Sanandaj, city in western Iran, and capital of Kurdistan (or Kordestan) province. Sanandaj occupies a fertile valley in the Zagros Mountains. The city is a major manufacturing and retail trade center with many diverse products, including carpets, cotton textiles, leather, metalware, cutlery, pottery, wood furniture and wood crafts, milled rice, refined sugar, and processed foods. Its old bazaar is noted as a place to buy Kurdish handicrafts. Sanandaj is on the main highway between Tabriz and Kermanshah (Bakhtaran); a highway running east from Sanandaj connects it to Tehran via Hamadan. The city also has an airport. Sanandaj is home to the ruins of an 11th- and 12th- century fortress, the Dar al-Ehsan Mosque, and the Sanandaj Museum. The museum is housed in a 19th-century royal palace whose Arusi Room, or Wedding Room, is considered a masterpiece of handcrafted woodwork. Kurdistan University, founded after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, is also in the city. The area around Sanandaj is known for its many mountain caves, hot springs, and freshwater lakes, many of which cater to tourists.