Abstract The chemical constituents of the essential oil of Zataria multiflora Boiss. (Labiatae) have been investigated by means of GC, GC/MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR techniques. The oil isolated from aerial parts of the plant consisted mostly of carvacrol (62.4%), methyl carvacrol (6.5%), carvacrol acetate (4.4%), p-cymene (7.1%) and Î³-terpinene (5.6%). Among the sesquiterpenes identified in this oil, 9-aristolen-lÎ±-ol (1.6%) was the most abundant compound.