Malé vs Rasht

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Malé (, locally [ˈmɑːlɛ]; Dhivehi: މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. With a population of 215,879 and an area of 8.30 square kilometres (3.20 sq mi), it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll (Kaafu Atoll). Administratively, the city consists of a central island, an airport island, and two other islands governed by the Malé City Council. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient royal dynasties ruled and where the palace was located.

The city was then called Mahal. Formerly it was a walled city surrounded by fortifications and gates (doroshi). The Royal Palace (Gan'duvaru) was destroyed along with the picturesque forts (koshi) and bastions (buruzu) when the city was remodelled under President Ibrahim Nasir's rule in the aftermath of the abolition of the monarchy in 1968. However, the Malé Friday Mosque remains. In recent years, the island has been considerably expanded through land-filling operations. Over the years, Malé has been the center of political protests and milestone events.

Source: Wikipedia

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Rasht (Persian: رشت‎, romanized: Ŕäšt [ɾæʃt] (listen); Gilaki: Rəšt; also romanized as Resht and Rast, and often spelt Recht in French and older German manuscripts) is the capital city of Gilan Province, Iran. Also known as the "City of Rain" (شهر باران, Ŝahre Bārān), it had a population of 639,951 as of the 24 October 2011 census and is the most densely populated city of Iran. 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.

Source: Wikipedia