Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad Province as an unknown Province with an area of 16,264 sq. km, is bounded on the north with Charmahal va Bakhtiari and Esfahan Provinces, on the south with the provinces of Fars and Bushehr, and on the west with Khuzestan and Bushehr Provinces. The province's diverse climate boasts of having both cold and warm temperatures.
The main provincial towns are : Buyer Ahmad, Yasuj,Kohkiluye and Gachsaran.

Buyer Ahmad :

Due to its ethnic and nomadic inhabitants, the Buyer Ahmad district was for. long administered by the local khans. In 1330 (1951), the town administration was changed from khanate to gubernatorial system.

Buyer Ahmad has the most annual rainfall, after the areas in northern Iran,.
The province is particularly famed for its abundant supply of water, mountainous climate and spectacular landscapes.

The Zagros mountain chain which has 74 summits with altitude of over 4,000 meters and dubbed as
Iran's Alps, stretches from the north to the south of the province.
The district has a variety of tourist attractions including the historical hillocks from the Safavid era, tile gorgeous mountainous town of Sisakht, countless apple gardens and vineyards, the waterfalls of Margun, Yasuj and Bahram Beigi, as well as the breathtaking valleys and bays.

Yasuj

Yasuj lies at the foot of Den a mountains. Quite outstanding among the Iranian cities and towns, Yasuj is shrouded by a vast oak forest, which both enhances its beauty and gives a temperate climate for its residents. It is an exceptionally attractive resort.

Kohkiluye

Kohkiluye is an ancient town, bounded on the south by Behbahan, on the east by Yasuj, and on the west by Ramhormoz and Bagh-e Malek.

As the most populous district of the province, Kohkiluye comprises 19 villages and 1,200 hamlets.
Kohkiluye has two distinct climates: warm and cold. The southern areas of the town are normally warm, while the north-western mountains are icy and have long winters.

The town of Dehdasht, located in the Kohkiluye district, was historically called "Belad-e Shapur." Its construction attributed to Shapur I, Dehdasht was formerly a major venue for the exchange of goods between Isfahan. Fars and Khuzestan traders.

According to historical documents, Iranian commander Arye Banan entered the town after a fierce and brave battle with Alexander the Great at Dehdasht. Also. the inscriptions carved on tile rocks in the Servak Valley substatiate the existence of an ancient town near Dehdasht.

Gachsaran :

was formerly called Gonbad Moljan or Molqan. Before the formation of the Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad Province, Gachsaran was a part of the Khuzestan Province. The town is predominately resided by the Lor and Turk tribes who migrated to the area during the Seljuq era.

Gachsaran has a relatively warm and dry climate, with the temperature rising up to 50 degrees centigrade sometimes. At tile centre of Kohkiluye is the town of Dogonbadan, which comprises two areas: one resided by the National Iranian Oil Company personnel and the other by the indigenous inhabitants.

Religious Sites

There is a wide spectrum of mausoleums of imamzadehs located in different spots of the province, ranging from the heart of high mountains to the deep valleys and smooth plains.

The many religious places in the province attest to the people's deep faith and bond with religion. The indigenous people purify their hearts and frequent the holy places, where they peacefully worship the Omnipresent Lord.

The province is home to mausoleums of several Imamzadehs - the descendants of the holy imams including Farajollah, Abdollah, Mirzaei. Qasem, Hassan, Ali, Baba Ahmad, Mahmoud, Mir Salar, Seyed Mohammad and Ismael.

The mausoleums generally consist of a room or two, built in the local architectural style, bereft of eloborate deco• rations.

Off the main road, outside Yasuj, there is a frequently visited mausoleum housing Imamzadeh Pahlevan's tomb.

The building consists of a room and a dome. Nearby, there are a number of tombstones inscribed with calligraphy.

Another outstanding place in the province is the Mausoleum of Imamzadeh Chelle Khan, which has a relatively vast room, a small chamber right under the cupola and another small room which has been calved out of stone. The monument probably consisted of four cupolas, each of which situated on a separate room, whose pillars narrowed down into a common column at the centre of the room.

The dome bears the distinctive architectural style of the province. The facade of the dome looks like a beehive, typical of the roofs built in Khuzestan or more prominently in the shrine of Prophet Daniel in Susa.

Bibi Hakime, located between Genave and Gachsaran is a major Islamic monument, visited by large numbers of pilgrims. The building is famed for its beautiful ceiling, hall and tomb. Imamzadeh Bibi Hakime is believed to be the daughter of Imam Jafar Sadegh -the sixth infallible guide of the Prophet's Household.

The zarih-the metal or wooden grid surrounding the tomb-was repaired a few years ago, but overall, the monument has remained intact despite being located at the heart of the mountain.

Nearby is a warm-water spring where the ailing seek medication. The mausoleum is the rendezvous of several hundred people each year, streaming in from across the country and even from as far as the Persian Gulf littoral sheikhdoms.

Ancient Places
There are several ancient sites across Kohkiluye va Buyer Alunad, namely:
Servak Valley: The valley is a treasure trove of Elamite era. The first archaeological research on the valley was conducted by the tsarist Russian diplomat Baron A view from Sisakht surrounding.

Dobde during the reign of Qajar king Mohammad Shah (1257 AH). The Russian researcher embarked on studies of the wall ofthe valley which depicted Artemis, the Greek goddess of moon and hunting.

Sbapur's Tomb: Not far from the wild park of Dehdasht is a square tomb, made of stone and gypsum. It is the tomb of the Sassanian king Shapur, after whom Dehdasht was named.
There are also some fire temples across the province, the most famous of which is the "Farzuk" four-column temple, which lies off the old Shiraz-AIjan artery route. The temple, which has survived the test of time and several natural phenomena, has four intact 12-metrehigh columns.

There are many old fortresses in Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad. The fortresses are reminiscent of the brave guards and warriors who marched in and out of the town, to defend the people's lives and property. Among the fortresses found in the province are Ghal'e Dokhtar and Gach.

The fortresses and ramparts 'of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad mainly fall into four major categories: 1. Fortresses built in the pre-Islamic era. These are primarily known as Dokhtar fortresses. 2. The Islamic-era fortresses which have been widely studied because of the Ismaelite movement. 3. Fortresses set up under the Atabek reign in Fars. 4. Fortresses built after the Timurid and Safavid eras. The latter confirms the power of the ancient ruling tribes.

Economic Characteristics

Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad has long been known as a nomadic region and the home of migratory tribes. Some of the tnoes, however, have settled over the past couple of decades in the region, and engaged in animal husbandry, famung, horticulture and other economic activities.

Fertile soil, abundant water, ample forests and lush pastures are factors making Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad as an economically strategic province.

Animal Husbandry :

Animal husbandry is by far the most significant economic activity of the Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad residents. Thanks to its mountainous surfaces, the province has long been a major hub of livestock breeding.

The activity is carried out in two ways. Villagers are involved in settled animal husbandry, while the nomadic tribes move their cattle from one place to another, based on the suitability of climatic conditions.
Due to severe shortage of fodder, a large percentage of nomads have settled in the urban or rural areas.
In recent years, however, some modem cattle and sheep-breeding units have been established across the province.

Apiculture :

Thanks to its diverse plant species, Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad is a suit able place for apiculture. There are both traditional and modem apiaries in the province, run by local farmers.

The apiaries serve, both, to fertilize the flowering plants and fruit trees, and supply the needed raw materials sought by the wax-producing companies.

Poultry Farming:

Poultry farming has considerably developed in the province. The farming units raise chickens both for their meat or eggs, meeting the needs of the urban dwellers.
Every rural or nomadic family also raises a number of hens or roosters, either for domestic use or subsistence.

If the required health services including vaccination can be effected, poultry fanning can become a lucrative rural and nomadic business in the province.

:
Agriculture is the second most important economic activity after animal husbandry among the Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad residents. Due to the geographical situation of the province, the provincial residents predominantly dryfann wheat.

Survey indicates only one-fifth of the province's lands is smooth, primarily located in plains.
Along with barley and wheat, the people grow rice in the wanner southern areas which enjoy sufficient rainfall.

Other agricultural produce of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad include grains, cereals, fodder, corn and summer crops.

Horticulture :

One of the major agricultural activities of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad is horticulture, carried out both in the wann and cold areas of the province. The relative shortage of smooth lands in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the province has prompted the farmers to opt for the mountainous fertile valleys for cultivation.

Besides, the smooth lands are particularly devoted to the cultivation of apple, grape, walnut and citrus fruits. Buyer Ahmad farms are generally used for the cultivation of apple, Sisakht for grape, and Kohkiluye, Gachsaran and Cheram for the cultivation of pomegranate, date and citrus fruits.

Industries :

Despite being rich in oil, gas and mine deposits, Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad's industrial activities are not fully developed.

With the exception of the oil exploration installations in Gachsaran and the sugar factory of Yasuj, the rest of industries in the province are fledgling. They include: food, metal, leather, textiles, wood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and construction materials.
Moreover, the volume of industrial and mining activities is meagre compared with that of the agricultural and service sectors. The provincial industries are categorized into two major groups:

A. Handicrafts :

B.
The handicrafts of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad chiefly consist of Persian carpet, kilim, jajim (a loosely woven colourful catpet), gabbeh (a long-weft pileless carpet), sack, black tent and felt carpet - which are all woven at household workshops.

Carpet is the most significant handicraft produce of the province, woven in almost every town and village. All in all, the traditional workshops do not produce high-quality rugs.

In recent years, however, the Iran Carpet Company Limited has set up educational courses and modern carpetweaving workshops in some villages, in a bid to promote the quality of the rugs.

C. Advanced Industries :
D.
Oil exploration and exploitation is perhaps the largest industry in the province. Over the past few decades, oil drillings have constantly been conducted and expanded at the oil basins of Gachsaran and Bibi Hakime.

Presently, the gas output of the regional basins is used for non-industrial purposes and transferred to the Shiraz Fertiliser Company through pipeline. The oil cargoes are piped from Gachsaran basin to the Khark warehouses, from where they are shipped to the international markets on giant oil tankers.

The most important industry closely related to agricultural produce is the 1000-tonne-capacity Yasuj Sugar Factory, whose plan was ratified in Khordad 1343 (June 1964) and put on stream in 1347 (1968).

After a several-year-long closure due to beet shortage, tlle factory was reactivated to process imported sugar. A yeast and glucose unit was inaugurated near the factory compound recently.

Mines :

Following the feasibility studies of a foreign consulting firm and the initial explorations by the Geology Organization in recent years, experts of the General Department of Mines and Metals have embarked on a wave of fresh attempts to locate new mineral lodes across the province.
Ranked as ferrous or non-ferrous, the chief mine sites of Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad include:

1. The bauxite mine of Sar Faryab village, Dehdasht

2. The copper quarry of Khazangah village, Buyer Ahmad

3. The phosphate deposits of John Gharani village (Tiam), nearSarFaryab village

4. Sulphur reserves of the Upper Ness village, Gachsaran

5. Construction stone and gypsum quarries across the province

There are a number of other minor mines in the province which are used in the manufacture of brick and flooring chips. They include: sand, salt, kaolin, lime and decorative stones.

Imports and Exports :

The relative expansion of provincial routes, transport facilities and the assistance by state agencies have helped to remarkably expand the volume of social and commercial services.

Almost all the essential needs of urban dwellers are met by the neighboring provinces. It can be deduced that the most significant economic aspect of the province is its consumerist nature. The main export and import items of the province are as follows:

Imports: foodstuff, shoes and garments, office equipment, sanitary wares, electrical home appliances, construction materials, industrial machinery and workshop parts

Exports: cattle and cattle derivatives such as wool, skin, oil, tragacanth, and some fruits such as apple, grape and citrus fruits.