Traditional units of measurement in Iran
Persia & Silk Road · 16 documented units · reviewed 2026-07-31
Quick answer
Iranian bazaar trade uses man, sir and miskal; land is measured in jarib and gaz. Values differ between Tehran, Tabriz and Shiraz conventions.
How measurement works in Iran
Persian weight units form a nested system — khalvar, man, charak, sir, miskal, nakhud — but the man was regionally defined, with the Tabrizi man (about 3 kg) and the Shahi man (about 6 kg) both in wide use.
Gold and saffron are still quoted in miskal and nakhud in Iranian bazaars, and jewellers work to those steps rather than to grams.
The gaz was metricated in the twentieth century to exactly 1 metre for official use, but historical gaz values differ substantially and appear in older land documents.
area units of Iran
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarib (Persian) | 1 Jarib (Persian) = 10,000 square metre | agriculture | Jarib (Persian) → square metres |
| Qasab (Persian) | 1 Qasab (Persian) = 14.4 square metre | surveying | Qasab (Persian) → square metres |
mass units of Iran
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man/Maund (Persian) | 1 Man/Maund (Persian) = 3 kilogram | trade | Man/Maund (Persian) → kilograms |
| Sir (Persian) | 1 Sir (Persian) = 0.075 kilogram | trade, cooking | Sir (Persian) → kilograms |
| Miskal (Persian) | 1 Miskal (Persian) = 0.0046 kilogram | precious-metals, jewellery | Miskal (Persian) → kilograms |
| Nakhud (Persian) | 1 Nakhud (Persian) = 0.000195 kilogram | precious-metals | Nakhud (Persian) → kilograms |
| Dang (Persian) | 1 Dang (Persian) = 0.00077 kilogram | precious-metals | Dang (Persian) → kilograms |
| Karsha (Achaemenid) | 1 Karsha (Achaemenid) = 0.0084 kilogram | precious-metals | Karsha (Achaemenid) → kilograms |
| Batman | 1 Batman = 7.5 kilogram | trade | Batman → kilograms |
| Khalvar | 1 Khalvar = 350 kilogram | trade, agriculture | Khalvar → kilograms |
| Charak | 1 Charak = 1.875 kilogram | trade | Charak → kilograms |
| Miskal/Mithqal | 1 Miskal/Mithqal = 0.00469 kilogram | jewellery, precious-metals | Miskal/Mithqal → kilograms |
| Tanka | 1 Tanka = 0.0108 kilogram | precious-metals, trade | Tanka → kilograms |
length units of Iran
| Unit | Value in SI | Typical use | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zar (Iranian Yard) | 1 Zar (Iranian Yard) = 1.04 metre | textiles, surveying | Zar (Iranian Yard) → metres |
| Gaz (Persian) | 1 Gaz (Persian) = 1.04 metre | textiles | Gaz (Persian) → metres |
| Parasang/Farsakh | 1 Parasang/Farsakh = 6,000 metre | navigation | Parasang/Farsakh → metres |
Units that vary within Iran
- Man/Maund (Persian) — reported range: 3–6 kg
- Gaz (Persian) — value depends on locality
- Batman — reported range: 3–130 kg
Before you convert
- Man without a city qualifier is ambiguous by a factor of two; Tabrizi is the most common default but not universal.
- Modern gaz = 1 m; a nineteenth-century gaz is not, and land deeds may predate the change.
Sources
- Iranian National Standards Organization — historical unit schedule
See our methodology and data provenance pages, or review published corrections.