Ardabil Province

Infobox Iran Province
province_name = Ardabīl
ostan_name = اردبیل
loc_

capital = Ardabil
latd = 38.2514
longd = 48.2973
area = 17,800
pop = 1,257,624
pop_year = 2005
pop_density = 70.7
sub_provinces = 9
languages= Azeri Persian Talysh

Ardabīl (Persian : اردبیل; Azeri: اردبیل; also known as: Ardebil; ancient name: Artavil) is one of the Azeri inhabited provinces located in the North-West Iran and its center is Ardabil. It is in the north-west of the country, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provinces of East Azarbaijan, Zanjan, and Gilan. Its center is the city of Ardabil. Province was established in 1993 by separation of eastern part of East Azarbaijan provinces (mainly) and northern part of Gilan. The north-eastern part of the province is part of the territory of the South (Iranian) Talysh.

Climate and Geography

Many tourists come to the region for its cool climate (max 35 °C) during the hot summer months. The winters are bitter cold, with a temperature plummeting to -25 °C.

Its famous natural region is the Sabalan mountains. The population of Ardabil province is mainly composed of Talysh, Tats, Azeris and Persians Fact|date=July 2008. The province is considered the coldest province in Iran by many. Large parts of the province are green and forested.

Famous athletes such as Ali Daei and Hossein Rezazade are originally from Ardabil.

Ardabil's capital stands about 70 km from the Caspian Sea and has an area of 18011 km². Neighbouring the Caspian Sea and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the city is of great political and economic significance.The province has been blessed with splendid natural beauty and numerous sights.

History

The history of Zanjan has close connections to that of Azarbaijan. Zanjan was always one of the important city in Azarbaijan. The name of Azerbaijan derives from "Atropates" [Minorsky, V.; Minorsky, V. "Ādharbaydjān ( Azarbāydjān ) ." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P.Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. ] [Encyclopedia Iranica, "Azerbaijan: Pre-Islamic History", K. Shippmann] , a Iranian satrap of Media under the Achaemenid empire, who later was reinstated as the satrap of Media under Alexander of Macedonia"Historical Dictionary of Azerbaijan" by Tadeusz Swietochowski and Brian C. Collins. The Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, Maryland (1999), ISBN 0-8108-3550-9 (retrieved 7 June 2006)] . The original etymology of this name is thought to have its roots in the ancient Zoroastrianism, namely, in Avestan Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels"), there is a mentioning of: "âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide", which literally translates from Old Persian as "we worship the Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata" [ [http://www.avesta.org/ka/yt13sbe.htm Frawardin Yasht ("Hymn to the Guardian Angels") -- translated by James Darmesteter (From Sacred Books of the East, American Edition, 1898)] ] . Atropates ruled over the region of present-day Iranian Azerbaijan.

The natural features of the province of Ardabil are mentioned in the Avesta, according to which Zoroaster was born by the river Aras and wrote his book in the Sabalan Mountains. During the Islamic conquest of Iran, Ardabil was the largest city in Azarbaijan, and remained so until the Mongol invasion period.

Shah Ismail I started his campaign to nationalize Iran's government and land from here, but consequently announced Tabriz as his capital in 1500CE. Yet Ardabil remained an important city both politically and economically until modern times.

Culture

Ardabil is the seat of the sanctuary and tomb of Shaikh Safî ad-Dîn, eponym of the Safavid Dynasty [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulliye] .It has many hot springs and beautiful natural landscapes and these attract tourists. The mineral springs of Ardabil are Beele-Darreh,Sareyn, Sardabeh and Booshloo, which are famed throughout Iran for their medicinal qualities.It also has many beauty lakes: the largest of which are Ne'or, Shoorabil, ShoorGel, NouShahr and Alooche, which are the habitats of some species of water birds.

The beautiful Lake Ne'or is located in a mountainous area 48 km south-east of the city of Ardabil. It covers an area of 2.1 km² and has an average depth of 3 metres. It is fed by springs in the lake bed. Lake Shoorabil is located in a hilly area south of the city of Ardabil and covers an area of 640,000 m². The surface of the lake is covered with a thin white layer of minerals, which is useful for healing skin diseases and rheumatism. Near the lake there is the leisure complex of Shoorabil."Ardabil is a city of great antiquity. Its origins go back 4000 to 6000 years (according to historical research in this city)." This city was the capital of Azerbaijan province in different times, but its golden age was in the Safavid period.

One of the most ancient cities in Iran is Meshkin Shahr. It is located in the north-west of Iran in Azerbaijan, 839 kilometers from Tehran. It is the closest city to the Sabalan mountains. In the past, it was called "Khiav","Orami", and "Varavi".

The most important places to visit in the district of Meshkin Shahr are the following :- The hot water springs of Moiel , Eelando and Qaynarja, located in the suburb of the city.- Qara Soo River Sides.- The spring of Qotur Suie, located 42 kilometers from Meshkin shahr.- The old Castle of Meshkin Shahr.- Qahqaheh castle, located 80 kilometers from Meshkin Shahr.- Deev castle, located in Kavij.- The petrograph of Shapour Sasani in Meshkin Shahr.- The old cemetery in Oonar.- The tomb of Sheykh Haydar in Meshkin Shahr.- Imamzadeh Seyyed Soleyman.see also www.khiavonline.com

The other significant historical monuments are as follows: the mausoleum of Sheikh Jebra'il, located 2 km north of Ardabil, the old but always lively bazaar, the babadavood anbaran, the Friday mosque, and a few ancient bridges. In addition to these, in many villages of Ardabil, relics of ancient monuments, including tombs, have been found.

Colleges and universities

*# Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
*# Mohaghegh Ardabili University
*# Islamic Azad University of Ardabil
*# Payam Noor University of Ardabil
*# Soureh University of Ardabil
*# Islamic Azad University of Khalkhal

References

External links

* [http://lexicorient.com/cgi-bin/eo-direct-frame.pl?http://i-cias.com/e.o/ardabil.htm Encyclopedia of Orient About Ardabil]
* [http://www.irancaravan.com/Ardabil.htm Ardabil-Iran Carvan Tourism]
* [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/search/searchpdf.isc?ReqStrPDFPath=/home1/iranica/articles/v2_articles/ardabil&OptStrLogFile=/home/iranica/public_html/logs/pdfdownload.html Ardabil] entries in the [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/home/index.isc Encyclopædia Iranica]
* [http://www.khiavonline.com site of meshkin shahr]
* [http://www.khalkhalim.mihanblog.com site of khalkhal]
* [http://www.ardabil.net site of ardebil]