Encyclopedia
East Azarbaijan or
East Azerbaijan is one of the 30
provinces of
Iran. It is in the northwest of the country, bordering
Armenia and the
Republic of Azerbaijan, and the provinces of
Ardabil,
West Azarbaijan, and
Zanjan. Its capital is
Tabriz.
Geography
The province covers an area of approximately 47,830 km². According to the latest divisions of the country in 1996, the counties of this province are: Ahar,ajabshir, Bostan Abad, Bonab,
Tabriz,
Jolfa, Sarab, Shabestar, Kaleybar, Maragha, Marand, Malekan, Miyana, Heris, and Hashtrood. The historical city of
Tabriz is the most important city of this province, culturally, politically, economically and commercially. The province has common borders with the current Republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nakhchivan. A fine network of roads and railways connect East Azarbaijan to other parts of
Iran and also to neighboring countries.
The highest peak of East Azarbaijan is Sahand Mountain at 3,722 m of elevation, lying south of
Tabriz, whereas the lower lying areas are around Garmadooz . The heights of the province may be classified into three sectors, namely: the Qara Daq Mountains, the Sahand and Bozqoosh Mountains, and the Qaflan Kooh Mountains.
Generally speaking, East Azarbaijan enjoys a cool, dry climate, being in the main a mountainous region. But the gentle breezes off the
Caspian Sea have some influence on the climate of the low-lying areas. Temperatures run up to 8.9 °C in Tabriz, and 20 °C in Maraqeh, in the winter dropping to -1 °C. The ideal seasons to visit this province are in the spring and summer months.
History
East Azarbaijan is one of the more archaic territories in
Iran.
During the reign of
Alexander of Macedon in Iran , a warrior known as Attorpat led a revolt in this area, then a territory of the
Medes, and thereafter it was called
Attorpatkan. Since then this vicinity has been known as
Azarabadegan,
Azarbadgan and
Azarbayjan.
Islamic researchers proclaim that the birth of the prophet
Zoroaster was in this area, in the vicinity of Lake Orumieh , Konzak City. Needless to say, this province was subject to numerous political and economical upheavals, attracting the interest of foreigners. The Russians in particular have tried to exert a lasting influence in the region over the past 300 years, occupying the area on numerous occasions. The
constitutionalist movement of Iran began here in the late 1800s.
Ethnic tensions in Azerbaijan can visibly trace their origins back to the colonialist policies of the
Soviet Union and
Imperial Russia. In a cable sent on July 6th 1945 by the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the local Soviet commander in Russian held Azerbaijan was instructed as such:
- "Begin preparatory work to form a national autonomous Azerbaijan district with broad powers within the Iranian state and simultaneously develop separatist movements in the provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, Gorgan, and Khorasan".
Culture
The most outstanding features from a cultural point of view are the language and folklore of this region. The language is
Azari. According to
Dehkhoda Dictionary, the language of Azarbaijan is originally "a branch of the Iranian languages known as Azari" . Apart from this, the province also boasts numerous learned scholars, gnostics, several national poets such as
Mowlana Baba Mazeed,
Khajeh Abdol Raheem Aj Abadi,
Sheikh Hassan Bolqari, and
Abdolqader Nakhjavani, to name a few, and the contemporary poet
Ostad Mohammad Hossein Shahriyar. The current
leader of Iran,
Ali Khamenei, also originally comes from this region.
Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization has registered 936 sites of historical significance in the province. Some are contemporary, and some are from the antiquity of ancient Persia. "Zahak Citadel", for example, is the name of an ancient ruin in East Azarbaijan, which according to various experts, was inhabited from the second millenia BC until the Timurid era. First excavated in the 1800s by British archeologists, Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization has been studying the structure in 6 phases.
East Azarbaijan hails from a rich compendium of Azeri traditions. Many local dances and folk songs continue to survive among the various peoples of the province. As a longstanding province of
Iran, Azarbaijan is mentioned favorably on many occasions in
Persian literature by
Iran's greatest authors and poets:
????? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??????
?????????? ? ?? ? ?????
All the nobles and greats of Iran,
Choose from Azarbaijan,
Ray, and
Gorgan.
--
Vis o Ramin?? ???? ?????? ???????
????? ??? ??????????
From there the wise and the free,
set off to Azarbaijan
--
Nizami??? ??? ?? ??????????
?????? ????? ? ???????
For a month's time, The Kings and The Free,
Would choose in Azarbaijan to be
--
FerdowsiNotables of East Azarbaijan
...
, poetess
...
,
Prime Minister of
Iran ...
,
Prime Minister of
Iran ...
,
Prime Minister of
Iran- Mohammad Hossein Shahriar
- Asadi Tusi is buried here
East Azarbaijan today
East Azarbaijan province is an industrial centre of
Iran. East Azarbaijan province has over 5000 manufacturing units, of which at least 800 are industrial . The value of product from these units in 1997 totalled US$374 million . Total investments were valued at US$2.7 billion in 1997.
[1]Some of the major industries include Azerr glass industries, Maraqeh paper manufacturing, Ahar Sungun copper and nepheline syenite, the Tabriz Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Co., Azarbaijan steel, foundry and auto-part manufacturing, food industries, leather and shoe industries, and the Tabriz Machine Manufacturing Co.
Tabriz also has an excellent position in the handicraft industry of
Iran, having a large share in the exports of the province. Tabriz carpets are widely known around the world and in international markets for their vibrant designs and colors. Without exaggeration,
Persian rugs owe their fame to the creative minds of the designers and the deft hands of the carpet weavers of East Azarbaijan.
At present there are about 66,000 carpet production units in the province, employing some 200,000 people. The annual production of these carpets is roughly 792,000 m², which comprises more than 70% of
Iran's carpet exports. 35% of all Iranian carpets are produced in East Azarbaijan.
East Azarbaijan province is also one of the richest regions of
Iran in natural minerals, with 180 mines in 1997, of which 121 units are currently in operation, and the rest are being planned.
UNESCO has two Biosphere reserves in East Azarbaijan province. One in
Lake Urmia and the other at
Arasbaran.
Colleges and universities
East Azarbaijan also has some of Iran's best technical universities. The full list of major institutions are:
- Sahand University of Technology
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
-
- University of Tabriz
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See also
References
External links
Sources
[1]: According to the information released by the office of the provincial governor, linked above.
