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Atur, meaning Azar or Fire, Pat or paay, from paayeedan, meaning
To Look After/To watch Over,
Gan, meaning A place, as in Golpaygan or Zangan (Zanjan) .
Now, the meaning of Azarbaijan is clear to us:
Azarbaijan is derived from: Aturpatgan and it means: The Land Of Aturpat or
Azarbad
It is perhaps the birth place of Zaratushtra.
This province is called after Aturpat the Governor (the one whom fire guards him
) , he declared his independence during Alexander's attack to Iran
(328 B.C.) so he ruled over this land (small Medes) in southwest of the country
which became Iran later.
The history of Azerbaijan began from the independence of Aturpat and during 23
centuries.
has passed through different political stages, and whenever a powerful
government ruled over the central part, Azerbaijan became dependent on that
government.
Azarbaijan-e-Sharqi (East Azarbaijan) Province with an area of 67,101 sq. Kms. and a population
of 4,726,648(1992), is counted as one of the most important provinces in the
country from commercial , industrial and agricultural points of view.
is the capital of one of the most famous provinces of Iran, The East Azarbaijan
and is located at the foot of Sahand Mountains in an enclosed valley.
Tabriz is the second largest town in Iran plus it has become an important trade
center between Iran and Turkey.
Tabriz was founded during or even before Sassanian Dynasty. Tabriz was the
capital of Iran under Mongols until 16th century when Shah Tahmasb of Safavid
Dynasty moved the capital to Ghazvin. Later, the capital was moved to Isfahan
which was less vulnerable to Ottoman attacks.
The town suffered from wars between the Safavid, Ottoman empires and Russian
troops. Tabriz into a period of decline by earthquakes and epidemic
diseases.Only a few historical monuments remain today such as Blue Mosque, Arg-e
Tabriz, and Azarbaijan Museum. If you visit Tabriz during winter, you can ski
near this old town. Azarbaijan Museum includes mixed collections of
archaeological items from Hasanlu and other regional excavations plus some
ethnological objects about Azaris.
It is pleasurable to walk up and down Tabriz Bazaar which is huge and
old. Perhaps, it was built more than a millennium ago although what has remained
today goes back to the 15th century. Tabriz is known for rugs, silverware, items
made from regional silk plus enjoy spice Bazaar which offers a wide variety of
spices.
Park e Shah Goli 
At the
entrance of Tabriz, coming in from Tehran, a shady road leads to a large park
with a wide expanse of water and a central pavilion. From this garden called "
Al Goli ", you can see a large red cliff overlooking the valley of the Tailkel
river which runs through Tabriz.
There are rental paddleboats about the Shahgoli Shah Lake inside the park.
Hakim Nezami Ganjavi
Abou Mohammed Elyas bin Yousuf, Nezami Ganjavi the great contemporary Poet was
born in 1141 A.D, in
Ganjeh, during Seljuq empire era and died in 1209 A.D, his tomb is in Ganjeh.
He is greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, who brought a
colloquial and realistic style to the Persian epic.
He spent all his life in Ganjeh. He started poetry after completing his
studies.He was Khaqani’s friend and contemporary with him. His friend's death
distressed him very much.
His works are:
"Makhzan-al-Asrar”, Khosrow and Shirin, Leyli and Majnoun, Haft Peykar (which is
famed as Boahram-e_Goor’s story) and EskandarNameh. These five works famed
Nezami’s Khamseh.His book of poetry includes elegies, lyrics and fragment.
About Layli & Majnoun
In 1188 A.D, Nezami versified the story of Layli and Majnoun in about ten thousand lines, and in mathnawi ["masnavi"; meaning couplets] form as part of the set of stories known as the "Khamsa" [the five tomes of poetical works]. In the introduction to his poem he states that he accepted the assignment with some hesitation. At first he doubted whether this tale of madness and wanderings through the wilderness would be suitable for the royal court. He adapted the disconnected stories to fit the requirements of a Persian romance. They were joined together into a coherent narrative which describes the development of a frantic love affair from the scene of the first meeting of the two lovers till the death of Majnoun at the grave of Layli.
Arg e Tabriz
Blue mosqe ( masjed e Kabovd)
Train Station in Tabriz
Is
the capital of the West Azarbaijan Province. This Province is located in north
west of Iran and has borders with Iraq, Turkey and the former U.S.S.R. The
largest lake in Iran is Orumiyeh (formerly Rezaiyeh) which has divided
Azarbaijan into two eastern and western parts. This lake is protected as a
national park and is the most important residence of immigrant birds and enjoys
an unparalleled beauty and variety in Asia.
For long periods the city belonged to the Ottoman Empire. In 1900, Christians formed
nearly half the population, but in 1918 many left. Most of the remainder were
massacredafter the retreat of the Russians from the area. Some survivors were
later repatriated by the Iranian government.
By the arrival of Turk tribes to Azarbaijan especially from the Saljuq period,
Turkish dialect became habitual in this area as the colloquial language.
Western Azarbaijan (Gharbi) Province with an area of 37,588 sq. Kms. and a
population of 2,329,315(1992), is counted as one of the most important provinces
in the country from agriculture and economic point of view. Orumieh is connected by roads with
Gever, 55 km northwest, and with Kermanshah, 400 km southeast. There is an
airfield nearby.
is located in northwestern Iran, has always been considered astronghold and also a center of trade. Throughout history Zanjan has experienced a great many ups and downs. Cool weather, cascading streams, and lush green gardens are the special characteristics of thiscity. Points of interest for tourists and visitors include the Dome of Sultanieh (14th century AD), the Great Bazaar (18th century AD), the Jameh Mosque, the resting place of Seyed Ibrahim, and the tombs of Molla Hossein Kashani and Amoli.
Gonbad-e Sultanieh
The Dome (Gonbad) of Sultanieh is located in the city of Zanjan. The only
remnant of the ancient town of Sultanieh remaining intact is an egg-shaped dome,
which still stands tall above the ruins of the town. Oljaitu, one of the Mongol
chiefs, intended to have the holy shrine of the first Shiite Imam, Hazrat Ali
(peace be upon him), transferred from Iraq to this place in around the 14th
Century AD. As a result, the shrine was built with unique
architectural features. The eight minarets, which surround the great dome and
also the blue and turquoise tile work, which had once embellished it, were all
grand expositions of the power and discipline of the Mongol Dynasty. The height
of the structure, which was 53 meters, made it the tallest shrine in Iran.
Province is located north-west of Iran , between latitudes 37-06’ and 39-42’ N.
and longitudes 47-17’ and 48-55 E.
It is bounded on the north by Azerbaijan Republic, on the west by East
Azarbaijan province , on the east by Gilan, and on the south by Zanjan province
.
Its area is 18,451 square kilometers. According to the latest divisions, Ardebil
Province has 6 counties-- Ardabil, Bileh Savar, Pars Abad, Khalkhal, Garmi and
Meshkin Shahr --17 rural districts and 62 villages. The provincial center is
Ardabil.
Ardebil’s hot water springs are known the world over and the most important of these springs is the Sarein hot water of the volcano of Sabalan. The most notable Sarerin mineral springs include the hot mineral spring of Gavmish Goli, Ab-e Siah (Black Water) Hot Spring, Yellow Water Hot Spring, and Gazal Hot Spring.
Additional places of interest in Ardebil are the Tappe Hills, Jameh Mosque, the tombs of Sheikh Saffioddin Ardebili and Sheik Jibra’il, and the Great Bazaar.
Sarein hot water of the volcano of Sabalan
Sabalan natural hot spring pool, Sarein
