| Aran and Bidgol County | |
| Native Name: | fa|شهرستان آران و بیدگل |
| Settlement Type: | County |
| Image Map1: | IranEsfahan-SVG.svg |
| Map Caption1: | Location of Isfahan province in Iran |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Isfahan |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Aran and Bidgol |
| Parts Type: | Districts |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | Central |
| P2: | Kavirat |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Total: | 103517 |
| Coordinates: | 34.1667°N 100°W |
| Coordinates Footnotes: | [1] |
| Timezone: | IRST |
| Utc Offset: | +3:30 |
Aran and Bidgol County (fa|شهرستان آران و بیدگل) is in Isfahan province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Aran and Bidgol.[2]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the county's population was 89,961 in 24,541 households.[3] The following census in 2011 counted 97,409 people in 28,902 households.[4] The 2016 census measured the population of the county as 103,517 in 32,050 households.[5]
Aran and Bidgol County's population history and administrative structure over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
| Administrative Divisions | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central District | 77,150 | 83,378 | 89,228 | |
| 5,872 | 6,605 | 6,182 | ||
| Aran o Bidgol (city) | 55,651 | 60,290 | 65,404 | |
| Nushabad (city) | 10,476 | 10,904 | 11,838 | |
| Sefidshahr (city) | 5,151 | 5,579 | 5,804 | |
| Kavirat District | 12,811 | 14,031 | 14,289 | |
| 4,001 | 4,655 | 4,317 | ||
| 3,650 | 3,817 | 3,996 | ||
| Abuzeydabad (city) | 5,160 | 5,559 | 5,976 | |
| Total | 89,961 | 97,409 | 103,517 | |
The city is the second largest manufacturer of machine-made carpets in the world, and in terms of beauty, it is much more beautiful and charming than all the carpets of Iran, especially Tabriz and Kashan, and makes everyone fascinated. Carpets, rugs and other types of carpets can be mentioned among the important souvenirs of this city. Also, Abbas-Ali bread ("naan-e Abbas-Ali", a type of sweet bread), Aran and Bidgol local sohan ("sovvouni", a very delicious substitute for sugar loaf), and lake salt, Aran and Bidgol salt are some of the edible souvenirs of this County.[6]
The county is one of the important tourist spots of Iran due to the presence of the holy threshold of Imamzadeh Mohammad Helal ibn-e Ali (AS), the Aran o Bidgol salt lakes, and Maranjab Desert. Maranjab Desert is located in Aran and Bidgol. County. Among the attractive activities of the desert are camel riding; observing the desert sky at night and "meteor rain;" and "sand climbing" in the dunes.[7]