Karaj

Karaj (Persian: کرج; pronounced [kæˈɾædʒ] ) is a city in the Central District of Karaj County, Alborz province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. Earliest evidence of inhabitation in Karaj can be dated to the Bronze Age at Tepe Khurvin. The city was developed under the rule of the Safavid and Qajar Empire and is home to historical buildings and memorials from those eras. This city has a unique climate due to access to natural resources such as many trees, rivers, and green plains. After Tehran, Karaj is the largest immigrant-friendly city in Iran, so it has been nicknamed "Little Iran." Although the county hosts a population of approximately 1.97 million, as recorded in the 2016 census, most of the 1,419 km2 (548 sq mi) county consists of rugged mountains. Karaj is also the third most populous city in Iran after Tehran and Mashhad and the sixteenth largest metropolis in the Middle East, with a metropolitan population of nearly 3,599,000 as of 2025. The urban area is the fourth-largest in Iran, after Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan. Eshtehard County and Fardis County were split off from Karaj County since the previous census.