Mianeh

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Mianeh, also spelled Miyana or Miyaneh (Persian: میانه; Azeri: Miyanə) is a city in East Azarbaijan province, Iran, situated in a valley between the mountain chains of Bozgush and Qaflan Kooh. Mianeh is approximately 439 kilometres northwest of Tehran and approximately 187 kilometres southeast of East Azerbaijan's largest city, Tabriz. Mianeh is one of the region's oldest cities and it's foundations date back to the pre-Islamic era of Iran and the emergence of the kingdom of Media. The city has been an economic and cultural crossroads for many years.

1 History
2 Modern times
3 Famous People
4 See also
5 References

[edit] History

During ancient times, Mianeh was past through the hands of several dynasties and kingdoms, such as Media, Achaemenid Empire and Atropatene, and was home to a tribe called the Sagartians. With the emergence of Islam in Persia in the 7th century, the Median residents were converted and the city of Mianeh became Muslim. After the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century the city became Turkified and the language of the city's residents became Turkic over a period of several centuries. Much of the architecture in the vicinity of Mianeh was built during the reign of the Mongols (13th-14th centuries) who at one point destroyed the entire city. Many of the residents in Mianeh fought the Mongols during their invasion of northern Iran.

[edit] Modern times

Today, Mianeh is home to more than 200,000 people^[1], mostly Azeris and Persians. Mianeh is East Azerbaijan's third largest city after Tabriz and Maragheh, and its population is on a constant rise. The city has recently inaugurated many companies and is currently an economically strategic city for East Azerbaijan. Historical monuments in Mianeh include the Imamzadeh Esmail tomb, The Maiden Bridge (Qiz Korpusu), The Maiden Fort (Qiz Qalasi) and Tark stone Mosque. The village of Turkmanchai, where the Treaty of Turkmanchai was signed by Russia and Iran in 1828, is one of Mianeh's suburb villages.

[edit] Famous People

Among famous people from Mianeh are Jafar Panahi, director of the movies The Circle and The White Balloon, and two singers, Dariush and Davud Behbudi.