Abbasabad, East Azerbaijan

For the village in Azerbaijan, see Abbasabad, Azerbaijan.

Abbasabad (also known as Abasabad,‘Abbāsābād, عباس آباد) is a village located in East Azarbaijan Province, Iran.

According to the village elders, one of whom died in 1991 at an age of over 100 years, the village was founded around 1900. A prominent Feudal, Haji Safqoli Leysi (حاجی صفقلی خان لیثی), established his seat at a castle on the hills overlooking the village. Soon a iron-smith and a Cleric moved in and made the village the official and business center for the neighboring villages. This status was further strengthened when the Cleric was endowed with the privilege to act as the notary. In 1950 a young resident, Ashiq Rasol Qorbani (عاشق رسول قربانی, Aşiq Rəsol Qorbani), started his music career and soon became one of the prominent folkloric musicians of Iran. Unfortunately, the cleric did not go along with the musician and forced him to flee the village at 1973. The musician retaliated by recording an offensive song ( Titled: Saz çalanem mərdum azar dəgiləm) that was broad-casted from the national radio. Though the feuding parties later reconciled, the event marked the beginning of the decline in the village's importance.

Thirty years ago, the village was populated with twenty five families, down from forty families in 1964, when the introduction of land reforms accelerated the migration of families to Tabriz. In 2003 the population dropped to just 10 families and it was feared that the village will be deserted in few years. Then, someone circulated a rumor that the UNESCO will compensate the residents shortly to have the village evacuated for the wild-life preservation. Some families migrated back and built decent houses. At the present the village is undergoing a population boom as more wealthy city residents want to spend their retirement in cleaner environment.

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