Caspian Sea

The southern Caspian lies north of Gilan's green coastal plain, where the Sefid Rud builds a delta and rivers from the Talesh mountains feed the Anzali lagoon. A sandy coast separates the lagoon from the sea. Ships on these waters connected Persia with ports farther north, carrying goods that included Gilan's silk. The Caspian has no outlet to the ocean, and changes in its level have repeatedly altered its shores.