Located in the heart of Gilan, Sabzeh Meydan is known as an urban nostalgia of Rasht. It occupies a main part in the historical memory of this city, along with National Library, Pavilion Mansion, Municipality Building, the Building of Melli Bank, Lat Caravanserai, the Great Bazar, Shahpour High School, Aqa Bozorg Bath, Park-e Shahr and other symbols of urban structure of the city.
Sabzeh Meydan is beyond a square and it has recently become a model for the Street and Walking Tourism of Iran.
The name of Sabzeh Meydan backs to a green space between two old alleyways of Ostadsara and Kiab. There were a pool and a cemetery in this extensive green space the function of which was changed under the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, with the coming of Shaft’s and Fuman’s Khans and by the beginning of the rule of Mirza Qasem Khan Vali.
The process of renovation of Sabzeh Meydan was expanded, after Qasem Khan, under the reign of Mozaffar al-Din Shah, by the rule of Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni, known as Nasr al-Saltaneh. He used the green background of this space and ordered the streets and gardens to be constructed and trees to be grown inside the square and its surrounding grounds. This urbanism plan of Qajar changed Sabzeh Meydan with the construction of the School of Ashraf-e Mortazavi, watermill and houses.
Sabzeh Meydan has witnessed many reformations of Naser al-Din Shah, constitutional revolution, Russians’ attack in the World War I, the declare of the independent republic of Mirza Kuchak Khan Jangali and many other memories of contemporary Iran. Today the name of this square is among the Iran National Heritages that indicates its historical, urban and cultural position.
The main structure of Sabzeh Meydan remained in its original form that is consistent with then mapping and the first photo available of the square related to 1340s SH. The square has 29700 square meter area. In the middle of the square there are waterfront, reef, the statues of some great figures of Gilan, library and other urban infrastructures.
Like in the past, Sabzeh Meydan is still one of the most active regions of Rasht. Those citizens who pass through it every day, speak together, take photos and videos, eat local foods sitting on the grass, go to the café and restaurants around the square, play chess, fill out the table leaning a tree and feed the cats, pigeons and sparrows.
Sabzeh Meydan is the host of many ceremonies and festivals like theatre festival and singing in Gilaki dialect as well as family walking every year.
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