West Azarbaijan Province: Encyclopedia II - West Azarbaijan Province - History

West Azarbaijan Province - History

The name "Azarbaijan" comes from the ancient Old Persian name Atro Patikan and Middle Persian "Adur Paiyigan." The name means "The Guardians of Fire"—a referemce to the holy Zoroastrian fire that burned in the grand fire temple at Ganzak/Ganzaca (modern Takab)—the first capital of Azerbaijan/Media Minor.

According to various sources cited in Encyclopedia Iranica (p.206), the current province of West Azarbaijan was part of the Sassanid Azarbadegan satrap as far back as the 3rd century.(ibid p.206) The current ruins of Takht-i Suleiman in today’s West Azarbaijan was the capital of the Azarbaijan Satrapy.(ibid p.206) The borders of Azarbaijan at times extended even as far south as Sanandaj.(ibid p.206)

Excavation sites such as Teppe Hasanlu establish permanent settlement in the province to the 6th millennium BCE. In Hasanlu, a famous Golden Vase was found in 1958. The province is also the location of Teppe Hajifiruz, site of some of the world’s earliest evidence of wine production.[2] Gooy Teppe is another significant site. A metal plaque dating from 800 BCE depicts a scene from the epic of Gilgamesh. Islamic researchers proclaim that the birth of the prophet Zoroaster was in this area, in the vicinity of Lake Orumieh (Chichesht), Konzak City.

Ruins such as these and the UNESCO world heritage site at the Sassanid compound of Takht-i-Suleiman illustrate the strategic importance and tumultuous history of the province through the millennia. Overall, the province enjoys a wealth of historical attractions, with 169 sites registered by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.

The province continued to experience many wars and ethnic unrest over the centuries. Numerous Azari Turks arrived in the region, including to the west of Lake Urmia beginning around the 13th century.(E.I. p.206).

The first monarch of Iran's Qajar dynasty, Agha Muhammad Khan, was coronated in Urmia in 1795.

Significant events in the 20th century that took place are:

• the Soviet occupation in 1946;
• the foundation and destruction of the Republic of Mahabad in 1946; and
• periodic severe fighting from 1979 until 1990s (and even to the present, but on a smaller scale [3]) between Kurdish (nationalist and communist) forces and the Iranian government. At times, large parts of the province were without government control[4].

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki