Astara

Etymology
The oldest theory for the name of Astara comes from Vedic songs and writings which explains Astara as a place where the rays of lights shine from behind to lit the pathways ahead. another theory is that the city’s name is derived from the Talysh word اوسته‌رو (Osta-ro or hosta-ro), meaning “the place where the travel gets slower” (given the marshlands that surrounded the region before)this theory geologigcaly is impossible due to sandy soil condition of the area which is 15 meters deep.
History
Astara is an area where Zoroaster may have visited. Its history dates back to 6,000 years ago. The spoken language was Talysh, but due to commerce with Azeris and migration of Azeris into town, the use of Talysh has been reduced significantly.

There is also a city with this name just on the opposite side of the border, within the Republic of Azerbaijan. The northern Astara (in present-day Azerbaijan) was ceded from Persia by the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 between Russia and Persia.
People
Population: 79,874 (2006 census).
Religion: Mostly Islam Shi’a Islam
Ethnic groups: Talysh,Azeris
Language: Talysh, Azeri

Famous people from astara
Ebrahim Nabavi – Iranian journalist
Nima Youshij – a famous Iranian poet who was living in exile in Astara
Behzad Behzadi – an author of Azerbaijani language dictionaries
Payan Rafat – football player

Transport
Astara is a railhead for the broad gauge Azerbaijan Railways.

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