Shahrekord is one of the central cities of Iran and the center of Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province and the center of Shahrekord City. It is located 97 kilometers southwest of Isfahan. It had been previously called Deh Kord, whose name was later changed to Shahrekord after it became a city in August 1935. As the statistics revealed, the city had reached the population of 131,612 in 2006.
History
The ancient name of Shahrekord (i.e., Deh Kord) has been heard since Zandiyeh era; however, according to the findings of archeologists, and specifically with regard to the ancient hills around the city dating back to millenniums B.C., the city is estimated to be as old as the abovementioned hills suggesting the dawn of civilization and man’s inhabitation. It is worth mentioning that historical texts have alluded to a place called Chaleshtar in Shahrekord as the governmental capital whose castle debris has still remained. According to the available cultural documents, Imam Sadegh Mosque―known as Atabakan Mosque―was built during the domination of Atabakan (i.e., a title used in old days for “chancellor”) of Fars. It was located in the center of the historic neighborhood of the city along with the two holy shrines of Halimeh and Hakimeh Khatoon, the historic neighborhood of the fire temple in Shahrekord, the mill, the oil extraction factory, and the traditional bazaar which have helped this neighborhood become more prominent since then. Thanks to its special roadway location, Shahrekord was used as a police station by Atabakans of Fars and Lorestan.
Designation
Shahrekord was named Deh Kord in the past, but it was renamed as Shahrekord in August 1935. The word Deh Kord consists of two parts: Deh and Kord.
It is mentioned in the book entitled Ancient Persia by Josef Wiesehöfer, a German researcher and an orientalist, which Shapur IIhad referred to Shahriar Dezh Gord in his correspondences that was a strong fortress located in the mountainous area of the Zagros Mountains. Dezh means a fortress and Gord denotes a hero. Having been aware of the supremacy of the Arabic language during the domination of the Arabs, one can deduce that the emergence of the word Deh Kord was because the Arabic alphabet lacks the letters “zh” and “g.” Military zones such as Chamgord (i.e., known today as Chamgordan), Dezh Gord (i.e., known today as Shahrekord), Chelgord (i.e., known today as Chelgerd), Borougord (i.e., known today as Boroujerd), Dezhpol (i.e., known today as Dezful), and Dehdezh (i.e., known today as Dehdez) are easily detectable in Isfahan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Lorestan, and Khuzestan.
Some believe that the word Kord originally means “cattle raising” because Shahrekord embraces green and great rangeland, and the earliest inhabitants of Shahrekord mainly used to live on raising cattle during the domination of Atabakan of Fars.
Still, some others assume that the region is named Deh Kord because a group of Kurds used to dwell there in the past. However, as some of the residents of the city have maintained, because people used to produce Kordin (i.e., a kind of outer garment made of felt worn by the Lur shepherds) both in the past and present, Shahrekord was primarily called Dehkordin, and it was later changed to Deh Kord to be pronounced more easily.
Race
The race of the indigenous residents of Shahrekord is divided into two groups: 1) the herders in Deh Kord, and 2) the other ethnic groups of Deh Kord. The herders in Deh Kord have a special dialect, physical features, and behavioral traits different from all the other dialects of Shahrekord. Their social behavior and most of their traditions are strikingly similar to the Kurds in Sanandaj, but their dialect and accent differ from those of the inhabitants in Deh Kord. The second group (i.e., the other ethnic groups of Deh Kord) resembles the residents of Isfahan, especially towns like Lenjan, in their behavioral traits and dialect. Shahrekord is assumed to be first developed by nomadic livestock farmers because it encompasses vast meadows and several springs. Deh Kord was gradually founded by the immigrants from Isfahan, its suburbs, and the villages around Shahrekord, most of whom started to run businesses such as agriculture, horticulture, hat making, felt making, oil and wool trading, and other industries.
Geographical Position
Shahrekord is located 97 kilometers southwest of Isfahan with the following geographical coordinates:
•From 32°18'22'' to 23°21'50''
•From 50°49'22'' to 50°53'44''
It is topographically situated in the north of the Zagros Mountains. Being located 2070 meters above the sea level, Shahrekord is the most elevated among the centers of the provinces of Iran, known as the Roof of Iran.
Climate
Shahrekord enjoys a semi-moist and moderate climate with moderate summers and very cold winters. The annual average temperature in Shahrekord is 5.11°C. The minimum and maximum absolute temperatures recorded in Shahrekord during the last 30 years have been -32°C and -42°C, respectively. The coldest and the hottest months are December and July, respectively. Although the humidity level is moderate or high in winter, the amount of rainfall is close to zero in planting seasons, except for April and May.
Print this
page 
