Nickname: Gateway to Central Iran
Capital
Arak
Population
~1.4 million
Markazi means simply 'central,' and the province lives up to the name as an industrial and agricultural belt between Tehran and Isfahan. Its interest lies less in its modern capital than in Qajar-era Mahallat's rose gardens and the Silk Road caravanserais scattered along its old trade routes.
Culture & people
A historically Persian-speaking province known for handwoven carpets and, in Mahallat, one of Iran's largest flower- and rose-growing districts.
Notable cities
Arak
The provincial capital, a mid-sized industrial city that serves mainly as a practical base for exploring the surrounding countryside. Its Imamzadeh shrines and covered bazaar reward a short stop.
Mahallat
A town famous across Iran for flower cultivation, especially roses processed into rosewater, and for the nearby Mount Nezam. Spring visits coincide with its fragrant harvest season.
Khomein
A smaller town in the province's south known chiefly as the birthplace of Ayatollah Khomeini. Its old quarter retains a quieter, small-town character than Arak.
Highlights
- Rose and geranium fields around Mahallat
- Khansar's mountain stone architecture
- Emamzadeh Ma'sum shrine in Arak
- Historic caravanserai ruins
- Delijan's underground stone chambers
Best time to visit
Late April to May coincides with the rose harvest around Mahallat, when the fields and distilleries are at their most fragrant.
Getting there
Arak is about a three-hour drive south-west of Tehran, and the province is more often visited as a detour off the Tehran–Isfahan road.
The province's location, highlighted on the map of Iran.
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