Alvand

Alvand
Highest point
Elevation	3,580 m (11,750 ft)[1]
Prominence	1,654 m (5,427 ft)[1]
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	34°39′51″N 48°29′12″E / 34.66417°N 48.48667°E / 34.66417; 48.48667[1]
Geography
Alvand Iran#Asia
Location	Hamedan, Iran
Parent range	Zagros Mountains

Alvand is a subrange of the Zagros Mountains in western Iran located 10 km (6.2 miles) south of the city of Hamadan in Hamadan Province. Its summit has an elevation of 3,580 m (11,750 ft).^[2] The main body of the Alvand range extends for about 50 km from east to west, while their maximum north-south width is about 30 km.^[2] Formed as part of the Zagros orogeny in the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, the mountains rise sharply from the surrounding plains and are scored by many deep valleys.^[2] The mountains are mostly granite and diorite, which are types of intrusive rock.^[2]

The area was once covered by a light oak forest,^[2] but extensive deforestation in historical times has reduced this to only a small area, mostly in the valleys.^[3] Today, the higher altitudes have a sparse cover of grass, while grass cover grows more thickly around springs and streams.^[2] One important plant that commonly grows in the Alvand valleys is the gavar or goat's thorn, which produces the gum known as tragacanth which is used in medicine and industry.^[3]

Although no settlements exist on the mountains themselves, the valleys and surrounding plains are home to many towns and villages.^[2] Several major cities lie at the foot of the Alvand range, including Hamadan, Malayer, and Tuyserkan.^[2] These settlements are supported by a highly productive agricultural base which includes wheat growing and livestock breeding (sheep, goats, and cattle).^[2] This agricultural prosperity comes from the combination of a favorable highland climate and an abundance of water flowing down from the Alvand mountains.^[2]

The historic site of Ganj Nameh, where two trilingual inscriptions were left in Achaemenid times, is located at the foot of the Alvand mountains, 10 km south of Hamadan.^[2] The Alvand range forms a language border between Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, and Luri.^[2]

"Alvand" is Avestan and comes from the Avestan language word "Aurvañt", which means "quick, swift, brave; a steed, horse, racer, warrior".^[4]

Mount Alvand is situated in a geographical location that has a Mediterranean climate with spring rains.^{[citation needed]}

The Alvand range forms the main watershed in Hamadan Province, with most of the province's rivers arising from the snowmelt on Mount Alvand and then flowing either north or south.^[3] Generally, the rivers on the north side the mountain are mostly seasonal, while those on the south side flow year-round.^[3]

The main rivers on the north side of Mount Alvand are the Talvar and the Qurichay (aka Siahrud).^[3] The Talvar begins at Kuh-e Safid in the northwest and ultimately joins the Sefidrud, the longest river in Iran, which flows to the Caspian Sea.^[3] The Qurichay, meanwhile, begins in the highlands between Hamadan and Malayer.^[3] It passes through the northern Alvand highlands and eventually drains into Lake Qom.^[3]

The main rivers on the south side are the Gamasiab and the Qelqelrud (itself a tributary of the Gamasiab).^[3] The Gamasiab is another name for the Karkheh River in its upper course.^[3] Its headwaters, known as the Sarab-e Gamasiab, are located southeast of Nahavand.^[3] The river then crosses the Nahavand plain and is joined by the Malayer River as well as the Qelqelrud.^[3]

Another river system, the Abshineh Rud, has its source on Alvand's eastern slopes.^[5] It flows north to the kavir of Qom, but because a lot of its water is used for irrigation, it only actually reaches the kavir after very wet winters.^[5] It reaches its peak flow during March and April and dries up almost completely during the summer.^[5]

The Alvand highlands are the traditional pastures for several nomadic tribes.^[2] The Torkeshvand, who speak the Laki language, have their summer pasture on the western slopes of Alvand, while the Yarimtoghlu have theirs on the east side.^[2] A third group that belongs to the Shahsevan also comes to the east side, but only in small numbers.^[2] Since the 20th century, sedentary agriculture and livestock breeding has expanded significantly into what used to be nomad territory.^[2]

• 
  Alvand Summit, Summer 2006
• 
  Kalagh lane (crow's nest)
• 
  The summit winter
• 
  Alvand Summit, Hamedan, Iran
• 
  Summit

• List of mountains in Iran
• List of Ultras of West Asia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alvand.

• Profile at SummitPost.Org
• "Kuh-e Alvand, Iran" on Peakbagger

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