Astara is also the name of a rayon in Azerbaijan, see Astara, Azerbaijan

Astara is a city in the Iranian province of Gilan. It lies on the border with Aran (the Azerbaijan Republic). It is a relatively important border trade center between Iran and the Caucasus.

Its name is derived from the Persian word آهسته رو Aste-ro or Aheste-ro meaning the place where the travel gets slower (given the marshlands that surrounded the region before).

There is also a city with this name on the other side of the border, inside the Aran territory. The Arani Astara was ceded from Persia by the Gulistan Treaty of 1813 between Russia and Persia.