Semnan, Iran Semnan, Iran Semnan (; , also Romanized as Semnān and Samnān) is the capital city of Semnan Province, Iran. Its population was 153,680 people and 36,298 families as of the 2011 census. Semnan is located 216 kilometers east of Tehran in north central Iran. It is home to Semnani languages and is known as "Seman" locally. The city offer various recreational activities, historical and religious sites, festivals, gardens and parks, colleges and universities, and Semnani culture. The city serves as the cultural and political capital of the Semnan Province. The city's main souvenirs are daffodil flowers, Shirmal pastry, Kolüçe cookies,
Military history of Ray, Iran Military history of Ray, Iran This article concerns the city of Ray, Iran (near Shahr-e-Rey) as a military objective, not the large territory of which it was once capital ("Ragau" in the Apocryphal Book of Judith). Ray, in an area of fertile lowland between the Zagros Mountains, the Elburz Mountains, and the great Dasht-e Kavir desert, commanded vital routes across and around the mountains, and was a key to power over the whole of Persia (Iran). The vast majority of ancient Persian literature has been lost, so little is known about the history of Ray before the arrival of Islam