Garmsar area, which was known before the beginning of the present century as Khar Rey, is located 100 km to the southeast of the capital city of Tehran on the main Tehran-Mashhad road. The area measuring 10,686 sq. km with a population of 75,000 is known as the "Island of Tribes" due to its tribal diversity. Under the reign of Karim Khan Zand, the tribes had no choice rather than migrating to the vicinity of the capital, once they were taken hostage. Various tribes including Elika'i from Chalous, Osanlou and Nafar of Turk origin, Katis of Arab origin, Hodavand Loris and Gilaks as well as some tribes from Kashan, Ardestan and Natanz.

Garmsar, which was known as Khar Rey until the present century is located 100 km to the southeast of Tehran along Tehran-Mashhad route. The area measuring 10,686 sq. km with a population of 75,000 is located at the climax of the overthrown cone of Habaleh Roud (river). The fertile plain has been a haven to various tribes, which have either migrated hither under pressure or voluntarily. Ethnic diversity in the area has resulted in its being known as the "Island of Tribes".

According to what is written in this respect by a member to the French Iranology Institute in Tehran, Bernard Hourcad, "Some 20 tribal groups from all provinces have gathered at the southern slopes of Alborz to the east of Tehran, which represent a brief anthropology of the whole country at the gateways of Iran's capital city of Tehran. They were mostly taken to Tehran as hostages, once Karim Khan Zand was ousted and when Tehran gradually became known as the nation's capital. Some tribal groups which have often been separated from one another throughout the course of history, have preserved their pastoral and tribal methods of production, their cultural traditions as well as their tribal names and whereabouts."

Various tribal groups reside in different districts of the city of Garmsar including Aradan, Eivankei and the central. The most significant tribal groups residing in Garmsar include Osanlou, Elika'i, (Ali Ka'i), Pazouki, Ameri Arab, Lor, Kurd, Nafar, Bakhtiyari, Baseri, Kati, Gilak, Masoumi Arab, Sarhangi Arab, Derazi Arab and Hodavand tribes.

Elika'i tribe originates from Elika, an area located in Chalous and includes nine tribes known as Gilvari, Qandali, Qasemi, Ashouri, Abvali (Abouli), Shah Hosseini, Qanbari, Galini and Kashani.

During the past two centuries, several families including Ilzadeh from Bakhtiyari tribe, Mish-mast Arab and Qashqais have joined the Elika'i tribe and speak in Elika'i dialect, which is quite similar to Mazandarani, and especially to Saravi (belonging to the city of Sari) dialects. Elika'is, who mainly resided in the villages of Garmsar plain by the beginning of the present century, founded a great number of villages including Adl Abad, Noureddin Abad, Deh Piran, Hadji Abad, Sohrab Khani, Kohantal (Gandal), Ramezan Qareh, Ahmad Abad, Ghiyath Abad and (Nodeh-Khaleseh). The population of Elika'i tribe partially chose to migrate to the cities of Garmsar and Aradan as well as the cities of Tehran and Varamin.

At present, they constitute the most significant tribal groups residing in Garmsar, which according to the social and economic statistics taken on the migrating nomad by early summer 1998, 275 families including 1,255 individuals are living a semi-nomadic life. Their summer resort includes Garmsar's northern heights known as Gilour, the summer resorts of Firouzkouh, Damavand and Polour in Tehran province, while in winter they migrate to the margin of the eastern desert and to the west of Garmsar.

Osanlou Tribe

During the recent centuries, Sardarreh Khar and Dasht Khar (the present Garmsar) have always been of special significance to Iran's rulers and monarchs and various tribal groups including the Turks, have been made to migrate to the area in order to safeguard eastern Tehran against the repeated violations of different cavaliers such as those from Turkey. Osanlou tribe comprising 1,200 families are among the most important Turks who were made to migrate into Khar in 1210 AH from Khamseh in Zanjan at the order of Mohammad Khan Qajar. They have had a decisive political role in the past. Some individuals from Osanlou tribe, who used to serve as soldiers under the rule of Qajar dynasty, participated in several wars along with the Osanlou tribal heads. Under the reign of Reza Shah from the Pahlavi dynasty, among the heads of Osanlou tribe such individuals as Rashid Soltan, Seyfollah Khan, Aqa Reza Khan and Jalil Khan might be mentioned. The most significant tribes comprising the Osanlou are Qobakhlou, Qozlou, Jorablou, Torameshlou, Chozouklou, Mir Akhorlou, Chapeshlou, Yourkhanlou, Rashmehlou, Khalqolou, Iman Khanlou and Koneshlou.

Once the Osanlou tribe arrived at Garmsar, cattle-breeding became its main occupation, while in the recent decades they have been residing in Deh Soltan, Dowlat Abad, Sa'd Abad, Soud Oghlan, Magas Tappeh, Fand, Shah Sefid, Yatri Sofla, Rashmeh, Mahmoud Abad, Moqufeh, Mahmoud Abad Nayeb Ebrahimi, etc. and have been occupied with agriculture.

The Katis

They are of Arab origin and come from Najd in Aman, migrated to Fars and Khuzestan areas in the early post-Islamic centuries. The Katis residing in Varamin and Garmsar have migrated to the area from Fars in Qajar era.

Bazooka Tribe

They were exiled from Orumiyeh around 400 years ago under the reign of the Safavid dynasty, settled down at Khar and Varamin, while a few of them chose to reside at Taroud and Hesarbon villages in Firouzkouh. According to the travel account written about Astarabad, Mazandaran and Gilan, "Bazooka and Asayeshlou tribes are from Aradan who were taken there from Rome under the reign of Shah Ismaeil. Their population is estimated by Saniuddoleh at 600-700, who reside at Radian, which is considered the capital and the most important village of Khar area.

Bazookas speak their own language, namely Turkish. They also speak Persian quite fluently. At present they are mostly centered at Radian and Shah-bough village.

Ameri Arab tribe was made to migrate to the area from Fars province and settled at Kohanabad village. The village was earlier known as Oubeh Arab.

Nafar tribe migrated into Garmsar area from the Fars province capital city of Shiraz. The name of the tribe is taken from the word "Nafar" (person). Under the reign of Nader Shah Afshar and the Zandieh dynasty, the tribe was led by Hadji Hossein Qoli Khan Nafar, and due to his high influence and reputation at the court, the tribe gradually became known by his name. Its population is mentioned by Saniuddoleh to comprise of 30 families. Nafaris reside at Qeshlaq Nafar village.

The Kurds residing in Garmsar area come from two tribes known as Shadlou and Qarachorlou. Their settlement at the area dates back to 1006 AH, which marks the historical migration of the Kurds from southern Caucasus state to Azarbaijan, Khar, Varamin and eventually Khorasan. Some members of Qarachorlou and Shadlou tribes have been residing at Khar and Varamin ever since. The Kurds generally reside at Hossein Abad, Ali-abad, Qal'eh-Kharabeh and Jalil Abad villages. In 1932, the population of the Kurds was registered by Masoud Keyhan as including 120 families.

Hodavand tribe comes from Khorram Abad and is known as Lords. They were transferred to the Fars area by Karim Khan Zand. Later on Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar made them migrate from Fars to the outskirts of Tehran, Varamin and Eivankei. They mainly reside at the cities of Pak Dasht and Varamin. Some of them reside at Eivankei district at Sangab, Kouros-e Bala, Kouros-e Pa'in (upper and lower Kouros) Behvard and Chandab villages. Another Lori tribe, known as Zandi, resides at Lajran village in Garmsar area.

The Exiled Lors

In the beginning of the present century, various Lor tribes were made to migrate to Gramsar from the provinces where they resided earlier. However, in a short while, they returned to their original homeland. For instance, in a document dated April 29, 1930 the reply of the financial department to the decree issued by the Ministry of Finance concerning the housing of 100 Lor families, it was reiterated that 73 families were to be housed at Arbabi village and the remaining 27 to be dispatched to Khaleseh Khar village.

Gilaks reside at the villages at Rameh area to the northeast of Garmsar including Rameh Bala, Rameh Pa'in, (upper and lower Rameh) Chahar Taq and Qalifbaf. In recent years these villages have just been resided in warm seasons, while in the remaining seasons their residents migrate to the cities of Aradan and Garmsar as well as Jalil Abad and Ali-abad villages. The Gilaks speak in Mazandarani dialect.

Residents of Deh Namak

Since old days, the ancient village of Deh Namak, located on the way between Tehran and Khorasan, 45 km to the east of Garmsar, has been a significant residential point. The residents of Deh Namak village and the city of Semnan in Khorasan province are related to one another, while the dialect spoken by them are similar as well.

Other Immigrants

Besides the tribal groups, the area is also resided by a number of migrants from the central province, Kashan, Ardestan and Natanz, among whom one might refer to the Tabataba'i Seyeds from Zavareh in Ardestan residing at Qatoul village.