Alshaytan Mountain
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| Alshaytan Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Sheytan Kuh, Sheitan Kuh, Devil's Mountain | |
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 336 m (1,102 ft) |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Persian for "Devil's Mountain" |
| Native name | شیطان کوه Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Geography | |
  Alshaytan Mountain Location in Iran | |
| Location | Lahijan, Gilan Province, Iran |
| Parent range | Alborz |
Alshaytan Mountain (جبل الشيطان; literally "Devil's Mountain" or "Satan's Mountain"), also transliterated Sheytan Kuh or Sheitan Kuh, is a forested mountain in the eastern part of the city of Lahijan, in Gilan Province in northern Iran. [1] It forms part of the Alborz mountain range and is one of the best-known natural and tourist landmarks of Lahijan.[1]
Alshaytan Mountain lies along the northern flank of the Alborz range, on the eastern edge of Lahijan, where it rises about 60 m above the surrounding city. [1] The slopes are covered with dense vegetation, including tea plants, maple trees and wildflowers, and the mountain is home to wildlife such as foxes, rabbits and migratory birds.[2]
At the foot of the mountain lies the Lahijan Pool (also known as the Shah Abbasi Pool or Lahijan Reservoir), an artificial body of water covering approximately 17 hectares which is connected by a bridge to a small island on its southern side. [3] A 24-metre artificial waterfall flows from the side of the mountain, fed by water pumped from the Lahijan Pool.[1]
Name
The Persian name Sheytan Kuh (شیطان کوه) translates literally as "Devil's Mountain" or "Satan's Mountain", and the Arabic form Jabal al-Shaytan (جبل الشيطان) is a direct calque of this. [4] According to local tradition, the mountain was earlier known as Shahneshin Kuh ("the king's seat"), and was used as a resort.[1]
Tourism
The summit of Alshaytan Mountain, a flat plateau known as Bam-e Sabz ("Green Roof"), is the highest point in Lahijan and offers a panoramic view of the city, the Lahijan Pool, the surrounding tea gardens and the Caspian lowlands. [5] The summit can be reached by car or on foot via a stairway of about 750 steps that climbs the slope alongside the artificial waterfall.[5]
A cable car (telecabin) about 550 m long links Bam-e Sabz with the summit of the neighbouring Taj-e Khorus hill; the highest point of the cable-car run reaches 350 m above sea level, and the route passes over the surrounding tea plantations. [6] A zip-line, restaurants, an amusement park and other recreational facilities have been developed on and around the mountain.[7]
Together with the Lahijan Pool, the cable car, the tomb of Kashif al-Saltaneh and the city's tea museum, Alshaytan Mountain is one of the principal attractions that draws visitors to Lahijan from elsewhere in Iran and abroad. [3]
