Chaldoran

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Coordinates: 39°03′54″N, 44°23′08″E

Chaldoran (locally: Çaldêran; Persian: چالدران) is a district in the north of West Azarbaijan province of Iran. Its administrative center, Seyah Cheshmeh or Siah Cheshmeh (Persian: سيه چشمه) or Kara Aineh is also called Chaldoran, with a population of 14,189 according to the 2006 census. The other prominent town in the district is Avajiq.

The population of Chaldoran district are Azeri and Kurmancî Kurds. Formerly, the city had a large Christian population, many of whom were Armenian.

Chaldoran is one of the touristic areas of West Azarbaijan province of Iran because of its cold weather in winter and cool in summer.

[edit] History

Main article: Battle of Chaldiran

Chaldoran is the site of the historic Battle of Chaldiran, which took place in 1514 between the armies of Ottoman Sultan Selim I and Safavid Shah Ismail I on the narrow plain outside of the town. The Ottoman army had the advantage of using firearms as well as superiority in size, and defeated the Safavid army for the first time.

After the Ottomans took this area, they resettled many of the Kurdish tribes further west.

Holy Tatavous Church (Ghare Kelisa) is in Chaldoran district.

[edit] Economy

The expansion of pastures and cultivable lands has given this region the opportunity of enjoying prosperous cattle breeding , agriculture and apiculture with highest rate of job creation in the region. According to the census of the year 2003, population of Chaldoran district is 46,700; 33.5 percent of whom live in urban areas and 66.5 percent are rural and tribal settlers. Chaldoran's Wednesday Market (Chaharshanbeh Bazar) enjoys a particular fame for various types of cattle, agricultural, farming products and local handicrafts.^{[citation needed]} The most important tourism attractions of this city are : Holy Tatavous Church (Ghareh Kelisa), Tomb of shahid sedreddin shirazi, Tombs of Martyrs in chaldoran City and Zarzar Church in Baroum Village

[edit] Notes