Sari (Persian ساری‎ Sārī, Maze ساری) is a city in northern Iran. The administrative center of the province of Mazandaran.
The population of the city is about 262 thousand inhabitants (2006, estimate). Most of the population of the city are Azerbaijanis. The city is connected with Tehran by railway and highway.
From industry, the cleaning of rice and cotton is developed. Tea and tobacco factories.

Geography
Lake Mianshe is located 80 km to the south.

Economy
Sari is famous for its diverse industries. The most developed food industry (first of all: the production of flour, butter, pasteurized milk and products from it) as well as the production of paper. Rubber production, metal processing, leather and footwear, textile, woodworking, and chemical industries also show good dynamics. As for the region adjacent to Sari, the peasants subsist there by cultivating the land, which, due to the favorable climate and a very large amount of water, gives abundant harvests of rice, wheat, barley, cotton, corn, various vegetables, growing citrus fruits, and raising livestock. Peasants take water from rivers, streams, dig wells. A lot of agricultural products are exported to other parts of Iran. In addition, due to the accessibility of the sea, fishing and seafood fishing is very well developed.

History
According to some reports, a settlement on the site of modern Sari existed as early as the 6th century BC. e. March 21, 1782 Agha Mohammed Shah moved the capital of Iran to Sari. However, due to internal clashes, the capital had to be moved a little further south – to Tehran, which was carried out by Feth Ali Shah. Sari had to endure many important historical events and change many dynasties. It is known that when Caliph Mansur from the Abbasid dynasty took possession of Sari, a mosque was built there by his order. В 873 г. н.e. the city came under the rule of Yakub Leys already from the Iranian dynasty – the Saffarids. Later, control over the city was in the hands of a representative of the Samanid dynasty – Ismail. Sari then experienced the rule of the Ziyarid and Buyid dynasties. In 1034, the city became the prey of Sultan Mahmud from the Ghaznavid dynasty. In 1392, by order of Tamerlane, the entire Mazandaran (and, in particular, Sari) was subjected to a terrible massacre, as a result of which the city itself was depopulated. However, he was lucky when he came to Safavid authorities: the rulers took a liking to the city, and Shah Abbas especially tried to improve and expand it, beautiful administrative buildings, reliable roads and a bridge across the Tejen River appeared at that time.

Sights
The remarkable village of Eskard can be found 57 km south of Sari. Being located on the important transport route from Sari to Semnan, the village enjoys an important geographical position. It is also known for its abundance of drinking water sources. The village offers a very beautiful view of the mountains covered with forests, and in winter the trees are covered with snow, this is a rare phenomenon for Iran. In Sari itself, there is a building of the Kalbad Museum, located right in the center of the city. This is a beautiful old building, built back in the time of the Qajars, at the beginning of the 19th century. The building has a flat roof. Original architectural solutions in the construction of rooms, including a room built for the residence of noble owners, as well as baths and stalls near the main building, exquisite window decorations (some of them have lifting frames) in the form of multi-colored stained-glass windows make this building unique for Iranian architecture. The construction of this building was ordered by one of the generals of the Iranian army. The building was inherited by Manuchehr-Khan Kalbad, a local landowner, who was also a deputy in the Iranian Majlis from Mazandaran for a short time. The building is currently state-owned. It was built in the Qajar style, and the room where the owners were supposed to live is especially beautifully decorated. The Cathedral Mosque was built in the same architectural style as the Imam Mosque in Isfahan. This is the most unique and impressive structure of Mazandaran, built for religious purposes, which has come down to us from the Safavid era. Its construction is tentatively attributed to 1600. The mosque is the only surviving building from the original palace complex, where Shah Abbas liked to visit, which previously also included a palace and a bridge. The distance from it to the city of Sari is 25 km, and from the Caspian Sea – only 2 km. During the construction of the mosque, bricks were used, its main building includes four eyvans, and there is also a large entrance door. In the southern part of the mosque, one can easily find a large chapel with arches located on huge columns.