road, in Sassanid era and ringing of king Shapour it was used as a military stronghold, in that time the city was called Shad Shapour. During the Safavid Empire and the kingdom of King Tahmasb, the city was chosen as the capital. The Safavids had endless wars with the Ottoman Empire; Qazvin was very vulnerable because of its proximity to the Ottoman border, in a way that once was occupied by the Ottoman army, for this reason, the Safavid Empire chose Isfahan as its capital. Besides having lots of natural and historical attractions Qazvin historically is known as the main center of Shiaa Ismailia state. In the Alamut Area, the ruins of Hassan Sabah Castle also today are interesting. Geographically Qazvin is under siege of mountains and deserts. From old times people have been looking for a solution to confront with the winds coming from the desert and the floods coming from the mountains. So they have built orchard all around the city. In fact it is kind of accordance with the geographical conditions of this region. By building this natural fence, they have coped against the destructive forces of nature. This orchard has given Qazvin the nickname of a clean city.
The main attraction of Qazvin are: Caravansary of Sad-ol Saltaneh, Aminiha Hosseiniyeh, Russian Church, Jameh Mosque of Qazvin, Traditional Bazaar, Tehran Gate, Chehl Soton Palace, Antropological Museum, Ovan Lake, Alamut castle.
