Semnan سمنان، سَمَن also known as Saman
City
Imam Soltani mosque
Seal
Nickname:  City of Compassion[1]
Motto(s):  Welcome; خوش امیچین
Semnan
Coordinates: 35°34′52″N 53°23′00″E / 35.58111°N 53.38333°E / 35.58111; 53.38333[2]
Country	Iran
Province	Semnan
County	Semnan
District	Central
Settled	circa 240BCE by Parni tribesmen
Incorporated (city)	1926
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Mayor	Seyed Hossein Mousavi[3]
Elevation	1,130 m (3,707 ft)
Population  (2016)[4]
• Total	185,129
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)
Area code	+98 23
Main Languages	Persian, Semnani
Climate	BWh
Website	www.semnan.ir

Semnan (Persian: سمنان; pronounced [semˈnɒːn] ^ⓘ)^[a] is a city in the Central District of Semnan County, Semnan province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county and the district.^[6] The city is on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in the north-central part of the country, 216 km east of Tehran and 640 km west of Mashhad. With a population of 185,129 people in 2016,^[4] Semnan is the most populous city in the province and the hub of the Semnani language, a sub-branch of the Iranian languages spoken to the north. It is home to the Semnani ethnic group.

At the 2006 census, its population was 124,999 in 36,298 households.^[7] The following census in 2011 counted 153,680 people in 45,311 households.^[8] The 2016 census showed a population of 185,129 people in 49,124 households.^[4]

Semnan offers various recreational activities, historical and religious sites, festivals, gardens and parks, centers of higher education, and Semnani culture. The city is as the cultural and political capital of the Semnan Province. The city's main souvenirs are daffodil flowers, Shirmal pastry, Kolüçe cookies, kilim rugs, and shortbread.

Etymology

There are several theories which seek to explain the origin of the name Semnan.

1. Semnan was an ancient pre-zoroastrian city in which the locals practiced idol-worshipping. Their religion was called samīna, hence the name Semnan.
2. Semnan was an ancient civil establishment by the Scythians, an Iranian people who named their settlement Sakanān.
3. A theory produced by the local people themselves claims the first settlers of Semnan were two of the Prophet Noah's children, Sim An-Nabi and Lam An-Nabi, and that their settlement became known as Simlam; the local people believe that over time the name Simlam turned into Semnan.
4. Semnan was established by the mythical character Tahmuras, and that he named his city Saminā.
5. The ancient regional language was known as Sa ma nān, and that the city of these people took on the name of their language.
6. The name Semnan comes from the phrase sa ma nān, which is supposed to be a corrupted Persian way of saying 'three months of bread.' This phrase traces back to the Semnani women's tradition of cooking three months worth of bread in one day.^[9]

Geography

Geography

The city of Semnan is situated on an alluvial fan at 1,138 metres above sea level, straddling the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains and the vast desert plain to the south of the city. The Golrudbar creek, which begins in the mountains to the north of Shahmirzad, has historically provided a reliable supply of water for municipal and agricultural consumption. Irrigation methods since ancient times have allowed the people of Semnan to drink clean water, raise livestock such as cattle and sheep, and cultivate diverse crops.

Climate

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Semnan has a hot desert climate (BWh) bordering a cold desert climate (BWk) according to the Köppen climate classification. The city enjoys the traditional four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and autumn each year.

The rain season starts in December and lasts into May, however, precipitation throughout the rain season is generally very light. During some winters, moisture-abundant blizzards make their way down from the Alborz mountains to the north of the city and dump several centimeters of snow in a single twenty-four-hour period^{[citation needed]}. As a result of the city's position straddling the open desert plain, many winter days are dominated by a cold and gusty wind that often produces a potent windchill factor which makes the city feel much colder than the actual air temperature. According to Iranian Meteorological statistics, Semnan experiences around 44.5 days in which the minimum temperature falls below freezing each year.^[10]

Spring is characterized by mild to warm day temperatures and cold to cool nights. Muinimun Temperatures do not fall below freezing from May to October and rarely do so in March, April and November.^[10]

Summers are often hot during the day and mildly warm at night. Summer months remain extremely dry with only trace amounts of rain. Occasionally, moisture from the Caspian Sea passes over the High Alborz. With the right amount of heat and moisture, thunderstorms may develop during the afternoon and evening hours. Though the amount of precipitation is light, these thunderstorms often produce strong and gusty winds with frequent lightning strikes.^{[citation needed]}

Autumn is mostly a transitional season.