Ardabil

Ardabil اردبیل -دارالارشاد Artawil
City
Tomb of Safi-ad-din Ardabili
Nickname(s): دارالارشاد، دارالملک، دارالعرفان، دارالامان و شهر مقدس Darolershad ( Home Of Gentrice )
Ardabil
Coordinates: 38°15′N 48°17′E / 38.250°N 48.283°E / 38.250; 48.283Coordinates: 38°15′N 48°17′E / 38.250°N 48.283°E / 38.250; 48.283
Country	Iran
Region	3
Province	Ardabil
County	Ardabil
Bakhsh	Central
Government
• Mayor	Hamid Lotfollahian
• Parliament	Haghighatpour, Pirmoazzen & Afzalifard
Area
• Total	18.011 km2 (6.954 sq mi)
Elevation	1,351 m (4,432 ft)
Population (2012[1])
• Total	485,153 & 564,365
• Density	18,857/km2 (48,840/sq mi)
• Rank	17th in Iran
	City & County
Demonym(s)	Ardabili
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Postal code	56131-56491
Area code(s)	(+98) 45
Website	www.eardabil.ir ardabil.ostan-ar.ir

Ardabil^[2] ( pronunciation , Persian: ‎‎اردبیل, Azerbaijani: Ərdəbil, also Romanized as Ardabīl and Ardebīl)^[3] is an ancient city in Iranian Azerbaijan. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2011 census, its population was 564,365, in 156,324 families,^[4] where the dominant majority are ethnic Iranian Azerbaijanis.^[5][6]

An Ardabil "glim" (Ardabil rug)

Ardabil is known for its silk and carpet trade tradition. Ardabil rugs are renowned and the ancient Ardabil Carpets are considered some of the best of the classical Persian carpet creations. Ardabil is also known as the seat of a World Heritage Site: the sanctuary and tomb of Shaikh Safî ad-Dîn, eponym of the Safavid Dynasty.

Ardabil is the birthplace of Ali Daei, FIFA's greatest ever male international goalscorer.

Etymology

The name Ardabil comes from the Avesta "Artavila" which means a holy town or a holy place.^[7]

Location

Ardabil is located on the Baliqly Chay River, about 70 km (43 mi) from the Caspian Sea, and 210 km (130 mi) from the city of Tabriz. It has an average altitude of 1,263 metres (4,144 ft) and total area of 18.011 km² (6.954 sq mi). Neighboring on the Caspian Sea and the Republic of Azerbaijan, this city is and has been of great political and economical significance throughout history, especially within the Caucasus region. It is located on an open plain 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level, just east of Mount Sabalan (4,811 m), where cold spells occur until late spring.

History

Shah Ismail

The province is believed to be as old as the Achaemenid era (ca. 550–330 BCE). It is mentioned in the Avesta, where prophet Zoroaster was born by the river Aras and wrote his book in the Sabalan Mountains. During the Parthian era, the city had a special importance among the cities of Azarbaijan. Some Muslim historians attribute the foundation of Ardabil to king Peroz I of the Sassanid Empire. The Persian poet Ferdowsi also credits the foundation of the city to Peroz I. Ardabil suffered some damages caused by occasional raids of Huns from th 4th to 6th century CE. Peroz repaired those damages and fortified the city. Peroz made Ardabil the residence of provincial governor (Marzban) of Azarbaijan.

During the Islamic conquest of Iran, Ardabil was the largest city in north western Iran, ahead of Derbent, and remained so until the Mongol invasion period. Ardabilis fought the Mongols three times; however the city fell after the third attempt by Mongols, who massacred the Ardabilis. Incursions of Mongols and subsequently the Georgians under Tamar the Great left the city in ruins for nearly three centuries until the advent of Safavids.

Safavid Shah Ismail I, born in Ardail, started his campaign to nationalize Iran's government and land from there, but consequently announced Tabriz as his capital in 1500 CE. Yet Ardabil remained an important city both politically and economically until modern times. It was sacked by the Ottomans many times between 1514 and 1722 and in 1915, and by the Russians in 1813, 1827,^[8] and 1916 during the Russo-Persian Wars.

Bazaars

In the heart of the Ardabil city, this bazaar stands as old as the Islamic period. Its shape was described by the historians of the 4th century CE as a cross, extending in four directions with simply designed domes. Most sections of the bazaar were constructed and renovated during the Safavid and Zand periods.^[9]

Produce Bazar, Ardabil and vicinity This is the fresh produce bazaar on the Meshkin Shahr gate in the city of Ardabil. Vendors buy directly from farmers and distributors.

Shrine and the Ardabil carpets

One of the main sights in the city of Ardabil in north-west Iran is the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili, who died in 1334. The Shaykh was a Sufi leader, who trained his followers in Islamic mystic practices. After his death, his followers remained loyal to his family, who became increasingly powerful.

In 1501, one of his descendants, Shah Isma'il, seized political power. He united Iran for the first time in several centuries and established the Shi'i form of Islam as the state religion. Isma'il was the founder of the Safavid dynasty, named after Shaykh Safi al-Din.

The Safavids, who ruled without a break until 1722, and then intermittently until 1757, promoted the shrine of the Shaykh as a place of pilgrimage.

Ardabil carpet

In the late 1530s, Isma'il's son, Shah Tahmasp, enlarged the shrine, and it was at this time, that the carpet was made as one of a matching pair The completion of the carpets was marked by a four-line inscription placed at one end. The first two lines are a poetic quotation that refers to the shrine as a place of refuge:

'Except for thy threshold, there is no refuge for me in all the world. Except for this door there is no resting-place for my head.'

The third line is a signature, 'The work of the slave of the portal, Maqsud Kashani.' Maqsud was probably the court official charged with producing the carpets. He was not necessarily a slave in the literal sense but called himself one to express humility, while the word for 'portal' can be used for a royal court or a shrine. Perhaps Maqsud meant both, as in this case the court was the patron of the shrine.

The fourth line contains the date 946 in the Muslim calendar, which is equivalent to 1539–1540 CE.

The Ardabil Carpet and the V&A

The two Ardabil carpets were still in the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in 1843, when one was seen by two British visitors. Thirty years or more later, the shrine suffered an earthquake, and the carpets were sold off, perhaps to raise funds for repairs. The damaged carpets were purchased in Iran by Ziegler & Co., a Manchester firm involved in the carpet trade. Parts of one carpet were used to patch the other. The result was one 'complete' carpet and one with no border.

In 1892, the larger carpet was put on sale by Vincent Robinson & Co. of London. The designer William Morris went to inspect it on behalf of this museum. Reporting that the carpet was 'of singular perfection … logically and consistently beautiful', he urged the museum to buy it. The money was raised, and in March 1893 the Museum acquired the carpet for £2000.

The second, smaller carpet was sold secretly to an American collector, and in 1953 it was given to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Ardabil carpet hung on the wall in this gallery for many years. In 2006, the museum created the case in the centre of the gallery so that the carpet could be seen as intended, on the floor. To preserve its colours, it is lit for ten minutes on the hour and half-hour.^[10]

Earthquakes

Ardabil is associated with historical confusion between the 893 Dvin earthquake which was often wrongly documented as the 893 Ardabil earthquake due to the similarity of the Arabic name for city of Dvin in Armenia, 'Dabil' to Ardabil.

On 28 February 1997, a destructive earthquake hit the Ardabil area. At least 965 people were killed, 2,600 injured, 36,000 homeless, 12,000 houses damaged or destroyed and 160,000 livestock were killed. Severe damage was observed to roads, electrical power lines, communications and water distribution systems around Ardabil.^[11]

Climate

Cold and semi-arid (Köppen BSk), many tourists come to the region for its relatively cool climate during the hot summer months. The winters are long and bitterly cold, with a temperature plummeting to −25 °C. The annual rainfall is around 380 mm (15 in).

Demography

• Population (metropolitan): about 650,000
• Religion:Shi'a Islam^[12]
• Ethnicity: Azerbaijanis^[12][13]

Attractions

In addition to these, in many villages of Ardabil, relics of ancient monuments, including tombs have been found.

Being a city of great antiquity, the origins of Ardabil go back 4,000 to 6,000 years (according to historical research in this city). This city was the capital of Azerbaijan province in different times, but its golden age was in the Safavid period.

Geology

Many hot springs and beautiful natural landscapes are in Ardabil and around which attract tourists. The mineral springs of Ardabil (Beele-Darreh, Sar'eyn, Sardabeh and Booshloo) are notable throughout Iran for their medicinal qualities.

Many beauty lakes: the largest of which are Ne'or, Shorabil, ShoorGel, NouShahr and Aloocheh that are the habitats of some species of water birds. The beautiful Lake Ne'or is located in a mountainous area 48 km south-east of the city of Ardabil. It covers an area of 2.1 km² and has an average depth of 3 metres. It is fed by springs in the lake bed.

Savalan's honey.

Music

Colleges and universities

• Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
• Mohaghegh Ardabili University
• Islamic Azad University of Ardabil
• Payam Noor University of Ardabil
• Soureh University of Ardabil
• Islamic Azad University of Khalkhal

Economy

The economy of Ardabil is partially agricultural, partially tourist based, with some industries in operation.

The Iranian government in 2006 announced plans to build "the largest textile factory of its kind in the Middle East" in Ardabil.^[14]

Arta Industrial Group (AIG) has one of the largest textile conglomerates in Iran, which is located in the provinces called Qazvin and Ardabil. The group has received numerous awards for being one of the top 20 exporters and industrial groups in Iran since 1998. It is the first company to produce high-density fiberboard (HDF), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), laminate flooring and multi-layer films in Iran.

AIG has the first private industrial site in Iran in the city of Ardabil, which has fifteen main factories owned by (AIG). This Industrial zone covers an area of 100 hectares and Residential Area for engineers and managers of the company.

The town has an airport

Sports

Ardabil is host to a few football teams. The most popular team in Ardabil is Shahrdari Ardabil who in 2014 were promoted and play in the Azadegan League, Iran's 2nd tier league. The city is renowned for producing great forwards, namely former Bayern Munich player and record international goal scorer Ali Daei.

Famous natives

For a complete list see: Category:People from Ardabil

• 

  Ismail I, was Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty.

• 

  Muqaddas Ardabili, was an eminent Shia scholar.

• 

  Rahim Aliabadi, is an Iranian wrestler who won a silver medal in Greco-Roman at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

• 

  Ali Salimi (Right) & Farhad Ebrahimi (Left), was an Iranian musician, composer and tar player.

• 

  Ali Daei, is an Iranian former footballer and coach. He is the former captain of the Iran national football team.

• 

  Nasrollah Nasehpour, is an Iranian master musician in the Radif instrument.

• 

  Ghafour Jeddi, was a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II pilot in the Air Force of Iran.

• 

  Javad Alizadeh, is an Iranian cartoonist.

• 

  Hossein Rezazadeh, is a retired Iranian Olympic weightlifter.

Elahi Ardabili (Kamāl al-Dīn Ḥusayn al-Ilāhī al-Ardabīlī, died 1543 CE) was a religious author and scholar.^[15]

Twin towns and sister cities

• Tiszavasvári, Hungary (since 2011)^[16]
• Volgograd, Russia (since 2015)^[17]

Photo gallery

See also

• Sabalan TV
• Ardabil Khanate

References

External links

• Ardabil Tourist Attractions
• http://www.irantour.org/Iran/province/ardabil.html.
• http://www.travel-images.com/az-ardebil.html

Iranian architecture Styles Parsian style pre-Parsian style Achaemenid architecture Parthian style Sassanid architecture Khorasani style Other Razi style Azeri style Isfahani style Elements Bazaars The Persian Garden (hayāt) Windcatchers Shabestan Kucheh Talar Iwan Howz Panjdari Hashti Andaruni Biruni Dalan e Vorudi Qanat Kariz Gonbad Ab anbar Yakhchal Caravanserais Robats Burj Khaneqah Tekyeh Sahn Imamzadeh Mosques Notable traditional cities Architecture of Tehran Bam Bukhara Ctesiphon Derbent Persepolis Hatra Gur-e Amir Isfahan Amol Baku Kashan Mashhad Merv Nakhchivan Nishapur Qazvin Qom Herat Samarkand Shahrisabz Shiraz Susa Tabriz Takht-i-Suleiman Yazd Ganja Theory and analysis Traditional Persian residential architecture Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity Islamic architecture Lists List of ab anbars of Qazvin List of historical Iranian architects List of mosques Args, castles, and ghal'ehs List of ziyarat-gahs

Ardabil Province Capital Ardabil Counties and cities Ardabil County Ardabil Hir Bileh Savar County Bileh Savar Jafarabad Germi County Germi Tazeh Kand-e Angut Khalkhal County Khalkhal Hashatjin Kolowr Kowsar County Kivi Meshgin Shahr County Meshgin Shahr Lahrud Razi Namin County Namin Abi Beyglu Anbaran Nir County Nir Kuraim Parsabad County Parsabad Aslan Duz Sareyn County Sareyn Landmarks Sardabe Waterfall Complex of Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili Emamzadeh Klouver Ardabil Bazaar Alvares (ski resort) Shorabil Lake Sabalan Neor Lake Shapur II Bas-relief of Meshkinshar Haftkhaneh Cave Meshginshahr suspension bridge Sarein springs Ardabil Anthropology Museum Qarah Soo Bridge Places List of cities, towns and villages in Ardabil Province

Provinces of Iran Alborz Ardabil Bushehr Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari East Azerbaijan Isfahan Fars Gilan Golestan Hamadan Hormozgan Ilam Kerman Kermanshah Khuzestan Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Kurdistan Lorestan Markazi Mazandaran North Khorasan Qazvin Qom Razavi Khorasan Semnan Sistan and Baluchestan South Khorasan Tehran West Azerbaijan Yazd Zanjan