AHAR RIVER

 

AHAR RŪD, the Ahar river. Originating in the mountains of Eškanbar, Sārī Čaman and Qarāǰa-dāḡ, the Ahar river runs from east to west. It passes north of Varzqān and south of Ahar, where a few seasonal streams such as Kīčīk-čāy flow into it before it changes direction to the north near the village of ʿAlīābād. Further north near the village of Kūǰnaq it joins the river Qara-sū which itself is formed from a few smaller rivers and streams in the Sabalān region, such as Andarāb and Ḵīāv-čāy. After passing by the villages of Ṣāḥeb Dīvān, Gavlān, Qara Darvīš, Ṣafarābād and Šakarlū, in the vicinity of the village of Gozal-lī, it merges into the Qara-sū-ye Bālā river, which itself originates in the Ṣalawāt range. Now called Darāvard, it finally merges into the river Aras near Aṣlāndūz. The length of the river from its source to the Aras is about 240 km.

Bibliography:

Ḥ. Bāybūrdī, Tārīḵ-eArasbārān, Tehran, 1341 Š./1962, p. 24.

Edāra-ye ǰoḡrāfīāʾī-e arteš, Naqša-ye āzmāyešī-e Īrān, Tehran, 1347 Š./1968.

Razmārā, Farhang IV, pp. 61, 430, 467.

Le Strange, Lands, first ed., London, 1905, p. 169.

Nozhat al-qolūb, Tehran, 1336 Š./1957, pp. 95-96.

(ʿA. ʿA. Kārang)

Originally Published: December 15, 1984

Last Updated: July 28, 2011

This article is available in print.
Vol. I, Fasc. 6, p. 634

Cite this entry:

ʿA. ʿA. Kārang, “AHAR RIVER,” Encyclopædia Iranica, I/6, p. 634; an updated version is available online at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ahar-rud-the-ahar-river (accessed on 16 March 2014).