Coordinates: 38°15′N 48°17′E

Ardabil
Ardabil[1] ( pronunciation , Persian: ‫اردﺑﯿﻞ‬, Azerbaijani: ‫اردﺑﯿﻞ‬, also Romanized as Ardabīl and Ardebīl)[2] is an ancient
city in Iranian Azerbaijan. Ardabil is the capital of Ardabil Province. At the 2011 census, its population was 564,365, in
Ardabil
156,324 families,[3] where the dominant majority are ethnicIranian Azerbaijanis and the primary language of the people is
‫اردﺑﯿﻞ‬
Artawil
Azerbaijani.[4][5]
City
Ardabil is known for its trade in silk and carpets. Ardabil rugs are renowned and the ancient Ardabil Carpets are
considered among the best of classicalPersian carpets. Ardabil is also home to a World Heritage Site, the Ardabil Shrine,
the sanctuary and tomb ofShaikh Safî ad-Dîn, eponymous founder of the Safavid dynasty.

Contents
Etymology
Location
History
Bazaars
Shrine and the Ardabil carpets
Ardabil carpet
The Ardabil Carpet and the V&A
Earthquakes
Tomb of Safi-ad-din Ardabili
Climate
Demography
Attractions
Geology
Music Seal
Colleges and universities
Nickname(s): ‫داراﻻﻣﺎن‬ ،‫داراﻟﻤﻠﮏ‬
Economy
Sports Ardabil
Notable Ardabilis
Twin towns and sister cities
Photo gallery
See also
References

Etymology
The name Ardabil comes from theAvesta "Artavila" which means aholy town or a holy place.[6] Coordinates: 38°15′N 48°17′E
Country Iran
Location Region 3
Province Ardabil
Ardabil is located on the Baliqly Chay River, about 70 km (43 mi) from the Caspian Sea, and 210 km (130 mi) from the County Ardabil
1 km2 (6.954 sq mi). Neighboring
city of Tabriz. It has an average altitude of 1,263 metres (4,144 ft) and total area of 18.01 Bakhsh Parliament
on the Caspian Sea and the Republic of Azerbaijan, it has been of great political and economic significance throughout Government
history, especially within the Caucasus region. It is located on an open plain 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level, just
Area
east of Mount Sabalan (4,811 m), where cold spells occur until late spring.
• Total 18.011 km2
(6.954 sq mi)
History Elevation 1,351 m (4,432 ft)

The province is believed to be as old as the Achaemenid era (ca. 550–330 BCE). It is mentioned in the Avesta, where Population (2016 census)
prophet Zoroaster was born by the river Aras and wrote his book in the Sabalan Mountains. During the Parthian era, the • Total 529,374
city had a special importance among the cities of Azerbaijan. Some Muslim historians attribute the foundation of Ardabil
• Density 18,857/km2
(48,840/sq mi)
to king Peroz I of the Sassanid Empire. The Persian poet Ferdowsi also credits the foundation of the city to Peroz I.
• Rank 17th in Iran
Ardabil suffered some damages caused by occasional raids of Huns from the 4th to 6th century CE. Peroz repaired those
Demonym(s) Ardabili
damages and fortified the city. Peroz made Ardabil the residence of provincial governorMarzban)
( of Azarbaijan.
Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30)
Due to its proximity to the Caucasus, Ardabil was always vulnerable to invasions and attacks by the mountain peoples of • Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30)
the Caucasus as well as by the steppe dwellers of South Russia past the mountains.[7] In 730-731, the Khazars managed to
Postal code 56131-56491
get past the Alan Gates, defeated and killed the Arab governor of Armenia named Al-Jarrah ibn Abdallah on the plain Area code(s) (+98) 45
[7]
outside the town of Ardabil, and subsequently captured the town, as they continued their conquests.
During the Islamic conquest of Iran, Ardabil was the largest city in north-western Iran, ahead of Derbent, and remained so Climate BSk
until the Mongol invasion period. Ardabilis fought the Mongols three times; however the city fell after the third attempt by Website www.eardabil.ir
Mongols, who massacred the Ardabilis. Incursions of Mongols and subsequently the Georgians, who, under Tamar the ardabil.ostan-ar.ir
Great, captured and sacked the city with some 12,000 citizens reputedly killed, devastated the city.[7] The city however
recovered and was in a more blossoming state than before, though by this time the principal city in the Azerbaijan region had
become Tabriz, and under the later Ilkhanate, it had become Soltaniyeh.[7]

Safavid king Ismail I, born in Ardabil, started his campaign to nationalize Iran's government and land from there, but
consequently announcedTabriz as his capital in 1501. Yet Ardabil remained an important city both politically and economically
until modern times. During the frequent Ottoman-Persian Wars, being close to the borders, it was often sacked by the Ottomans
between 1514 and 1722 as well as in 1915 duringWorld War I when the former invaded neighboring Iran.

In the early Qajar period, crown prince Abbas Mirza, son of then incumbent king (shah) Fath Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797–1834)
was the governor of Ardabil.[7] With Ardabil already once being sacked by the Russians during the Russo-Persian War of 1804-
1813, and this being the era of the Russians steadily advancing into the Iranian possessions in the Caucasus, Abbas Mirza
ordered the Napoleonic general Gardane, who served the Qajars at the time, to strengthen and fortify the town with ramparts.
During the next and final war, the Russo-Persian War of 1826-28, the ramparts were stormed by the Russian troops, who then
temporarily occupied the town.[7] The town's extensive and noted library, known as the library of Safi-ad-din Ardabili, was Shah Ismail
taken to St. Petersburg by General Ivan Paskevich with the promise that its holdings would be brought to the Russian capital for
[7]
safekeeping until they could be returned, a promise never fulfilled.

After the Russo-Persian Wars, Iran ceded its territories in the Caucasus to Russia under the terms of the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828). As a result, Ardabil was situated only 40
kilometers from the newly drawn border, becoming even more important economically as a stop on a major caravan route along which European goods entered Iran from
Russia.[8] After he visited Ardabil in 1872, German diplomat Max von Thielmann noted, in his book published in 1875, the extensive activity in the town's bazaar, as well as the
presence of many foreigners,[8] and estimated its population at 20,000.[8] During the early Iranian Constitutional Revolution, Russia occupied Ardabil together with the rest of
Iranian Azerbaijan until the eventual collapse of theRussian Empire in 1917.[7]

Bazaars
In the heart of the city, stands the ancient bazaar, described by historians of the 4th century CE as cruciform, with simply designed domes extending in four directions. Most
sections of the bazaar were constructed and renovated during theSafavid and Zand periods.[9]

Produce Bazar, Ardabil and vicinity

Located at the Meshkin Shahr gate is a market where farmers directly sell their produce to the public.

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 theSafavid 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. An Ardabil "glim" (Ardabil rug)
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,
.[10]
it is lit for ten minutes on the hour and half-hour

Earthquakes
Ardabil is associated with historical confusion between the893 Dvin earthquake which was often wrongly documented as the 893 Ardabil earthquakedue to the similarity of the
Arabic name for city ofDvin 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
[11]
160,000 livestock were killed. Severe damage was observed to roads, electrical power lines, communications and water distribution systems around Ardabil.

Climate
Cold and continental semi-arid (Köppen BSk), many tourists come to the region for its cool climate during the hot summer months. The winters are long and bitterly cold, with a
temperature plummeting to −28 °C. The annual rainfall is around 380 mm (15 in).

Climate data for Ardabil

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high 18.2 20.0 27.2 32.0 33.0 37.5 38.0 39.8 37.4 30.8 25.0 21.2 39.8
°C (°F) (64.8) (68) (81) (89.6) (91.4) (99.5) (100.4) (103.6) (99.3) (87.4) (77) (70.2) (103.6)
Average 3.0 4.5 9.3 16.7 19.7 23.2 25.0 24.7 22.6 17.5 11.4 5.7 15.3
high °C (°F) (37.4) (40.1) (48.7) (62.1) (67.5) (73.8) (77) (76.5) (72.7) (63.5) (52.5) (42.3) (59.5)
Average low −7.9 −6.3 −2.4 2.8 6.0 9.0 11.6 11.6 8.7 4.8 0.3 −4.6 2.8
°C (°F) (17.8) (20.7) (27.7) (37) (42.8) (48.2) (52.9) (52.9) (47.7) (40.6) (32.5) (23.7) (37)
Record low −31.4 −33.8 −28.8 −13.0 −8.5 −0.2 3.0 2.2 −4.4 −21.0 −24.2 −27.0 −33.8
°C (°F) (−24.5) (−28.8) (−19.8) (8.6) (16.7) (31.6) (37.4) (36) (24.1) (−5.8) (−11.6) (−16.6) (−28.8)
Average
23.3 22.1 36.1 40.0 42.6 18.9 5.9 5.5 10.4 31.8 34.5 24.4 295.5
precipitation
(0.917) (0.87) (1.421) (1.575) (1.677) (0.744) (0.232) (0.217) (0.409) (1.252) (1.358) (0.961) (11.633)
mm (inches)
Average
8.2 8.9 11.3 12.2 13.7 7.2 3.9 4.1 6.4 9.2 7.7 7.9 100.7
rainy days
Average
7.6 7.7 7.1 2.1 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 3.5 6.3 35.5
snowy days
Average
relative 75 74 73 68 71 71 69 70 74 75 74 74 72
humidity (%)
Mean
monthly
146.2 153.7 170.4 184.9 245.4 293.6 302.8 274.3 227.1 185.6 153.4 141.0 2,478.4
sunshine
hours

Source: [12]

Demography
Population (metropolitan): about 650,000
Religion:Shi'a Islam[13]
Ethnicity: Azerbaijanis[13][14]

Attractions
 Anthropology
Attraction Description
The
World Heritage Site comprising the mausoleums ofSheikh Safi and Shah Ismail I, Chini khaneh (meaning the house of chinaware), a
complex of
mosque, Jannat Sara (meaning the house of paradise), Khanaqah (the house of Dervishes), Cheragh Khaneh (the house of lamps), Shahid
Sheikh Safi-
khaneh (the house of martyrs) and Chelleh Khaneh (the place where devotees shut themselves up during the 40 days of Lent). The
ad-din
mausoleum of Sheikh Safi, the dome of which is called "Allah-Allah" has an octagonal interior
.(Virtual tour)
Ardabili
Masjid
Ruins of once magnificent and unique mosque
Jameh
Mirza Ali
Akbar
This complex dates back toQajar period
mosque and
school
Ardabil This Persian bazaar was built during Safavid period and in addition to main bazaar hall with open vaults hashammam
a and a small yet
Bazaar mystifying mosque.
Ardabil Ardabil host numerous historical bridges namelyPol-e Gilandeh, Pol-e Nayer, Pol-e Haft Cheshmeh, Pol-e Panj Cheshmeh and Pol-e She
bridges Cheshmeh and Qarah Soo Bridge, most were built during Safavid era.
Ardabil Ardabil host numerous historical bridges namelyPol-e Gilandeh, Pol-e Nayer, Pol-e Haft Cheshmeh, Pol-e Panj Cheshmeh and Pol-e She
bridges Cheshmeh and Qarah Soo Bridge, most were built during Safavid era.
Imamzadeh
Saleh The mausoleum of Imamzadeh Saleh who is a descendant of aShia Imam was built 250 years ago.
mausoleum
Saint Mary
This Armenian orthodox church has a beautiful wooden main door and painted dome built in 1876.
church
mausoleum
of Sheikh located 2 km north of Ardabil
Jebra'il
old but
always
lively
bazaar
babadavood
Friday mosque
anbaran

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 theSafavid 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.

Attraction Description
Lake located in a hilly area south of the city of Ardabil and covers an area of 640,000 m². The surface of the lake is covered with a thin white layer of
Shorabil minerals, being useful for healing skin diseases and rheumatism. Near the lake there is the leisure complex Shorabil.
of
Baliqly
Meaning "a river with many fish" in Azarbayjani language, this river originates from the Sabalan Mountains and passes through Ardabil .city
As
Chay
a result, many villages and townships have settled around this river
. It also irrigates much of the agricultural lands in this province.
River
Sabalan (Persian: ‫ ﺳﺒﻼن‬Sabalân; also called Sāvālān) is an inactive stratovolcano in Meshkinshahr Ardabil province of north-western Iran
Sabalan
about 20 miles west of Arbadil. Sabalan is the third highest mountain in Iran and a permanent crater lake has formed at the summit. Sabalan
(Savalan)
has a ski resort (Alvares) and different tourist areas such asthe Sarein spa. The mountain is known for its beautiful vistas, including the Shirvan
mountain
gorge, where few climbers ever venture.

Music

Colleges and universities

Mohaghegh Ardabili UniversityWith Mechanical Engineering as the most popular department
Ardabil University of Medical Sciences Savalan's honey.
Islamic Azad University of Ardabil
Payam Noor University of Ardabil
Soureh University of Ardabil
University of Applied Science 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 lar [15]
gest textile factory of its kind in the Middle East" in Ardabil.

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 several football teams. The most popular team in Ardabil is Shahrdari Ardabil, promoted in 2014 to the Azadegan League, the second tier of Iranian football.
The city is renowned for producing great forwards, namely formerBayern Munich player and record international goal scorerAli Daei.

Notable Ardabilis
For a complete list see:Category:People from Ardabil

Ismail I, was Shah of Iran Muqaddas Ardabili, was Rahim Aliabadi, is former Ali Salimi (Right) & Ali Daei, is a soccer
and the founder of the an eminent Shia cleric. Iranian wrestler and Farhad Ebrahimi (Left), coach, a former soccer
Safavid dynasty. winner of silver medal in were Iranian musician, player and soccer coach,
1972 Summer Olympics. composer and tar player. and all-time leading
goalscorer.

Nasrollah Nasehpour, is Ghafour Jeddi, KIA, late Javad Alizadeh, is an Hossein Rezazadeh, is a
an Iranian master IRIAF pilot and a war Iranian cartoonist. former Iranian Olympic
musician in the Radif hero. weightlifter, winner of two
instrument. gold medals in summer
Olympics, and holder of
world record in weight
lifting.

Twin towns and sister cities

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

Photo gallery
 Sheikh Safi's tomb Bazaar of Ardabil Ardabil Anthropology Sheikh Jabraeil's tomb
Museum

Shahedgah Janbazan square Mohaghegh Ardabili Winter Ash Dough, Ardabil's

University notable food

Sheikh Safi's tomb Ardabil Museum Yeddi goz bridge (Seven Lake Shorabil
Eyes bridge)

See also
Yves Bomati and Houchang Nahavandi,Shah Abbas, Emperor of Persia,1587-1629, 2017, ed. Ketab Corporation, Los Angeles,ISBN 978-1595845672,
English translation by Azizeh Azodi.
Sabalan TV
Ardabil Khanate

References
1. M. Medley (August 11, 2011)."ARDABĪL" (http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ardabil). Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
2. Ardabil can be found atGEOnet Names Server, at this link (http://geonames.nga.mil/namesgaz/), by opening the Advanced Search box, entering
"-3053565" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
3. "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)"(https://web.archive.org/web/20110920084728/http://www .amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/u
pload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/24.xls). Islamic Republic of Iran. Archived from the original (https://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/
upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/24.xls)(Excel) on 2011-11-11.
4. "Ardabil" (http://looklex.com/e.o/ardabil.htm). Looklex Encyclopaedia. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
5. "Ardabīl" (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33279/Ardabil). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
6. "Iranian Provinces: Ardabil"(http://www.iranchamber.com/provinces/06_ardabil/06_ardabil.php). iranchamber.com.
7. Bosworth, C.E. (1986)."ARDABĪL. i. History of Ardabīl."(http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ardabil)Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
8. Planhol, X. (1986). "ARDABĪL. ii. Modern Ardabīl"(http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ardabil). Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
9. "Ardabil Bazaar in Ardebil , [Iran Tourism & Touring Organization]" (http://www.itto.org/tourismattractions/?sight=317#ixzz1dKP5laje). itto.org.
10. "History of the Ardabil Carpet"(http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/History-of-the-ardabil-carpet/). vam.ac.uk.
11. Person, Waverley L (2008-07-16)."Significant Earthquakes of the World: 1997" (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqarchives/significant/sig_1997.php)
.
United States Geological Survey. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20081004192030/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqarchives/significant/sig_19
97.php) from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
12. "2005 ‫ اﯾﺴﺘﮕﺎه ﺗﺎ ﭘﺎﯾﺎن ﺳﺎل‬37 + ‫ ﻣﯿﻼدی‬2010 ‫ اﻳﺴﺘﮕﺎه ﺳﻴﻨﻮﭘﺘﻴﻚ ﻛﺸﻮر ﺗﺎ ﭘﺎﯾﺎن ﺳﺎل‬166 ‫( "آﻣﺎر‬http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/iranarchive.asp). Retrieved
13 February 2016.
13. Federal Research Division (2004).Iran: A Country Study (https://books.google.com/books?id=w7_e4qjR854C&pg=P
A123). Kessinger Publishing. p. 123.
ISBN 978-1-4191-2670-3.
14. Joshua Project. "Talysh, Talish in Iran" (http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=15220&rog3=IR). joshuaproject.net.
15. "Huge textile factory, largest in Middle East tobecome operational in Ardebil"(http://www.payvand.com/news/06/jan/1190.html). payvand.com.
16. "Pact of pariahs forming between Iran and Hungary's Jobbik"(http://www.jta.org/2013/03/04/news-opinion/world/pact-of-pariahs-forming-between-iran-and-h
ungarys-jobbik). Retrieved 24 May 2015.
17. "Iran's Ardabil, Russia's Volgograd to be sisters" (http://en.mehrnews.com/news/107424/Iran-s-Ardabil-Russia-s-V
olgograd-to-be-sisters). Mehr News
Agency.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ardabil&oldid=842993830

"
This page was last edited on 26 May 2018, at 03:28(UTC).

Text is available under theCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to theTerms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of theWikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.