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Elburz Mountains
Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
The Elburz is one of the two main mountain ranges in modern Iran. Essentially, it separates the Caspian Sea region (picture) in the north from the central plateau, which is a desert. The other mountain range is the Zagros, which separates the central plateau from Mesopotamia in the west. The two ranges connect in the neighborhood of modern Tehran.
Several river valleys lead from the Elburz to the north, to the Caspian Sea. They have eroded large areas of the mountain and have created impressive looking, deep gorges. This one is in the eastern part of the Elburz, between Shahrud and Azadshar.
Another picture of the same valley. Other valleys connect Damghan with Sari (the road once taken by Alexander the Great) and Tehran with Amol. In the far west, the Elburz touches the Zagros; in the east, it reaches the holy city of Mashad. Beyond the Afghan border, it continues as the Hindu Kush.
The Elburz is an important climate barrier between the arid central plateau and the moist, north facing slopes and coastal plain. There, one can find dense forests. This country, now called Mazandaran (ancient Hyrcania), has a subtropical climate.
In the south, there is a fertile strip of land between the mountains and the desert, watered by small rivers and artesic sources. This is a view of the Elburz from the south, not far from the Caspian Gate. Note the incisions by the small rivers.
For centuries, this narrow corridor has been used for east-west traffic (the Silk road). The average heighth of the Elburz is about 2750 meters, but many peaks exceed the 4,000 meters and are permanently covered with snow.
The highest mountain is an ancient volcano known as Damavand, which reaches 5601 meters, which resembles the better known Mount Fuji. If you want to tease an Iranian, just ask why the Iranians have a Japanese volcano on their banknotes.
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