Azerbaijan (Iran)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Distinguish {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Pp-move-indef Template:Pp-semi-indef
Template:Azerbaijanis Template:Coord Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan (Template:Langx, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan,<ref>James Minahan. "Miniature Empires", Published by Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998.</ref> is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq and Turkey to the west and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani exclave of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the north.
Iranian Azerbaijan includes three northwestern Iranian provinces: West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan and Ardabil.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Some authors also include Zanjan in this list, some in a geographical sense,<ref name="SwietochowskiCollins1999">Template:Cite book</ref> others only culturally (due to the predominance of the Azeri Turkic population there).Template:Sfn The region is mostly populated by Azerbaijanis, with minority populations of Kurds, Armenians, Tats, Talysh, Assyrians and Persians.
Iranian Azerbaijan is the land originally and historically called Azerbaijan. The toponym Azerbaijan derives from this land's name in Old Persian, Ātṛpātakāna (whence Ancient Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} Atropatene), via Middle Persian Adurbadagan. The Azerbaijani-populated Republic of Azerbaijan appropriated the name of the neighbouring Azerbaijani-populated region in Iran during the 20th century.<ref name="Atabaki p. 25">Template:Harvnb</ref><ref name="Demekjian">Template:Harvnb: "Until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify the Iranian province of Azerbaijan."</ref><ref name="Rezvani">Template:Harvnb: "The region to the north of the river Araxes was not called Azerbaijan prior to 1918, unlike the region in northwestern Iran that has been called since so long ago."</ref> Some people nowadays refer to Iranian Azerbaijan as "Southern Azerbaijan" and to the Republic of Azerbaijan as "Northern Azerbaijan",<ref name="Brown 2002">Template:Cite journal</ref> although others believe that these terms are irredentist and politically motivated.<ref>Template:Harvnb: "During the Soviet-era historical revisionism and myth-building intended to denounce imperialism, the notion of a "northern" and "southern" Azerbaijan was created and propagated throughout USSR. It was charged that the "two Azerbaijanis" once united were separated artificially by a conspiracy between imperial Russia and Iran".</ref><ref>Ethnic Conflict and International Security, Edited by Michael E. Brown, Princeton University Press, 1993</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb: "Under Soviet auspices and in accordance with Soviet nationalism, historical Azerbaijan proper was reinterpreted as 'Southern Azerbaijan', with demands for liberation and, eventually, for 're'-unification with Northern (Soviet) Azerbaijan – a breathtaking manipulation. No need to point to concrete Soviet political activities in this direction, as in 1945–46 etc. The really interesting point is that in the independent former Soviet republics this typically Soviet ideological pattern has long outlasted the Soviet Union."</ref>
Following military defeats at the hands of the Russian Empire, Qajar Persia ceded all of its territories in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia to Russia via the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828.<ref name="Swietochowski Borderland">Template:Cite book</ref> The territories south of the Aras River, which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran.<ref name="Dowling">Timothy C. Dowling Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond Template:Webarchive pp 728–729 ABC-CLIO, 2 dec. 2014 Template:ISBN</ref> The territories north of the Aras River, which were not known by the name Azerbaijan at the time of their capture by Russia, were absorbed into the Russian Empire, renamed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic during the country's short-lived independence from 1918 to 1920,<ref name="Siavash Lornejad p 10">Siavash Lornejad, Ali Doostzadeh. ON THE MODERN POLITICIZATION OF THE PERSIAN POET NEZAMI GANJAVI Template:Webarchive CCIS, 2012 Template:ISBN p 10</ref> incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, and finally became the independent Republic of Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union dissolved.
Etymology and usage
The name Azerbaijan derives from Old Persian *Ātṛpāta (whence Greek Atropates),Template:Sfn the name of a Persian<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> satrap (governor) of Medea in the Achaemenid Empire, who ruled a region found in modern Iranian Azerbaijan which was called Ātṛpātakāna (Atropatene). The name *Ātṛpāta is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning "protected by fire."Template:Sfn The name is also mentioned in the Avestan Frawardin Yasht: âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to: "We worship the Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam: "In Middle Persian the name of the province was called Āturpātākān, older new-Persian Ādharbādhagān (آذربادگان/آذرآبادگان), Ādharbāyagān, at present Āzerbāydjān/Āzarbāydjān, Greek Atropatēnḗ (Ἀτροπατηνή), Byzantine Greek Adravigánon (ἈΑδραβιγάνων), Armenian Atrpatakan (Ատրպատական), Syriac Adhorbāyghān."<ref name=Minorsky>Template:Cite journal</ref> The name Atropat in Middle Persian was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism. A famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Azerbaijan, due to its numerous fire-temples has also been quoted in a variety of historic sources as being the birthplace of the prophet Zoroaster although modern scholars have not yet reached an agreement on the location of his birth.<ref>G. Gnoli, Zoroaster's time and homeland, Naples, 1980</ref>
In the early 19th century, Qajar Iran was forced to cede to Imperial Russia its Caucasian territories north of the Aras River (modern-day Dagestan, Georgia, Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan), through the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). Following the disintegration of the Russian Empire in 1917, as well as the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, in 1918, the leading Musavat government adopted the name "Azerbaijan" for the newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was proclaimed on May 27, 1918,Template:Sfn for political reasons,<ref>Template:Harvnb: "On May 27, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan (DRA) was declared with Ottoman military support. The rulers of the DRA refused to identify themselves as [Transcaucasian] Tatar, which they rightfully considered to be a Russian colonial definition. [...] Neighboring Iran did not welcome the DRA's adoption of the name of "Azerbaijan" for the country because it could also refer to Iranian Azerbaijan and implied a territorial claim."</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> even though the name of "Azerbaijan" had always been used to refer to the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran.<ref name="Atabaki p. 25"/><ref name="Demekjian"/><ref name="Rezvani"/> Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify the Iranian province of Azerbaijan.<ref name="Demekjian"/><ref name="Rezvani"/><ref name="Siavash Lornejad p 10"/><ref>Template:Harvnb: "In the post Islamic sense, Arran and Shirvan are often distinguished, while in the pre-Islamic era, Arran or the western Caucasian Albania roughly corresponds to the modern territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In the Soviet era, in a breathtaking manipulation, historical Azerbaijan (northwestern Iran) was reinterpreted as "South Azerbaijan" in order for the Soviets to lay territorial claim on historical Azerbaijan proper which is located in modern-day northwestern Iran.</ref>
History
Antiquity
Early antiquity
The oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of the Mannea who ruled a region south-east of Lake Urmia centered around modern Saqqez. The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups. According to Ran Zadok:
Template:Bquote The Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was called Matiene, with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire and then a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire.
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, the Medes were an:
Ātṛpātakāna
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
After Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he appointed (328 BC) as governor the Persian general Atropates, who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known as Ātṛpātakāna in Old Persian and Atropatene or Media Atropatene in Greek (after *Ātṛpāta/Atropates), was much disputed. In the 2nd century BC, it was liberated from Seleucid domination by Mithradates I of the Arsacid dynasty.
Later, large parts of the region were conquered by or became vassals of the Kingdom of Armenia which created the provinces of Nor Shirakan, Vaspurakan, and Paytakaran in this region and reached its greatest extent in the 1st century BC, under Tigranes the Great. Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan, is described as the cradle of Armenian civilization.<ref name="ArmVan">Template:Cite book</ref>
Ādurbādagān
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
In 226 AD, the region submitted to the first Sasanian emperor, Ardashir I and became a province of the Sasanian Empire named Ādurbādagān (Middle Persian). Under the Sasanians, Azerbaijan was ruled by a marzubān, and, towards the end of the period, belonged to the family of Farrokh Hormizd.
On 26 May 451 AD, the Battle of Avarayr, a pivotal battle for the history of Armenians, was fought on the Avarayr Plain (at what is modern-day Churs in West Azerbaijan Province) between the Armenian army led by Vardan Mamikonian and Sasanian Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield, it was a pyrrhic victory, paving the way to the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely.<ref name="Hewsen">Template:Harvnb: "So spirited was the Armenian defense, however, that the Persians suffered enormous losses as well. Their victory was pyrrhic and the king, faced with troubles elsewhere, was forced, at least for the time being, to allow the Armenians to worship as they chose."</ref><ref name="Pattie">Template:Harvnb: "The Armenian defeat in the Battle of Avarayr in 451 proved a pyrrhic victory for the Persians. Though the Armenians lost their commander, Vartan Mamikonian, and most of their soldiers, Persian losses were proportionately heavy, and Armenia was allowed to remain Christian."</ref>
In the 7th century, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius briefly held the region until peace was made with the Sasanians.
Middle Ages
Muslim conquest and early Islamic period
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} During the Arab invasion of Iran, the spahbed (army chief) of Iran was Rostam Farrokhzad, the son of Farrukh Hormizd, who was the son of Vinduyih, the uncle of Khosrau I and brother of the Sasanian usurper Vistahm. Rostam himself was born in Azerbaijan.Template:Efn In 636, the Sasanian army led by Rostam was defeated at the battle of al-Qadisiyyah and Rostam Farrokhzad, along with many other Sasanian veterans, was killed.
In 642, Piruz Khosrow, one of the Sasanian survivors during the battle of al-Qadisiyyah, fought against the Muslims at Nahavand, which was a gateway to the provinces of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Caucasian Albania. The battle was fierce, but the Sasanian troops lost during the battle. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to enter Azerbaijan. The Muslims then invaded Azerbaijan and captured Isfandiyar, the son of Farrukhzad. Isfandiyar then promised, in return for his life, that he would agree to surrender his estates in Azerbaijan and aid the Muslims in defeating his brother, Bahram. Bahram was then defeated and sued for peace. A pact was drawn up according to which Azerbaijan was surrendered to Caliph Umar on usual terms of paying the annual jizya.
Muslims settled in Azerbaijan as they did in many parts of Iran, and would convert most of its people to Islam. According to the Iranian Azerbaijani historian Ahmad Kasravi, more Muslims settled in Azerbaijan compared to other provinces due to the province's plentiful and fertile pastures.
Abbasid, Sajid, Sallarid and Rawwadid rules
In the 8th century, the region came under the Abbasid caliphs' rule following the Abbasid revolution against the Umayyads. After the Khurramite revolt led between 816 and 837 by Babak Khorramdin (a Zoroastrian of neo-Mazdakite background), the Abbasid Caliphate's grip on Azerbaijan weakened, allowing native dynasties to rise in Azerbaijan, starting with the Sajid dynasty. Azerbaijan was afterwards taken over by the Kurdish Daysam and the Sallarid Marzuban. The latter united it with Arran, Shirvan, and most of Eastern Armenia. The Rawwadid dynasty eventually controlled much of the region. Template:Multiple image
Seljuk rule and onset of Turkicization
After confrontations with the local Daylamite and Kurdish populations who had already established their own dynasties and emirates in different parts of Azerbaijan, the Seljuks dominated the region in the 11th and early 12th centuries, at which point the linguistic Turkicization of the native Iranian populations began (with the emergence of Azerbaijani Turkic which would gradually replace the Old Azeri language). In 1122, Maragheh fell to the Ahmadilis, a dynasty of atabegs; in 1136, the rest of Azerbaijan fell to the Eldiguzids, another dynasty of atabegs.
In the early 13th century, large parts of Azerbaijan were conquered by the Kingdom of Georgia, at the time led by Tamar the Great. Under the command of the brothers Zakaria and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli, the Georgians conquered Ardabil and Tabriz in 1208, and Qazvin and Khoy in 1210.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Anushteginids, Mongols, and Turkmens
In 1225, Azerbaijan was invaded by Khwarazmshah Jalal al-Din Mangburni of the Anushteginids' dynasty, who held Azerbaijan until the Mongol invasion.
In 1231, Ögedei Khan conquered Maragheh, where his nephew Hulagu Khan (first of the Hulaguids) would later establish the capital of the Ilkhanate. The book Safina-yi Tabriz describes the general state of Tabriz during the Ilkhanid period. After being conquered by Timur in the 14th century, Tabriz became an important provincial capital of the Timurid Empire. Later, Tabriz became the capital of the Qara Qoyunlus. The Aq Qoyunlus afterwards controlled Azerbaijan.
Modern era
Safavid Azerbaijan
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} It was out of Ardabil (ancient Artavilla) that the Safavid dynasty arose to renew the state of Persia and establish Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran. Around the same time, the population of what is now Azerbaijan and Iran were converted to Shiism,<ref name="N8IKR0oqdRkC">Template:Cite book</ref> and both nations remain the only nations in the world with a significantly Shia majority, with Iran having the largest Shia population by percentage, with the Republic of Azerbaijan having the second-largest Shia population by percentage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Juan Eduardo Campo,Encyclopedia of Islam, p.625</ref>
After 1502, Azerbaijan became the chief bulwark and military base of the Safavids. It was the chief province from which the various Iranian empires would control their Caucasian provinces, all the way up to Dagestan in the early 19th century. In the meantime, between 1514 and 1603, the Ottomans sometimes occupied Tabriz and other parts of the province during their numerous wars with their Safavid ideological and political archrivals. The Safavid control was restored by Shah Abbas but during the Afghan invasion (1722–8) the Ottomans recaptured Azerbaijan and other western provinces of Iran, until Nader Shah expelled them.
Khanates of Azerbaijan
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
Following the death in 1747 of Nader Shah, founder of the Afsharid dynasty, several khanates (historically referred to as ulkas or tumans in Persian) emerged in Azerbaijan at the same time as the neighboring khanates of the Caucasus. At the beginning of the reign of Karim Khan Zand, the Azad Khan Afghan unsuccessfully revolted in Azerbaijan and later the Dumbuli Kurds of Khoy and other tribal chiefs ruled various parts of the territory. Azad Khan was defeated however by Erekle II. With the advent of the Qajars, Azerbaijan became the traditional residence of the heirs-apparent. Even until then Azerbaijan remained the main area from where the high-ranked governors would control the various territories and khanates of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus while the main power stayed in Tehran. Some of the khanates of Azerbaijan would be disestablished in the 19th century by the Qajars; other khanates would be allowed to remain by the Qajars into the 20th century, and would eventually be disestablished by Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Qajar Azerbaijan
The founder of the Qajar dynasty, Agha Mohammad Khan, marched into Azerbaijan in the spring of 1791, as part of his reconquest of Iran and of the adjacent Caucasus in several swift campaigns (such as the Battle of Krtsanisi whereby Georgia was harshly re-subjugated in 1795). However, the reassertion of Iranian hegemony over the Caucasus (comprising modern-day Georgia, Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan) would not last long. Iran would eventually and irrevocably lose all of the Caucasus region to the neighbouring Russian Empire by 1828, an event which would have a crucial impact on modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan.Template:Efn
Loss of the adjacent Caucasian territories
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Shortly after the reconquest of Georgia, Agha Mohammad Shah was assassinated while preparing a second expedition in 1797 in Shusha.Template:Sfn In 1799 the Russians marched into Tbilisi,<ref>Alekseĭ I. Miller. Imperial Rule Template:Webarchive Central European University Press, 2004 Template:ISBN p 204</ref> which would mark the beginning of the end of the Iranian-ruled domains in the Caucasus.<ref name="Dowling"/> Agha Mohammad Khan's death and the penetration of Russian troops into the Iranian possession of Tbilisi led directly to the first of the Russo-Persian Wars to involve the Qajars: the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813),Template:Sfn and the most devastating and humiliating one. By the end of the war in 1813 and the resulting Treaty of Gulistan, Qajar Iran was forced to cede Georgia, most of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan to Russia. The only Caucasian territories remaining in Iranian hands were what is now Armenia, the Nakhichevan Khanate, and the Talysh Khanate. The next war, the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828), resulted in an even more humiliating defeat, with Iran being forced to cede the remaining Caucasian regions,<ref name="Dowling" /> as well as having Russian troops temporarily occupying Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan. As Iran was unwilling to allow the Russians to gain possession over its Caucasian territories in the North Caucasus and South Caucasus, the millennia-old ancient ties between Iran and the Caucasus region were only severed by the superior Russian force of Russia through these 19th-century wars.Template:Sfn
Those regions to the north of the Aras River, which included the territory of the contemporary republic of Azerbaijan, eastern Georgia, Dagestan, and Armenia, and which Iran had just lost to Russia, had been part of Iran for centuries.<ref name="Dowling"/>Template:Sfn<ref name="Swietochowski Borderland"/><ref name="Dowling"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> From then on, the border between Iran and Russia was set at the Aras River, which is currently the border between Iran and Armenia and between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Onset of important Russian influence
Following 1828, the Russians were very influential in Northern Iran including Iranian Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Qazvin, and many other places all the way up to Isfahan fell into the Russian sphere of influence. The Russians would remain highly influent until 1946. Russian armies would be stationed in many regions of Iranian Azerbaijan, Russian schools would be founded, and many Russians would settle in the region, but less than in Gilan and Mazandaran. Also, Azerbaijan would see the large influx of the so-called White émigrés fleeing to Iran following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia (see below). Iranian nationalism would also be partly the product of Azerbaijani intellectuals.<ref>For more information see: Ali Morshedizad, Roshanfekrane Azari va Hoviyate Melli va Ghomi (Azari Intellectuals and Their Attitude to National and Ethnic Identity (Tehran: Nashr-e Markaz publishing co., 1380)</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Iranian Constitutional Revolution and World War I
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} After 1905, the representatives of Azerbaijan were very active in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution as a result of this Russian influence. The Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 formalized the division of Qajar Iran between Russian influence in the north, including Iranian Azerbaijan, and British influence in the south.
The Siege of Tabriz (1908–1909) was a significant event during the Constitutional Revolution in Iran. The siege marked a pivotal moment in the struggle between constitutionalists seeking a parliamentary system and those loyal to the ruling Qajars. Battles took place in the city of Tabriz and the province of Azerbaijan between the constitutionalist forces and the forces of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar. In mid-April 1909, Russia and Britain reached an understanding whereby Russian troops would enter Iranian territory and lift the siege of Tabriz. The Russian army subsequently occupied Tabriz and would occupy it again in 1912–1914 and 1915–1918, followed by Ottoman forces in 1914–1915 and 1918–1919; Bolshevik forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran in 1920–1921.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>
Contemporary era
Early Pahlavi period
In 1937, under Reza Shah Pahlavi, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, Azerbaijan was renamed Ostân-e Shomâl-e Gharb (Template:Langx). Shortly after, Azerbaijan was divided into an eastern and western part which were renamed Ostân-e Sevom (Template:Langx) and Ostân-e Chahârom (Template:Langx) respectively.
Soviet invasion and Azerbaijan People's Government
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In 1941, Soviet forces occupied the region. From November 1945 to November 1946, a very short-lived and autonomous Soviet-supported state was created,<ref name=Jessup>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Page needed</ref> which was dissolved after the reunification of Iranian Azerbaijan with Iran in November of the same year.
Late Pahlavi and post-Revolutionary period
In 1961, the Third Province was renamed East Azerbaijan, and the Fourth Province was renamed West Azerbaijan.
In 1993, Ardabil province was carved out of East Azerbaijan.
Geography
Iranian Azerbaijan is generally considered the north-west portion of Iran comprising the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, and Ardabil.<ref name="Azerbaijan-Britannica">Template:Cite encyclopedia (excerpt:"geographic region that comprises the extreme northwestern portion of Iran. It is bounded on the north by the Aras River, which separates it from independent Azerbaijan and Armenia; on the east by the Iranian region of Gīlān and the Caspian Sea; on the south by the Iranian regions of Zanjān and Kordestān; and on the west by Iraq and Turkey. Azerbaijan is about 40,000 square miles (100,000 square km) in area.")</ref> It shares borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan,<ref>Template:Usurped</ref> Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. There are 17 rivers and two lakes in the region. Cotton, nuts, textiles, tea, machinery, and electrical equipment are the main industries. The northern, alpine region, which includes Lake Urmia, is mountainous, with deep valleys and fertile lowlands.
The region is bounded in the north by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and in the West by Lake Urmia and Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran, and in the east by Gilan Province.
Mountains
- Sabalan is an inactive stratovolcano in Ardabil province of northwestern Iran. It is the third highest mountain in Iran and has a permanent crater lake formed at its summit. Sabalan has a ski resort (Alvares) and different tourist areas such as the Sarein spa. The mountain is known for its extensive views, including the Shirvan gorge, where few climbers ever venture.Template:Fact Elevation of Sabalan is Template:Convert.<ref name="peaklist">"Iran: 54 Mountain Summits with Prominence of 1,500 meters or greater" Template:Webarchive Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-11-21.</ref>
- Sahand is a massive, heavily eroded stratovolcano in northwestern Iran. At Template:Convert, it is the highest mountain in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan.
- Eynali is a small mountain range in north of Tabriz, Iran. The range has a couple of peaks including Eynali (Template:Convert), Halileh (Template:Convert), Pakeh-chin (Template:Convert), Bahlul (Template:Convert) and the highest one Dand (Template:Convert).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Mount Bozgush and Ağ Dağ is a Template:Convert<ref>National Geographic Society (2005) National Geographic Atlas of the World (8th ed.) Washington, DC, Template:ISBN</ref> volcanic mountain Template:Convert south of Sarab and north of Mianeh, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Tulips are cultivated on the rich volcanic soil of Mount Bozgush, and medicinal herbs such as pennyroyal, thyme, borage, nettle and liquorice grow wild on the mountain's slopes. Mount Bozgush is a stratovolcano composed mostly of andesite.
Rivers
Most of the biggest rivers in Azerbaijan flow into either Urmia Lake or the Caspian Sea (both of which are endorheic). Some of the major rivers are:
- Urmia Lake basin: Aji Chay (Quri Chay), Zarriné-Rūd, Gadar River and many small permanent and seasonal rivers.
- Caspian Sea basin: Qizil Üzan, Sefīd-Rūd and Aras River (Zangmar River).
Biosphere reserve
Arasbārān, in the former Qaradagh, is a UNESCO registered biosphere reserve (since 1976) and an Iranian Dept. of Environment designated "Protected Area" in East Azarbaijan Province, Iran, with a varying altitude from Template:Convert in the vicinity of the Aras River to Template:Convert and covers an area of Template:Convert. The biosphere is also home to some 23,500 nomads.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Arasbaran is confined to Aras River in the north, Meshgin Shahr County and Moghan in the east, Sarab County in the south, and Tabriz and Marand counties in the west.
Lakes
- Urmia Lake is a salt lake near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake in the Middle East.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
- Shorabil Lake is located in a hilly area south of Ardabil. Ardabil University is located near the lake.<ref name=trip>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Gori Lake is a small fresh to brackish lake in the uplands of East Azerbaijan Province. Together with the adjacent reed marshes it is an important breeding area for waterfowl. A Template:Convert site was designated as a Ramsar Convention wetland protection site on 23 June 1975.
- Neor Lake is located in a hilly area south of the province of Ardabil, on the Ardabil–Khalkhal road.
-
Shorabil Lake at night -
Marmishu Lake in Urmia County -
.jpg)
Plain
The Mughan plain is a plain located between Iran and the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mughan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of the Aras river extending to Iran.Template:Sfn
The Urmia Plain is in the West Azerbaijan Province, situated on western side of Lake Urmia and the eastern side of Turkish border.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Politics
In Azerbaijan
| Province | Governor-general | Representative of the Supreme Leader |
|---|---|---|
| East Azerbaijan | Easmaeil Jabbarzadeh | Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari |
| West Azerbaijan | Ghorbanali Saadat | Mehdi Ghoreyshi |
| Ardabil Province | Majid Khodabakhsh | Hassan Ameli |
| Zanjan Province | Asadollad Darvish Amiri | Ali Khatami |
Assembly of Experts
Of the 86 members of the Assembly of Experts, 11 are representatives of the Azerbaijan region. Ali Meshkini from Meshgin Shahr<ref name="zamaneh-death">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in Ardabil Province was Chairman of the Assembly of Experts from 1983 to 2007.
- 5 representatives of East Azerbaijan.
- 3 representatives of West Azerbaijan.
- 2 representatives of Ardabil Province.
- 1 representatives of Zanjan Province.
Of the 290 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, 44 are representatives of Azerbaijan region. In the Azerbaijan region 40/44 Azerbaijanis are in parliament the members of the Fraction of Turkic regions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Electorate according to county
- <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Electoral district of East Azerbaijan
- 19
- Tabriz, Osku and Azarshahr
- 6Template:Efn
- Mianeh
- 2 Template:Efn
- Kaleybar, Khoda Afarin
- 1
- Marand and Jolfa
- 1
- Sarab
- 1
- Bostanabad
- 1
- Maragheh and Ajabshir
- 1
- Hashtrud and Charuymaq
- 1
- Bonab
- 1
- Varzaqan
- 1
- Ahar and Heris
- 1
- Shabestar
- 1
- Malekan
- 1
- Electoral district of West Azerbaijan
- 12
- Urmia
- 3Template:Efn
- Miandoab, Shahin Dezh, Takab
- 2 Template:Efn
- Khoy, Chaypareh
- 1
- Mahabad
- 1 (Kurd)
- Bukan
- 1 (Kurd)
- Maku, Poldasht, Showt, Chaldoran
- 1
- Nagadeh, Oshnavieh
- 1 (Kurd)
- Salmas
- 1
- Piranshahr, Sardasht
- 1 (Kurd)
- Mohammadreza Nematzadeh: Minister of Industries and Business<ref>News Template:Webarchive Hamshahri Online</ref>
- Hamid Chitchian: Minister of Energy<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Shahindokht Molaverdi: vice president of Iran the section Women and Family Affairs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Consulate
| Country | Name | City | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>||Tabriz||East Azerbaijan | |
| citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>||Urmia||West Azerbaijan | ||
| Template:Flag | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref>||Tabriz||East Azerbaijan |
Military
Several Iranian Army and Sepah divisions and brigades are based in Azerbaijan, including:
| Type | Name | City | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operational Headquarter of Army in North-West | Northwestern Operational Headquarter of Ground Forces of Islamic Republic of Iran Army | Urmia | West Azerbaijan |
| Division (military) of Army | 64th Infantry Division of Urmia | Urmia | West Azerbaijan |
| Division (military) of Army | 21st Infantry Division of Azerbaijan | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan |
| Logistic Headquarter of Army | Maraqeh District 4 Headquarter | Maragheh | East Azerbaijan |
| Brigade of Army | 40th Infantry Separate Brigade of Sarab | Sarab & Ardabil | East Azerbaijan & Ardabil Province |
| Brigade of Army | 41st Infantry Separate Brigade of Qushchi | Urmia | West Azerbaijan |
| Separate Brigade of Army | 36th Armored Separate Brigade of Mianeh | Mianeh | East Azerbaijan |
| Army Training Centre of Army | 03 Ajabshir Recruit Training Centre | Ajab Shir | East Azerbaijan |
| Military airbase of Islamic Republic of Iran Army Aviation | Havanirooz Tabriz Base | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan |
| Military airbase of Air force | Tactical Air Base 2, or Paygah Dovvom-e Shekari | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan |
| Agency of Navy | Navy Office of Tabriz | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan |
| Provincial Corps | Ardabil Hazrat Abbas Provincial Corps | Ardabil | Ardabil province |
| Provincial Corps | West Azerbaijan Shohada Provincial Corps | Urmia | West Azerbaijan |
| Provincial Corps | East Azerbaijan Ashura Provincial Corps | Tabriz | East Azerbaijan |
| Provincial Corps | Zanjan Ansar al-Mahdi Provincial Corps | Zanjan | Zanjan province |
Economy
The economy in Iranian Azerbaijan is based on Heavy industries, food industries, agriculture, and handicraft. The biggest economic hub is Tabriz which contains the majority of heavy industries and food industries. Iranian Azerbaijan has two free trade zones designated to promote international trade: Aras Free Zone and Maku Free Zone. The agriculture industry in Iranian Azerbaijan is relatively better than many other parts of the country because of comparatively higher precipitation. Handicrafts are mostly a seasonal industry mostly in rural areas during wintertime when the agriculture season is finished. There are 500 important production and industrial unit in this area.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in October 2016, 500 Regional economic giant was introduced in 5 areas and 19 groups.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Free trade zones and exhibition centers
- Tabriz International Exhibition Center: which is a complex with vast exhibition infrastructures, is located in the eastern part of Tabriz. It holds over forty commerce exhibitions on a yearly schedule. The most famous fair is TEXPO, which is a general trade fair.
- Aras Free Zone: is situated in East Azerbaijan province, in the north-west of Iran, adjacent to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.<ref name="iran-daily">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Existence of the greenhouse town in the AFTZ, which has been built upon cooperation of Agricultural Jihad Ministry, has paved the ground for presence of investors in the arena of planting hydroponic products.<ref name="iran-daily" /> The 500-megawatt combined cycle power plant project which is currently underway in AFTZ as a joint investment venture with foreign parties.<ref name="iran-daily" />
- Maku Free Zone: is situated in West Azerbaijan province, in the north-west of Iran, adjacent to Turkey.
Heavy industries
Industries include machine tools, vehicle factories, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, food processing, cement, textiles, electric equipment, and sugar milling. Oil and gas pipelines run through the region. Wool, carpets, and metalware are also produced. In some factories and major companies in Azerbaijan include:
- Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company (ITMCO), a producer of tractor, diesel engines, and other auto parts, and provider of industrial services with its headquarter and main site in Tabriz.<ref name=ws>Official website Template:Webarchive</ref> ITMCO has manufacturing sites in several countries and it exports different products to ten countries.<ref name= ws/> The company is ISO 9001 audited, and has received several awards of quality and exporting.<ref name= ws/> ITMCO is listed as one of Iran's 100 fortune brands.
- Goldstone Tires, operating under the brand Goldstone Tires is an Iranian manufacturer of tire for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, and heavy earth-mover machinery in Ardabil. Artawheel Tire is currently the largest non-government owned tire manufacturer in Iran by market share.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> The company currently has agreements with Iran Khodro Tabriz to develop tires for the Peugeot 206 models.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Mashin Sazi Tabriz (MST) is a manufacturer of industrial machinery and tools in Tabriz. The major products of the factory are turning machines, milling machines, drilling machines, grinding machines, and tools.
- Rakhsh Khodro Diesel is an Iranian truck manufacturer established in 2005 and located in Tabriz. This company is a strategic partner of Kamaz of Russia, JAC and Jinbei of China and Maz-Man of Belarus, and produces Kamaz trucks, JAC light trucks, and its own designed minibus. Its headquarters is in Tabriz.
- Amico is an Iranian truck manufacturer established in 1989 and located in Jolfa near Tabriz. This company produces light and heavy diesel vehicles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Iran Khodro Tabriz, whose headquarters is in Tehran, is the leading Iranian vehicle manufacturer; it has the country's largest car factory in Tehran and five other vehicle factories. The company's original name was "Iran National".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Until 2014, Iran Khodro Tabriz had a capacity of 520,000 vehicles,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> building 150 Samand Arisan cars per day instead of the Bardo Pick-up Paykan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The site also produces 100 IKCO Samands per day.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Other major petrochemical companies, oil refineries and industries include Machine works Company of Tabriz, Iranian Diesel Engine Manufacturing (IDEM), Tabriz Oil Refinery, Tabriz Petrochemical, and Copper Mine Songon.
Rugs and carpets
The Ardabil Carpet and Tabriz rug the best kind of Iranian carpet. Now 40 percent of Iranian carpet exports are carried through East Azarbaijan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are important:
- Tabriz rug is a type in the general category of Iranian carpetsTemplate:Efn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> from the city of Tabriz.
- Heriz rug are Persian rugs from the area of Heris, East Azerbaijan, northeast of Tabriz. Such rugs are produced in the village of the same name in the slopes of Mount Sabalan.
- Ardabil rug and Ardabil carpet originate from Ardabil. Ardabil has a long and illustrious history of Azerbaijani carpet weaving. The reign of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries represented the peak of Azerbaijani carpet making in the region.
- Karadagh rug or Karaja rug is handmade in or near the village of Qarājeh (Karaja), in the Qareh Dāgh (Karadagh) region just south of the Azerbaijan border, northeast of Tabrīz. The best-known pattern shows three geometric medallions that are somewhat similar to those in Caucasian carpets. The central one has a latch-hooked contour and differs in colour from the others, which are eight-pointed stars.<ref name="Karadagh rug">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Food industries
More than fifty percent of entire Iranian food exports are carried from Iranian Azerbaijan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The major hub for the food industry in the region is Tabriz which includes the Shirin Asal, Aydin, Shoniz, Anata, Baraka and Chichak manufacturers.Template:Citation needed Outside of Tabriz Minoo Industrial Group in Khorramdarreh is another nationally recognized food manufacturer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Agriculture
The principle crops of the region are grains, fruits, cotton, rice, nuts, and tobacco.
Demographics
People
Template:See also Iranian Azerbaijanis speak a Turkic language (Azerbaijani Turkic), but according to Richard Frye, Iranian Azerbaijanis largely descend from the pre-existing Iranian population who were gradually Turkicized following the influx of Oghuz nomads into the region in the Middle Ages.Template:Sfn<ref>V. Minorsky, Studies in Caucasian History, Cambridge University Press, 1957, p. 112</ref> They number between 16 and 24 percent<ref name="Minority Rights">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="New America Foundation">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} 16% estimated in 2012</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and between 15 and 16 millionTemplate:Sfn<ref name="Ethnologue-Azb">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Britannica-Azerbaijani">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> of Iran's population, and comprise by far the second-largest ethnic group in the nation.<ref name="Shaffer">Brenda Shaffer. The Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy Template:Webarchive MIT Press, 2006 Template:ISBN p 229</ref> In the region of Azerbaijan, the population consists mainly of Azerbaijanis.<ref name="Azerbaijan-Britannica" /> Azerbaijanis are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in many cities of West Azerbaijan Province.<ref>Keith Stanley McLachlan, The Boundaries of Modern Iran, Published by UCL Press, 1994. pg 55</ref> Iranian Azerbaijan is one of the richest and most densely populated regions of Iran. Many of these various linguistic, religious, and tribal minority groups, and Azeris themselves have settled widely outside the region.<ref>Encyclopaedia Iranica, page 243, accessed January 9, 2007</ref> The majority of Azerbaijanis are followers of Shi'a Islam. The Iranian Azeris mainly reside in the northwest provinces, including the provinces of Iranian Azerbaijan (East Azerbaijan Province, West Azerbaijan Province and Ardabil Province), Zanjan Province, as well as regions of the NorthTemplate:Sfn to Hamadan County<ref name="Hamadan-Governor">Template:Cite news</ref> and Shara District<ref name="Hamadan-Governor" /> in the East Hamadan Province, some regions Qazvin Province<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> and also Azerbaijani minorities living in Markazi,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kordestan,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Gilan,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and Kermanshah.Template:EfnTemplate:Sfn
Smaller groups, such as Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Tats, Talyshs, Jews, Circassians, (and other Peoples of the Caucasus), and Persians also inhabit the region.
Religion
The majority of Azerbaijanis in Azerbaijan are followers of Twelver Shia Islam.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Azerbaijanis commemorate Shia holy days (ten first days of the holy month of Muharram) minority Sunni Azerbaijani Turks (Shafi and Hanafi) who live in the Ardabil Province (Hashatjin<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> and villages of Bileh Savar County)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and West Azerbaijan province (near the cities of Urmia, Khoy and Salmas) and have population about 200,000 people in this area.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
.JPG)
_Azerbaijan.png){kind=link}
Immigration
Azerbaijani people mostly live in northwest parts of Iran, but large Azerbaijani populations can be found in Khorasan,<ref name="Emigration">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> mostly in Mashhad,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as central Iran, due to internal migration to Tehran,<ref name="Emigration" /> Karaj,<ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> and Qum.<ref name="Emigration" /> Where they have settled, they have become prominent – not only among urban and industrial working classes – but also in commercial, administrative, political, religious, and intellectual circles.<ref name="Emigration" /> Azerbaijanis make up 25%–33%<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis">Template:Cite news</ref> of Tehran and of Tehran Province's population. They are the largest ethnic groups after Persians in Tehran and the Tehran Province.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The governor of Tehran is Hossein Hashemi<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> from Sarab; he was born in East Azerbaijan;<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, was born in Mashhad and is of Azerbaijani origin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The journals Varliq and Azari are printed by the Azerbaijani people in Tehran.
Population
Template:See also According to the population census of 2012, the four provinces of East Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,724,620), West Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,080,576), Zanjan (2012 pop. 1,015,734), and Ardabil (2012 pop. 1,248,488) have a combined population of 9 million people.<ref name="The population of Iranian cities">Template:Cite news</ref>
Administrative divisions
Azerbaijan's major cities are Tabriz<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> (the capital of East Azerbaijan), Urmia<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> (the capital of West Azerbaijan), Zanjan<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> (the capital of Zanjan Province), Ardabil<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" /> (the capital of Ardabil Province) and Major cities non-capital of Province's Azerbaijan are Khoy and Maragheh.<ref name="Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis" /><ref name="Iran-Azerbaijanis" />
New 2014 administrative divisions
During Hassan Rouhani's government, the Ministry of Interior declared<ref name="New ad">Template:Cite news</ref> that the provinces of Iran would be organized into regions. Region 3 in Northwest Iran includes East Azerbaijan Province, West Azerbaijan Province, Ardabil Province, Zanjan Province, Gilan Province, and Kurdistan Province.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Culture
Azerbaijanis have influenced Iranian culture while also being influenced by their non-Iranian neighbors, particularly Caucasians and Russians. The majority of Azerbaijanis in both Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan are Shiite Muslims. They celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian new year, at the arrival of spring. Azerbaijan has a distinct music that is tightly connected to the music of other Iranian peoples such as Persian music and Kurdish music, and also the music of the Caucasian peoples. Although the Azerbaijani language is not an official language of Iran it is widely used, mostly orally, among the Iranian Azerbaijanis.Template:Cn
Literature
Many poets that came from Azerbaijan wrote poetry in both Persian and Azerbaijani. Renowned poets in Azerbaijani language are Nasimi, Shah Ismail I (who was known with the pen-name Khatai), Fuzuli, Nasimi, and Jahan Shah were probably born outside what is now Iranian Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani was the dominant language of the Turkish ruling dynasties of the area, such as Ak Koyunlu,<ref name="Azeri Turkish Literature" /> Kara Koyunlu,<ref>Minorsky, V. "Jihān-Shāh Qara-Qoyunlu and His Poetry (Turkmenica, 9)", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 16, No. 2 (1954), p. 277</ref> and was later used in the Safavid court, until Isfahan became the capital,<ref name="Cyril Glassé 2003, pg 392">Cyril Glassé (ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Islam, Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, revised ed., 2003, Template:ISBN, p. 392: "Shah Abbas moved his capital from Qazvin to Isfahan. His reign marked the peak of the Safavid dynasty's achievement in art, diplomacy, and commerce. It was probably around this time that the court, which originally spoke a Turkic language, began to use Persian"</ref> and by religious, military and state dignitaries.<ref>Template:Harvnb: "In day-to-day affairs, the language chiefly used at the Safavid court and by the great military and political officers, as well as the religious dignitaries, was Turkish, not Persian; and the last class of persons wrote their religious works mainly in Arabic. Those who wrote in Persian were either lacking in proper tuition in this tongue or wrote outside Iran and hence at a distance from centers where Persian was the accepted vernacular, endued with that vitality and susceptibility to skill in its use which a language can have only in places where it truly belongs."</ref><ref name="price">Template:Cite book</ref> In the 16th century, Azerbaijani literature further flourished with the development of Ashik (Template:Langx) poetic genre of bards. During the same period, under the pen-name of Khatāī (Template:Langx for sinner),<ref name="ismailsafaviiranica">Encyclopædia Iranica. ٍIsmail Safavi Template:Webarchive</ref> Shah Ismail I wrote about 1,400 verses in Azerbaijani,<ref name="minorsky1">Template:Cite journal</ref> which were later published as his Divan. A unique literary style known as qoshma (Template:Langx for improvisation) was introduced in this period, and developed by Shah Ismail and later by his son and successor, Shah Tahmasp and Tahmasp I.<ref name="Azeri Turkish Literature">Template:Harvnb</ref> In the span of the 17th century, 18th and 19th century, Fizuli's unique genres as well Ashik poetry were taken up by prominent poets and writers such as Qovsi Tabrizi, Shah Abbas Sani, Khasta Qasim, Mirza Fatali Akhundov, Seyid Abulgasim Nabati, Ali Mojuz and others.
An influential piece of post-World War II Azerbaijani poetry, Heydar Babaya Salam (Greetings to Heydar Baba) was written by Azeri poet Mohammad Hossein Shahriar. This poem, published in Tabriz in 1954 and written in colloquial Azerbaijani, became popular among Iranians and the people of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In Heydar Babaya Salam, Shahriar expressed his identity as an Iranian attached to his homeland, language, and culture. Heydar Baba is a hill near Khoshknab, the native village of the poet.
Azerbaijan is mentioned favorably on many occasions in Persian literature by Iran's greatest authors and poets. Examples:
گزیده هر چه در ایران بزرگان
زآذربایگان و ری و گرگان
All the nobles and greats of Iran,
Choose from Azerbaijan, Ray, and Gorgan.
—Vis o Ramin
از آنجا بتدبیر آزادگان
بیامد سوی آذرآبادگان
From there the wise and the free,
set off to Azerbaijan
—Nizami
به یک ماه در آذرآبادگان
ببودند شاهان و آزادگان
For a month's time, The Kings and The Free,
Would choose in Azerbaijan to be
—Ferdowsi
Monuments
The Iranian provinces of Azerbaijan, both West and East, possess a large number of monuments from all periods of history,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> including UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Nine historical sites in Azerbaijan have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO:
- Bazaar of Tabriz: is one of the oldest bazaars in the Middle East and the largest covered bazaar in the world. The bazaar was declared to be a World Heritage Site in July 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble: is the tomb of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili located in Ardabil, Iran.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, it was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Takht-e Soleymān: literally the Throne of Solomon, in earlier ancient periods known as Shiz or Adur Gushnasp,<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> literally the Fire of the Warrior Kings) is an archaeological site in West Azerbaijan. It lies midway between Urmia and Hamadan, very near the present-day town of Takab.
- Dome of Soltaniyeh: located near Zanjan, Template:Convert to the north-west of Tehran, used to be the capital of Mongol Ilkhanid rulers of Persia in the 14th century. Its name translates as The Imperial. In 2005, UNESCO listed Soltaniyeh as one of the World Heritage Sites. The road from Zanjan to Soltaniyeh extends until it reaches to the Katale khor cave.
- The Armenian Monastic Ensemble: St. Thaddeus Monastery, Saint Stepanos Monastery, Church of the Holy Mother of God, Darashamb, Chapel of Dzordzor, and Church of Chupan are World Heritage Sites.
-
Soltanieh Dome in Soltaniyeh
Colleges and universities
There are many universities in Azerbaijan, included units and centers: public university and private university, Islamic Azad University, Payame Noor University, Nonprofit educational institutions, University of Applied Science and Technology.
Some of the most prestigious public universities in the area are:
-
Joseph Cochran in Westminster Hospital Urmia (now Urmia University of Medical Sciences)
-
Shahid Chamran Hall (central library) – of the University of Urmia
-
Behnam House is part of the School of Architecture of Tabriz Islamic Arts University.
-
University of Tabriz's Tower
Architecture
Azeri style is a style (sabk) of architecture when categorizing Iranian architecture development in Azerbaijan history. Landmarks of this style of architecture span from the late 13th century (Ilkhanate) to the appearance of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century CE.<ref>Fallāḥʹfar, Saʻīd (سعید فلاحفر). The Dictionary of Iranian Traditional Architectural Terms (Farhang-i vāzhahʹhā-yi miʻmārī-i sunnatī-i Īrān فرهنگ واژههای معماری سنتی ایران). Kamyab Publications (انتشارات کامیاب). Kāvushʹpardāz. 2000, 2010. Tehran. Template:ISBN US Library of Congress LCCN Permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/2010342544 Template:Webarchive pp.16</ref>
Ashik
Ashik is a mystic bard, balladeer, or troubadour who accompanied his song be it a hikaye or a shorter original composition with a long-necked lute. The modern Azerbaijani ashiq is a professional musician who usually serves an apprenticeship, masters playing saz, and builds up a varied but individual repertoire of Turkic folk songs.<ref>Colin P. Mitchell (Editor), New Perspectives on Safavid Iran: Empire and Society, 2011, Routledge, 90–92</ref> and The Coffeehouse of Ashiks is a coffeehouse in cities of Azerbaijan where ashiks perform Turkish hikaye.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In cities, towns, and villages of Iranian Azerbaijan ashiks entertain audiences in coffeehouses.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Azerbaijan Cultural and Literature Foundation
Azerbaijan Cultural and Literature Foundation, was founded for the purpose of research, study and promote the study of the culture, art, language, literature, and history of Azerbaijan in four provinces (East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan) of Azerbaijan region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Transportation
Air
Iranian Azerbaijan is connected to other parts of Iran and the world via several air routes. There are seven civil airports in the region and the biggest Airport in the region is Tabriz International Airport located in north-west of Tabriz. The other Airports are:
Air lines
Ata Airlines is an airline based in Tabriz, Iran. Operates scheduled domestic services and international services in the Middle East, as well as charter services including Europe. Its main base is Tabriz International Airport. This airplane company is in Azerbaijan with Eram Air.
Bridge
- Urmia Lake Bridge is a bridge in region. It crosses Lake Urmia and connects East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan.
- Meshginshahr suspension bridge is Middle East's largest suspension bridge in height of Template:Convert.
- Tabriz Cable Bridge is the biggest cable-stayed bridge in Iran.
Railway
Azerbaijan is connected to the rest of Iranian railways through a line that connects Tabriz to Tehran. This line continues from Tabriz to Jolfa city in the north of East Azerbaijan province and is connected to the railways of Nakhichevan. Tabriz–Jolfa railway is one of the oldest railways in Iran that was built between 1912 and 1916. This railway line is the only part of Iranian railways that has an electric line. Tabriz also connected to Turkey through Tabriz-Razi railways which were built 1960–1961. The most important railways station in Azerbaijan is Tabriz Railway Station which was founded in West of Tabriz in 1917; the current railway building of Tabriz railway station was built during the second Pahlavi era by Iranian architect Heydar Ghiaï-Chamlou. The first railroad arriving at Tabriz had been built by Russians. The railway started from Jolfa, a city on the border of Iran and the modern Republic of Azerbaijan.
Active lines this railway included: Tabriz–Tehran, Tabriz–Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and Tabriz–Turkey.
Metro
Tabriz Metro opened on 28 August 2015 with 7 km length and 6 stations.<ref>"Tabriz Metro Opens" Template:Webarchive (Railway Gazette)</ref> It will encompass 5 lines (4 lines are underground subway and 1 line is planned to connect Tabriz to Sahand) and the total planned length is Template:Convert. Line 1 is the first line under construction that connects Shah-Golu in the southeast to Laleh district in the southwest after passing through the city center of Tabriz.<ref name="Metro">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Roads
A network of Iranian national roads connects cities and populated areas of Azerbaijan to each other and to other parts of Iran. The only freeway in Azerbaijan is Freeway 2 (Iran) which connects Tabriz to Tehran and it is planned to construct the rest of the freeway up to the Iran-Turkey border at Bazargan. Other roads and highways include Road 32 (Iran) which connects Tehran to Tabriz and continues to the Iran-Turkey border at Bazargan. Here is a list and map of roads that pass through Azerbaijan.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Media
TV and radio
- Sahand TV from Tabriz
- Eshragh TV from Zanjan
- Sabalan TV from Ardebil
- Azerbaijan TV from Urmia
Native language instruction
Azerbaijani language is not taught in Iranian schools; but for the first time at the level of academic education since 2016, Azerbaijani language and literature launched in Azerbaijan for Tabriz University.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Newspapers
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2
- Ardabil Province
- Ardabil Farda<ref name="Newspapers-Ardabil">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Ardabil Hamshahri<ref name="Newspapers-Ardabil" />
- West Azerbaijan
- Araz Azerbaijan<ref name="Newspapers-Araz">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Zanjan Province
- Mardom -e- No<ref name="Newspapers-Zanjan">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Zanjan Hamshahri<ref name="Newspapers-Zanjan" />
- East Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz">Template:Cite news</ref>
- Ark<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Amin<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Sorkhab<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Saib Tabriz<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Asr Azadi<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Fajr Azerbaijan<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
- Mahd Azadi<ref name="Newspapers-Tabriz" />
Sport
Sport Olympiad
For the first time, Sports Olympiad of northwest in 23 sports to host Ardabil city will be held the presence of West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil and Zanjan provinces.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Major sport clubs
Representatives of Azerbaijani in the top two leagues:
- Football
- Futsal
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Shahrdari Tabriz
- Cycling Team
Major sport events
- 2010 Asian Men's Cup Volleyball Championship Ghadir Arena in Urmia.
- 2012 WAFF Futsal Championship Ghadir Arena in Urmia.
- 2012 Asian Junior Men's Volleyball Championship Ghadir Arena in Urmia.
- 16th Wrestle International Children's Day Shahid Poursharifi Arena in Tabriz.
- 2014 Asian Men's Junior Handball Championship Shahid Poursharifi Arena in Tabriz.
- 1976: Part of 1976 AFC Asian Cup's final tournament held in Bagh Shomal Stadium, Tabriz.
- Tour of Iran (Azerbaijan) since 1986.
Sports facilities
Large and important stadiums: Template:Div col
- Yadegar-e Emam Stadium
- Ali Daei Stadium
- Takhti Stadium
- Gostaresh Foulad Stadium
- Tabriz Cycling Track
- Shahid Pour Sharifi Arena
- Ghadir Arena
- Rezazadeh Stadium
- Marzdaran Stadium
- Tractor Stadium
- Sahand Ski Resort
See also
Template:Portal Template:Columns-list
Notes
References
Sources
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite encyclopedia
Further reading
External links
Template:Sister project Template:Sister bar Template:Azerbaijani diaspora Template:Zoroastrianism Template:Authority control