Basmenj


Basmenj is a city in the Central District of Tabriz County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 10,736, in 2,873 families.
Basmenj is located southeast of Tabriz. It lies at an altitude of and covers an area of 2 square kilometres. The city is best known for its fresh and pickled cucumber.

Naming

From the eighth century the word "Basmenj" occurs in some texts as "uoosbenj", "wahoosphenj", "fahoosphenj" and "esphenj". There were two fire temples many years ago. One of them was "miyarrar" or "miadgah" that was very Sacred and there was an idol called "ENJ". The word "basmenj" derived from the name of this idol; and the word "basme+enj" is formed from the two word "basme" & "enj". The word "basme" means "in the name of" and in other languages including Sanscrit, Old Persian, and medial Persian, the prefix of the words "uoosbenj", "wahoosphenj", "fahoosphenj" and "esphenj" means "in the name of" too. Thus the meaning of "basmenj" is "in the name of ENJ" same the word "in the name of GOD".