West Azerbaijan province with 43,660 km (including Lake Urmia) is located in the northwest of our country "Iran". Majority of the province inhabitants are Turks, who usually live in the central, northern and southeast plains of Vakrad, as well as western and southern parts of the province. A small number of Christian, Armenian, Assyrian and Zoroastrian minorities live in West Azerbaijan. While the majority of people in the province speak Azeri Turkish, Kurdish Armenian and Assyrian are other common languages in West Azerbaijan.
West Azerbaijan has a border with three countries of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iraq in the north and east, Kurdistan province in the south, Zanjan province in southwest and Azerbaijan province in the east. West Azerbaijan province has 17 cities, 36 districts, 36 counties, 109 villages and 3728 small villages with Urmia as the capital. This province, including Lake Urmia, is located in northwestern Iran and constitutes 2.25 percent of the total area of Iran.
The diversity of ethnicities and religions has led to a variety of the customs in West Azerbaijan. People living in this province celebrate Chaharshanbe Souri (the last Wednesday of the year) in a very glorious way, and especial traditions are observed on this day, especially in the villages, among which we can mention shawl Andazi. In this ceremony, young people go to the roofs of acquaintances' houses and hang handkerchiefs from the window to encourage the house owner to fill the napkin with nuts and fruits and pray for the young. In another tradition, women stand in the corners, put a key under their feet and start fortune-telling for the people who pass by. Urmia has a famous street food called Yer Alma Kebab, which can be found in various stalls and shops. This dish is prepared with baked potatoes, boiled eggs and local vegetables.
West Azerbaijan has a variety of souvenirs. Carrot and walnut halva are the most famous souvenirs of the province, especially Urmia. Bastakh or Luzanak is another famous pastry in the city that is prepared with starch. The honey and sunflower seeds of this region are also of high quality and are known as souvenirs. Carpet and kilim weaving are common in most cities of West Azerbaijan as two of the famous handicrafts of this city. Woodcarving and wooden statue making are also among the handicrafts of this province. Ruduzi (an art similar to needlework but made of silk threads), traditional printing and pottery are also known as part of the arts and handicrafts of this province.
Extensive fertile mountains, high mountains, mild and fresh weather, flowing rivers, fertile vineyards, orchards full of various fruits, lush pastures and forests, plains and valleys full of wild flowers and azure lake have turned West Azarbaijan to one of the most beautiful and pleasant regions of Iran. West Azerbaijan is the second most water-rich province of the country with 23 permanent and seasonal rivers in West Azarbaijan province, the most important of which are Simineh River, Zarrineh River, Vogdar Chai, Mahabad River, Baranduz Chai, Shahrchai Urmia, Zola Chai Vazab Kuchak, etc. It has natural attractions like Prison of Solomon, Kazim Dashi, Lake Urmia, Basaltic Prisms, Kani Gravan Mineral Spring, Saholan Cave. Besides natural attractions, West Azerbaijan houses many historical attractions such as Khoy Bazaar, Sorp Serkis Church, Khoy Stone Gate, Jameh Mosque of Urmia, Farhad Crypt, Tomb of Shams-e Tabrizi, Chapel of Dzordzor, Takht-e Soleyman, Monastery of Saint Thaddeus, The Tomb of Seyyed Sadr al-Din, Teppe Hasanlu, Se-Gonbad Tower, and Maku Baghcheh Jugh Museum and Palace.
Tags: Takht-e Soleyman, West Azerbaijan Province, Monastery of Saint Thaddeus, West Azerbaijan Attractions, Lake Urmia, Solomon Prison, Chapel of Dzordzor, Teppe Hasanlu
After Islam conquered the Zoroastrian and Christian lands, instead of destroying fire temples and churches, Muslims converted these holy places to mosques. One of the most beautiful supreme examples of this change is Jameh Mosque of Urmia in West Azarbaijan province.
Mountain, prison, fire temple, lake, place of worship, Prophet Solomon; these are all different names of a mysterious place three kilometers west of Takht-e Soleyman in West Azarbaijan, a phenomenon that bears the burden of legend. This mountain (nowadays known as Prison of Solomon) is 110 meters high with a 76-meter pit having a diameter of 64 meters. A round and ruined tower can be seen around it.
On the northwest bank of Lake Urmia, a large stone piece stands out. This big stone, which is 60 meters high, has an eventful history in its heart; from the treasury of jewels to the military fortress. Let's get to know this 60 meter big stone more.
The largest lake in Iran, the largest salt lake in the Middle East and the border between two provinces of East and West Azerbaijan is Lake Urmia. This lake is not only a geological phenomenon, but a family member of all Iranians, which unfortunately has become a sadness for Iran.
In the west of Iran, there is a spring that offers you a wonderful combination of different pleasures of a trip.You can experience swimming in water full of minerals, and seeing multi-colored limestone rock, green plains, and beautiful access route here. Kani Gravan mineral spring located in Sardasht (West Azarbaijan province) is a special and extraordinary natural attraction that offers visitors an incredible experience.
Shams Tabrizi Tomb is one of the most beautiful and effective buildings in attracting domestic and foreign tourists to Khoy city, which is located a few dozen kilometers from the Turkey border. This mausoleum consists of a court and a 17-meter minaret that has lasted for 700 years (the only remnant of 3 minarets). There is still doubt in attributing this place to Shams Tabrizi, but the reliable documents of Turkish and Iranian sources leave no doubt.
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