Semnan (Persian: , ); is the capital city of Semnan Province, situated on the alluvial fan of the Golrudbar creek in north central Iran, 216 km east of Tehran and 640 km west of Mashhad. With a population of 185,129 people, Semnan is the most populated city in Semnan Province and serves as the capital of it. The city is also the hub of the Semnani language, a sub-branch of the Iranian languages spoken to the north, and home to the Semnani ethnic group. Semnan offers various recreational activities, historical and religious sites, festivals, gardens and parks, centers of higher education, and Semnani culture. The city is as the cultural and political capital of the Semnan Province. The city's main souvenirs are daffodil flowers, Shirmal pastry, Kolüçe cookies, kilim rugs, and shortbread. Etymology There are several theories which seek to explain the origin of the name Semnan. Semnan was an ancient pre-zoroastrian city in which the locals practiced idol-worshipping. Their religion was called samīna, hence the name Semnan. Semnan was an ancient civil establishment by the Scythians, an Iranian people who named their settlement Sakanān. A theory produced by the local people themselves claims the first settlers of Semnan were two of the Prophet Noah's children, Sim An-Nabi and Lam An-Nabi, and that their settlement became known as Simlam; the local people believe that over time the name Simlam turned into Semnan. Semnan was established by the mythical character Tahmuras, and that he named his city Saminā. The ancient regional language was known as Sa ma nān, and that the city of these people took on the name of their language. The name Semnan comes from the phrase sa ma nān, which is supposed to be a corrupted Persian way of saying 'three months of bread.' This phrase traces back to the Semnani women's tradition of cooking three months worth of bread in one day. Geography Geography The city of Semnan is situated on an alluvial fan at 1,138 metres above sea level, straddling the southern foothills of the Alborz Mountains and the vast desert plain to the south of the city. The Golrudbar creek, which begins in the mountains to the north of Shahmirzad, has historically provided a reliable supply of water for municipal and agricultural consumption. Irrigation methods since ancient times have allowed the people of Semnan to drink clean water, raise livestock such as cattle and sheep,