Bandar-e Anzalī

Bandar-e Anzali lies on the Caspian shore of Gilan. Anzali Gulf gives the city a sheltered approach from the inland sea, long used by trading vessels and fishing boats. The harbor is therefore more than a coastal edge: it is a meeting point between Caspian navigation and the wet lowlands behind the town.

The surrounding climate is exceptionally humid, with hot summers and cool, rainy winters. Heavy autumn and early winter rain drains from the Elburz Mountains, creating conditions suited to rice and tea. The green, water-rich country contrasts sharply with the arid interior usually associated with Iran and gives the port a productive agricultural hinterland.

Anzali’s old settlement history reaches back to the Cadusii, while the name developed through forms such as Anzalag. Its enduring character arises from the safe gulf, the fisheries, and the exchange between Caspian vessels and Gilan’s irrigated fields.