Rasht (Persian: رشت‎‎ Rašt; Gilaki: Rəsht; also Romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt Recht in French and older German manuscripts)[1] is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. As of the 24 October 2011 census, its population was 639,951.[2]

Rasht is the largest city on Iran's Caspian Sea coast. It is a major trade center between Caucasia, Russia and Iran using the port of Bandar-e Anzali. Rasht is also a major tourist center with the resort of Masouleh in the adjacent mountains and the beaches of Caspian as some of the major attractions.

Historically, Rasht was a major transport and business center which connected Iran to Russia and Europe, and because of this was known as the "Gate of Europe". The city has a history that goes back to the 13th century but its modern history dates back to the Safavid era during which Rasht was a major silk trade center with numerous textile workshops.