37°36′N47°00′E / 37.6°N 47.0°E /37.6; 47.0Azerbaijan orAzarbaijan (Persian/Azerbaijani:آذربایجان,romanized: Āzarbāyjān,Persian pronunciation:[ɒːzæɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn],Azerbaijani pronunciation:[ɑːzæɾbɑjˈdʒɑn]), also known asIranian Azerbaijan,^[1] is ahistorical region in northwesternIran that bordersIraq andTurkey to the west andArmenia,Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani exclave of theNakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the north.

Iranian Azerbaijan includes three northwestern Iranian provinces:West Azerbaijan,East Azerbaijan andArdabil.^[2][3] Some authors also includeZanjan in this list, some in a geographical sense,^[4] others only culturally (due to the predominance of the Azeri Turkic population there).^[5] The region is mostly populated byAzerbaijanis, with minority populations ofKurds,Armenians,Tats,Talysh,Assyrians andPersians.

Iranian Azerbaijan is the landoriginally and historically called Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijani-populated Republic of Azerbaijan appropriated the name of the neighbouring Azerbaijani-populated region in Iran during the 20th century.^[6][7][8] Historic Azerbaijan was calledAtropatene in antiquity andAturpatakan (Adurbadagan) in the pre-Islamic Middle Ages. Some people refer to Iranian Azerbaijan asSouth (or Southern) Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan as Northern Azerbaijan,^[9] although others believe that these terms areirredentist and politically motivated.^[10][11][12]

Following military defeats at the hands of theRussian Empire,Qajar Persia ceded all of its territories in theNorth Caucasus andTranscaucasia to Russia via theTreaty of Gulistan of 1813 and theTreaty of Turkmenchay of 1828.^[13] The territories south of theAras River, which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran.^[14] The territories north of the Aras River, which were not known by the name Azerbaijan at the time of their capture by Russia, were absorbed into the Russian Empire, renamed theAzerbaijan Democratic Republic during the country's short-lived independence from 1918 to 1920,^[15] incorporated into theSoviet Union as theAzerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, and finally became the independent Republic of Azerbaijan when theSoviet Union dissolved.

The name Azerbaijan itself is derived fromAtropates,^[16] thePersian^[17][18][19]Satrap (governor) ofMedea in theAchaemenid Empire, who ruled a region found in modern Iranian Azerbaijan calledAtropatene. Atropates's name is believed to be derived from theOld Persian roots meaning "protected by fire."^[20] The name is also mentioned in theAvestan Frawardin Yasht:âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to: "We worship theFravashi of the holy Atare-pata."^[21] According to theEncyclopaedia of Islam: "InMiddle Persian the name of the province was called Āturpātākān, older new-Persian Ādharbādhagān (آذربادگان/آذرآبادگان), Ādharbāyagān, at present Āzerbāydjān/Āzarbāydjān,GreekAtropatēnḗ (Ἀτροπατηνή),Byzantine GreekAdravigánon (᾿Αδραβιγάνων),ArmenianAtrpatakan (Ատրպատական),SyriacAdhorbāyghān."^[22] The name Atropat in Middle Persian was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism. A famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels.^[23] Azerbaijan, due to its numerous fire-temples has also been quoted in a variety of historic sources as being the birthplace of the prophetZoroaster although modern scholars have not yet reached an agreement on the location of his birth.^[24]

In the early 19th century,Qajar Iran was forced to cede toImperial Russia its Caucasian territories north of theAras River (modern-dayDagestan,Georgia,Armenia, and the Republic ofAzerbaijan), through the treaties ofGulistan (1813) andTurkmenchay (1828). Following the disintegration of the Russian Empire in 1917, as well as the short-livedTranscaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, in 1918, the leadingMusavat government adopted the name "Azerbaijan" for the newly establishedAzerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was proclaimed on May 27, 1918,^[25] for political reasons,^[26][27] even though the name of "Azerbaijan" had always been used to refer to the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran.^[6][7][8] Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify the Iranian province of Azerbaijan.^{[7][8][15][28]}

The oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of theMannea who ruled a region south-east ofLake Urmia centered around modernSaqqez. The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups. According to Professor Zadok:

it is unlikely that there was any ethnolinguistic unity in Mannea. Like other peoples of theIranian plateau, the Manneans were subjected to an ever-increasing Iranian (i.e., Indo-European) penetration.^[29]

The Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was calledMatiene, with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire and then a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire.

According toEncyclopædia Britannica, theMedes were an:

Indo-European people, related to the Persians, who entered northeastern Iran probably as early as the 17th century BC and settled in the plateau land that came to be known as Media.^[30]

AfterAlexander the Great conqueredPersia, he appointed (328 BC) as governor the Persian generalAtropates, who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known asAtropatene or Media Atropatene (after Atropates), was much disputed. In the 2nd century BC, it was liberated fromSeleucid domination byMithradates I ofArsacid dynasty, and was later made a province of theSassanid Empire ofArdashir I. Under the Sassanids, Azerbaijan was ruled by amarzubān, and, towards the end of the period, belonged to the family ofFarrokh Hormizd.

Large parts of the region were conquered by theKingdom of Armenia. Large parts of the region made up part ofhistorical Armenia. The parts of historical Armenia within what is modern-day Azerbaijan comprise;Nor Shirakan,Vaspurakan, andPaytakaran. Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan is described as the cradle ofArmenian civilization.^[31]

On 26 May 451 AD, a very important battle was fought that would prove immensely pivotal inArmenian history. On theAvarayr Plain, at what is modern-dayChurs (modern-dayWest Azerbaijan Province), the Armenian Army underVardan Mamikonian clashed withSassanid Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield itself, the battle proved to be a major strategic victory for Armenians, as Avarayr paved the way to theNvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely.^[32][33]

Heraclius, theByzantine emperor, briefly held the region in the 7th century until peace was made with the Sassanids. After theIslamic Conquest of Iran,Arab invaders converted most of its people toIslam and made it part of thecaliphate.

During theArab invasion of Iran, theSpahbed of Iran wasRostam Farrokhzad, the son ofFarrukh Hormizd, who was the son ofVinduyih, the uncle ofKhosrau I and brother of the Sasanian usurperVistahm. Rustam himself was born in Azerbaijan and led theSasanian army into battle. He is also mentioned in theShahnameh.

The Sasanian army was defeated at thebattle of al-Qādisiyyah andRostam Farrokhzad, along with many other Sasanian veterans, was killed. In 642,Piruz Khosrow, one of the Sasanian survivors during the battle of al-Qādisiyyah, fought against the Muslims atNahavand, which was a gateway to the provinces of Azerbaijan,Armenia andCaucasian Albania. The battle was fierce, but the Sasanian troops lost during the battle. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to enter Azerbaijan. The Muslims then invaded Azerbaijan and capturedIsfandiyar, the son ofFarrukhzad. Isfandiyar then promised, in return for his life, that he would agree to surrender his estates in Azerbaijan and aid the Muslims in defeating his brother, Bahram. Bahram was then defeated and sued for peace. A pact was drawn up according to which Azerbaijan was surrendered toCaliphUmar on usual terms of paying the annualJizya.

Muslims settled in Azerbaijan as they did in many parts of Iran. According to theIranian Azerbaijani historianAhmad Kasravi, more Muslims settled in Azerbaijan compared to other provinces due to the province's plentiful and fertile pastures. Local revolts against the Caliphate were common and the most famous of these revolts was the PersianKhurramite movement.

After the revolt ofBabak Khorramdin, who was a Zoroastrian of neo-Mazdakite background, theAbbasid caliphate's grip on Azerbaijan weakened, allowing native dynasties to rise in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was taken over by the KurdishDaisam and theSallaridMarzuban, the latter united it withArran,Shirvan, and most ofEastern Armenia. After confrontations with the localDailamite andKurdish populations who had already established their own dynasties and emirates in different parts of Azerbaijan, theSeljuks dominated the region in the 11th and early 12th centuries, at which point the linguistic Turkification of the native Iranian populations began. In 1136, Azerbaijan fell to the Atabakan-e-Azerbaijan and Atabakan-e-Maragheh. It was later invaded by the Khwarizm Shah Jalal ad-din who held Azerbaijan until the advent of the Mongol invasions.

In the early years of the 13th century, large parts of Azerbaijan were conquered by theKingdom of Georgia, at the time led byTamar the Great. Under the command of the brothers Zakaria and IvaneMkhargrdzeli, the Georgians conquered Ardabil and Tabriz in 1208, and Qazvin and Khoy in 1210.^{[34][35][36][37]}

TheMongols underHulagu Khan established their capital atMaragheh. The bookSafina-yi Tabriz describes the general state ofTabriz during theIlkhanid period. After being conquered byTimur in the 14th century, Tabriz became an important provincial capital of theTimurid empire. Later, Tabriz became the capital of theKara Koyunlu empire.

It was out ofArdabil (ancient Artavilla) that theSafavid dynasty arose to renew the state of Persia and establish Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran. Around the same time, the population of what is now Azerbaijan and Iranwere converted to Shiism,^[38] and both nations remain the only nations in the world with a significantly Shia majority, with Iran having the largest Shia population by percentage, with the Republic of Azerbaijan having the second-largest Shia population by percentage.^[39][40]

After 1502, Azerbaijan became the chief bulwark and military base of the Safavids. It was the chief province from which the various Iranian empires would control theirCaucasian provinces, all the way up toDagestan in the early 19th century. In the meantime, between 1514 and 1603, the Ottomans sometimes occupied Tabriz and other parts of the province duringtheir numerous wars with their Safavid ideological and political archrivals. The Safavid control was restored by Shah Abbas but during the Afghan invasion (1722–8) the Ottomans recaptured Azerbaijan and other western provinces of Iran, untilNader Shah expelled them. At the beginning of the reign ofKarim Khan Zand, theAzad Khan Afghan unsuccessfully revolted in Azerbaijan and later the Dumbuli Kurds ofKhoy and other tribal chiefs ruled various parts of the territory. Azad Khan was defeated however byErekle II. With the advent of the Qajars, Azerbaijan became the traditional residence of the heirs-apparent. Even until then Azerbaijan remained the main area from where the high-ranked governors would control the various territories andKhanates of the Caucasus while the main power stayed inTehran.

Though the firstQajar Iranian ruler,Agha Mohammad Khan, had reconquered theCaucasus and all of Iran in several swift campaigns, such as theharsh re-subjugation of Georgia in 1795, Iran would eventually irrevocably lose all of the Caucasus region to neighbouring Imperial Russia during the course of the 19th century, which had a crucial impact on the region of modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan. Shortly after the reconquest of Georgia, Agha Mohammad Shah was assassinated while preparing a second expedition in 1797 inShusha.^[41] The reassertion of Iranian hegemony over Georgia did not last long; in 1799 the Russians marched intoTbilisi,^[42] which would mark the beginning of the end of the Iranian-ruled domains in the Caucasus, comprising modern-dayGeorgia,Armenia, theRepublic of Azerbaijan, andDagestan thanks to the 19th centuryRusso-Persian Wars.^[14]

Since the late 17th/early 18th century, the Russians were actively pursuing an expansionist policy towards its neighbouring empires to its south, namely the Ottoman Empire and the successive Iranian kingdoms. Agha Mohammad Khan's death and the Russian troops entering the Iranian possession of Tbilisi in 1799, led directly to theRusso-Persian War (1804–1813), the first of a number of Russo-Persian wars during the 19th century,^[41] and the most devastating and humiliating one. By the end of the war in 1813 and the resultingTreaty of Gulistan, Qajar Iran was forced to cede Georgia, most of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan to Russia. The only Caucasian territories remaining in Iranian hands were what is nowArmenia, theNakhichevan Khanate, and theTalysh Khanate. The next war, theRusso-Persian War (1826–1828), resulted in an even more humiliating defeat, with Iran being forced to cede the remaining Caucasian regions,^[14] as well as having Russian troops temporarily occupying Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan. As Iran was unwilling to allow the Russians to gain possession over its Caucasian territories in theNorth Caucasus andSouth Caucasus, the millennia-old ancient ties between Iran and the Caucasus region were only severed by the superior Russian force of Russia through these 19th-century wars.^[41]

The area to the north of the riverAras, which included the territory of the contemporary republic of Azerbaijan, eastern Georgia, Dagestan, and Armenia, were Iranian territory until they were occupied by Russia during the 19th century.^{[13][14][43][44][45][46][47]}

Through the course of the 19th century Iran lost to Russia regions^[14] which had been part Iran for centuries.^[41] By the end of the 19th century, the border between Iran and Russia was set more southwards, at theAras River, which is currently the border between Iran and Armenia – Azerbaijan.

Subsequently, the Russians were very influential in Northern Iran including Azerbaijan (as Northern Iran fell intoRussia's sphere of influence for decades). After 1905, the representatives of Azerbaijan were very active in theIranian Constitutional Revolution as a result to this Russian influence.

The Russian (Tsarist) army occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1909 and again in 1912–1914 and 1915–1918, followed by Ottoman forces in 1914–1915 and 1918–1919; Bolshevik forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran in 1920–1921,^[48] and Soviet forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1941, creating a very short-lived autonomous,Soviet-supported state from November 1945 to November 1946,^[49] which was dissolved after the reunification of Iranian Azerbaijan with Iran in November of the same year. The period roughly from the last majorRusso-Persian War up to this date is so-called the period of high Russian influences in Iran. All of Northern Iran, including Iranian Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Qazvin, and many other places all the way up to Isfahan fell into the Russian sphere of influence. Russian armies were stationed in many regions of Iranian Azerbaijan, Russian schools were founded, and many Russianssettled in the region, but less than inGilan andMazandaran. Also, Azerbaijan saw the large influx of the so-calledWhite émigrées who fled to Iran following theBolshevik revolution in Russia. Iranian nationalism is partly the product of Azerbaijani intellectuals.^[50][51] Azerbaijani provinces have played a major in the cultural and economic life of Iran in both the Pahlavi era as well as the Iranian Constitutional and Islamic revolution.

The Iranian provinces of Azerbaijan, both West and East, possess a large number of monuments from all periods of history.^[52]

Iranian Azerbaijan is generally considered the north-west portion of Iran comprising the provinces ofEast Azerbaijan,West Azerbaijan, andArdabil.^[53] It shares borders with theRepublic of Azerbaijan,^[54] Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. There are 17 rivers and two lakes in the region. Cotton, nuts, textiles, tea, machinery, and electrical equipment are the main industries. The northern,alpine region, which includesLake Urmia, is mountainous, with deep valleys and fertile lowlands.

The region is bounded in the north byArmenia and theRepublic of Azerbaijan and in the West byLake Urmia and Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran, and in the East byGilan.

• Sabalan is an inactivestratovolcano inArdabil province of northwesternIran. It is the third highest mountain in Iran and has a permanentcrater lake formed at its summit. Sabalan has aski resort (Alvares) and different tourist areas such as theSarein spa. The mountain is known for its beautiful vistas, including the Shirvan gorge, where few climbers ever venture. Elevation of Sabalan is 4,811 m (15,784 ft).^[55]
• Sahand is a massive, heavily erodedstratovolcano in northwesternIran. At 3,707 m (12,162 ft), it is the highest mountain in the Iranian province ofEast Azerbaijan.
• Eynali is a small mountain range in north ofTabriz,Iran. The range has a couple of peaks including Eynali (1,800 m or 5,910 ft), Halileh (1,850 m or 6,070 ft), Pakeh-chin (1,945 m or 6,381 ft), Bahlul (1,985 m or 6,512 ft) and the highest one Dand (2,378 m or 7,802 ft).^[56]
• Mount Bozgush andAğ Dağ is a 3,306-metre (10,846 ft)^[57] volcanic mountain 20 km (10 mi) south ofSarab and north ofMianeh,East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Tulips are cultivated on the rich volcanic soil of Mount Bozgush, and medicinal herbs such aspennyroyal,thyme,borage,nettle andliquorice grow wild on the mountain's slopes. Mount Bozgush is astratovolcano composed mostly ofandesite.

•  
  Sabalan
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  Sahand
•  
  Eynali

Most of the biggest rivers in Azerbaijan flow into eitherUrmia Lake or theCaspian Sea (both of which areendorheic). Some of the major rivers are:

• Urmia Lake basin:Aji Chay (Quri Chay),Zarriné-Rūd,Gadar River and many small permanent and seasonal rivers.
• Caspian Sea basin:Qizil Üzan,Sefīd-Rūd andAras River (Zangmar River).

Arasbārān, in the formerQaradagh, is aUNESCO registeredbiosphere reserve (since 1976) and an IranianDept. of Environment designated "Protected Area" inEast Azarbaijan Province,Iran, with a varying altitude from 256 m (840 ft) in the vicinity of theAras River to 2,896 m (9,501 ft) and covers an area of 78,560 hectares (194,100 acres; 303.3 sq mi). The biosphere is also home to some 23,500nomads.^[58] Arasbaran is confined toAras River in the north,Meshgin Shahr County and Moghan in the east,Sarab County in the south, andTabriz andMarand counties in the west.

• Urmia Lake is asalt lake near Iran's border withTurkey. The lake is between the provinces ofEast Azerbaijan andWest Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shapedCaspian Sea. It is the largest lake in theMiddle East.^[59]
• Shorabil Lake is located in a hilly area south ofArdabil.Ardabil University is located near the lake.^[60]
• Gori Lake is a small fresh to brackishlake in the uplands ofEast Azerbaijan Province. Together with the adjacent reed marshes it is an important breeding area forwaterfowl. A 1.2 km² (0.46 sq mi) site was designated as aRamsar Convention wetland protection site on 23 June 1975.
• Neor Lake is located in a hilly area south of the province of Ardabil, on the Ardabil–Khalkhal road.

•  
  Shorabil Lake at night
•  
  Marmishu Lake inUrmia County
•  
  Neor Lake on theArdabil –Khalkhal road

TheMugan plain is a plain located between Iran and the southern part of theRepublic of Azerbaijan. The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mugan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of theAras river extending to Iran.^[61]

TheUrmia Plain is in theWest Azerbaijan Province, situated on western side of Lake Urmia and the eastern side of Turkish border.^[62]

Of the 86 members ofAssembly of Experts, 11 are representative of the Azerbaijan region.Ali Meshkini fromMeshgin Shahr^[63] in theArdabil Province wasChairmen of the Assembly of Experts since 1983 to 2007.

• 5 representative of East Azerbaijan.
• 3 representative of West Azerbaijan.
• 2 representative of Ardabil Province.
• 1 representative of Zanjan Province.

Of the 290 members ofIslamic Consultative Assembly, 44 are representative of Azerbaijan region. in the Azerbaijan region 40/44 Azerbaijani are in parliament the members of theFraction of Turkic regions.^[64]

Electorate According toCounty

^[65]

• Mohammadreza Nematzadeh:Minister of Industries and Business^[66]
• Hamid Chitchian:Minister of Energy^[67]
• Shahindokht Molaverdi:vice president of Iran the sectionWomen and Family Affairs.^[68][69]

SeveralIranian Army andSepah divisions and brigades are based in Azerbaijan, including:

The economy in Iranian Azerbaijan is based on Heavy industries, food industries, agriculture, and handicraft. The biggest economic hub is Tabriz which contains the majority of heavy industries and food industries. Iranian Azerbaijan has two free trade zones designated to promote international trade:Aras Free Zone and Maku Free Zone. The agriculture industry in Iranian Azerbaijan is relatively better than many other parts of the country because of comparatively higher precipitation. Handicrafts are mostly a seasonal industry mostly in rural areas during wintertime when the agriculture season is finished. There are 500 important production and industrial unit in this area.^[73] in October 2016, 500 Regional economic giant was introduced in 5 areas and 19 groups.^[74]

• Tabriz International Exhibition Center: which is a complex with vast exhibition infrastructures, is located in the eastern part ofTabriz. It holds over forty commerce exhibitions on a yearly schedule. The most famous fair is TEXPO, which is a general trade fair.
• Aras Free Zone: is situated inEast Azerbaijan province, in the north-west ofIran, adjacent toNakhchivan Autonomous Republic,Armenia and the Republic ofAzerbaijan.^[75] Existence of thegreenhouse town in the AFTZ, which has been built upon cooperation of Agricultural Jihad Ministry, has paved the ground for presence of investors in the arena of plantinghydroponic products.^[75] The 500-megawatt combined cyclepower plant project which is currently underway in AFTZ as a joint investment venture with foreign parties.^[75]
• Maku Free Zone: is situated inWest Azerbaijan province, in the north-west ofIran, adjacent toTurkey.

Industries include machine tools, vehicle factories, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, food processing, cement, textiles, electric equipment, and sugar milling. Oil and gas pipelines run through the region. Wool, carpets, and metalware are also produced. In some factories and major companies in Azerbaijan include:

• Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company (ITMCO), a producer oftractor, diesel engines, and other auto parts, and provider of industrial services with its headquarter and main site inTabriz.^[76]ITMCO has manufacturing sites in several countries and it exports different products to ten countries.^[76] The company isISO 9001 audited, and has received several awards of quality and exporting.^[76]ITMCO is listed as one of Iran's 100 fortune brands.
• Goldstone Tires, operating under thebrand Goldstone Tires is an Iranian manufacturer oftire for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, and heavy earth-mover machinery inArdabil. Artawheel Tire is currently the largest non-government owned tire manufacturer in Iran by market share.^[77] The company currently has agreements withIran Khodro Tabriz to develop tires for thePeugeot 206 models.^[78]
• Mashin Sazi Tabriz (MST) is a manufacturer of industrial machinery and tools inTabriz. The major products of the factory are turning machines, milling machines, drilling machines, grinding machines, and tools.
• Rakhsh Khodro Diesel is an Iraniantruck manufacturer established in 2005 and located inTabriz. This company is a strategic partner ofKamaz of Russia,JAC andJinbei of China andMaz-Man of Belarus, and produces Kamaz trucks, JAC light trucks, and its own designed minibus. Its headquarters is inTabriz.
• Amico is an Iranian truck manufacturer established in 1989 and located in Jolfa near Tabriz. This company produces light and heavy diesel vehicles.^[79]
• Iran Khodro Tabriz, whose headquarters is in Tehran, is the leading Iranian vehicle manufacturer; it has the country's largest car factory in Tehran and five other vehicle factories. The company's original name was "Iran National".^[80] Until 2014, Iran Khodro Tabriz had a capacity of 520,000 vehicles,^[81] building 150Samand Arisan cars per day instead of the Bardo Pick-up Paykan.^[82] The site also produces 100IKCO Samands per day.^[83]
• Other major petrochemical companies, oil refineries and industries include Machine works Company of Tabriz, Iranian Diesel Engine Manufacturing (IDEM), Tabriz Oil Refinery, Tabriz Petrochemical, and Copper Mine Songon.

The Ardabil Carpet andTabriz rug the best kind ofIranian carpet. Now 40 percent ofIranian carpet exports are carried throughEast Azarbaijan.^[84] Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are important:

• Tabriz rug is a type in the general category ofIranian carpets^[85][86][87] from the city ofTabriz.
• Heriz rug arePersian rugs from the area ofHeris, East Azerbaijan, northeast ofTabriz. Such rugs are produced in the village of the same name in the slopes ofMount Sabalan.
• Ardabil rug andArdabil carpet originate fromArdabil. Ardabil has a long and illustrious history of Azerbaijani carpet weaving. The reign of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries represented the peak of Azerbaijani carpet making in the region.
• Karadagh rug or Karaja rug is handmade in or near the village of Qarājeh (Karaja), in the Qareh Dāgh (Karadagh) region just south of theAzerbaijan border, northeast of Tabrīz. The best-known pattern shows three geometric medallions that are somewhat similar to those in Caucasian carpets. The central one has a latch-hooked contour and differs in colour from the others, which are eight-pointed stars.^[88]

•  
  The Ardabil Carpet
•  
  Tabriz rug
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  Heriz rug
•  
  Karadagh rug

More than fifty percent of entire Iranian food exports are carried from Iranian Azerbaijan.^[89] The major hub for the food industry in the region is Tabriz which includes theShirin Asal, Aydin, Shoniz, Anata, Baraka and Chichak manufacturers.^{[citation needed]} Outside of Tabriz Minoo Industrial Group inKhorramdarreh is another nationally recognized food manufacturer.^[90]

The principle crops of the region are grains, fruits, cotton, rice, nuts, and tobacco.

Iranian Azerbaijanis, are aTurkic-speaking people, of which are largely of Iranian origin.^[91] They number between 16 and 24 percent^{[92][93][94][95]} and between 15 and 16 million^[96][97][98] ofIran's population, and comprise by far the second-largest ethnic group in the nation.^[99] In the Azerbaijan region, the population consists mainly ofAzeris.^[53] Azeris are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in many cities ofWest Azerbaijan Province.^[100] Iranian Azerbaijan is one of the richest and most densely populated regions of Iran. Many of these various linguistic, religious, and tribal minority groups, and Azeris themselves have settled widely outside the region.^[101] The majority Azeris are followers ofShi'a Islam. The Iranian Azeris mainly reside in the northwest provinces, including the Iranian Azerbaijan provinces (East Azerbaijan,West Azerbaijan andArdabil),Zanjan, as well as regions of the North^[102] toHamadan County^[103] andShara District^[103] in the EastHamadan Province, some regionsQazvin Province^[104][105] and also Azerbaijani minorities living inMarkazi,^[106]Kordestan,^[107]Gilan,^[108][109] andKermanshah.^h[110]

Smaller groups, such asArmenians,Assyrians,Kurds,Tats,Talyshs,Jews,Circassians, (and otherPeoples of the Caucasus), andPersians also inhabit the region.

The majority ofAzerbaijanis in Azerbaijan are followers ofTwelver ShiaIslam.^[111] Azerbaijanis commemorate Shia holy days (ten first days of the holy month ofMuharram) minority Sunni Azerbaijani Turks (Shafi andHanafi) who live in theArdabil Province (Hashatjin^[112] and villages ofBileh Savar County)^[113] andWest Azerbaijan province (near the cities ofUrmia,Khoy andSalmas) and have population about 200,000 people in this area.^[114]

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  Muharram inArdabil
•  
  Blue Mosque inTabriz
•  
  Jameh Mosque of Urmia
•  
  Jameh Mosque of Zanjan

Azerbaijani people mostly live in northwest parts of Iran, but large Azerbaijani populations can be found inKhorasan,^[115] mostly inMashhad,^[116] as well ascentral Iran, due tointernal migration toTehran,^[115]Karaj,^[105] andQum.^[115] Where they have settled, they have become prominent – not only among urban and industrial working classes – but also in commercial, administrative, political, religious, and intellectual circles.^[115] Azerbaijanis make up 25%–33%^[104][105] ofTehran and ofTehran Province's population. They are the largest ethnic groups afterPersians in Tehran and the Tehran Province.^[117] The governor of Tehran isHossein Hashemi^[118] fromSarab; he was born in East Azerbaijan;^[119]Ali Khamenei, theSupreme Leader of Iran, was born inMashhad and is ofAzeri origin.^{[120][121][122]} The journalsVarliq andAzari are printed by theAzerbaijani people inTehran.

According to the population census of 2012, the four provinces ofEast Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,724,620),West Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,080,576),Zanjan (2012 pop. 1,015,734), andArdabil (2012 pop. 1,248,488) have a combined population of 9 million people.^[123]

Azerbaijan's major cities areTabriz^[104][105] (the capital ofEast Azerbaijan),Urmia^[104][105] (the capital ofWest Azerbaijan),Zanjan^[104][105] (the capital ofZanjan Province),Ardabil^[104][105] (the capital ofArdabil Province) and Major cities non-capital of Province's Azerbaijan areKhoy andMaragheh.^[104][105]

DuringHassan Rouhani'sgovernment, theMinistry of Interior declared^[125] that the provinces of Iran would be organized into regions.Region 3 in Northwest Iran includesEast Azerbaijan Province,West Azerbaijan Province,Ardabil Province,Zanjan Province,Gilan Province, andKurdistan Province.^{[126][127][128][129][130]}

Azerbaijanis have influenced Iranian culture while also being influenced by their non-Iranian neighbors, particularlyCaucasians andRussians. The majority of Azerbaijanis in both Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan areShiite Muslims. They celebrateNowruz, the Iranian new year, at the arrival of spring. Azerbaijan has adistinct music that is tightly connected to the music of other Iranian peoples such asPersian music andKurdish music, and also the music of theCaucasian peoples. Although theAzerbaijani language is not an official language of Iran it is widely used, mostly orally, among theIranian Azerbaijanis.^{[citation needed]}

Many poets that came from Azerbaijan wrote poetry in bothPersian andAzerbaijani. Renowned poets inAzerbaijani language areNasimi,Shah Ismail I (who was known with the pen-name “Khata'i”),Fuzuli,Nasimi, andJahan Shah were probably born outside what is now Iranian Azerbaijan.Azerbaijani was the dominant language of the Turkish ruling dynasties of the area, such asAk Koyunlu,^[131]Kara Koyunlu,^[132] and was later used in theSafavid court, until Isfahan became the capital,^[133] and by religious, military and state dignitaries.^[134][135] In the 16th century, Azerbaijani literature further flourished with the development ofAshik (Azerbaijani:Aşıq) poetic genre of bards. During the same period, under the pen-name of “Khaṭāʾī” (Azerbaijani:خطائی,lit. 'theCathayan')^[136][137]Shah Ismail I wrote about 1,400 verses in Azerbaijani,^[138] which were later published as hisDivan. A unique literary style known asqoshma (Azerbaijani:qoşma forimprovisation) was introduced in this period, and developed by Shah Ismail and later by his son and successor, ShahTahmasp andTahmasp I.^[131] In the span of the 17th century, 18th and 19th century, Fizuli's unique genres as wellAshik poetry were taken up by prominent poets and writers such asQovsi Tabrizi,Shah Abbas Sani,Khasta Qasim,Mirza Fatali Akhundov,Seyid Abulgasim Nabati,Ali Mojuz and others.

An influential piece of post-World War II Azerbaijani poetry,Heydar Babaya Salam (Greetings to Heydar Baba) was written by Azeri poetMohammad Hossein Shahriar. This poem, published inTabriz in 1954 and written in colloquial Azerbaijani, became popular amongIranians and the people ofAzerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. InHeydar Babaya Salam, Shahriar expressed his identity as an Iranian attached to his homeland, language, and culture. Heydar Baba is a hill near Khoshknab, the native village of the poet.

Azerbaijan is mentioned favorably on many occasions inPersian literature byIran's greatest authors and poets. Examples:

گزیده هر چه در ایران بزرگان
زآذربایگان و ری و گرگان
All the nobles and greats of Iran,
Choose from Azerbaijan,Ray, andGorgan.
—Vis o Ramin

از آنجا بتدبیر آزادگان
بیامد سوی آذرآبادگان
From there the wise and the free,
set off to Azerbaijan
—Nizami

به یک ماه در آذرآبادگان
ببودند شاهان و آزادگان
For a month's time, The Kings and The Free,
Would choose in Azerbaijan to be
—Ferdowsi

Nine historical sites in Azerbaijan have been designated asWorld Heritage Sites byUNESCO:

• Bazaar of Tabriz: is one of the oldestbazaars in theMiddle East and the largest covered bazaar in theworld. The bazaar was declared to be a World Heritage Site in July 2010.^[139][140]
• Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble: is the tomb of SheikhSafi-ad-din Ardabili located inArdabil,Iran.^[141] In 2010, it was registered on theUNESCO World Heritage List.^[142]
• Takht-e Soleymān: literally the Throne of Solomon, in earlier ancient periods known asShiz orAdur Gushnasp,^[143] literally the Fire of the Warrior Kings) is an archaeological site inWest Azerbaijan. It lies midway betweenUrmia andHamadan, very near the present-day town ofTakab.
• Dome of Soltaniyeh: located nearZanjan, 240 kilometres (150 mi) to the north-west ofTehran, used to be the capital of MongolIlkhanid rulers ofPersia in the 14th century. Its name translates as The Imperial. In 2005, UNESCO listed Soltaniyeh as one of the World Heritage Sites. The road from Zanjan to Soltaniyeh extends until it reaches to theKatale khor cave.
• The Armenian Monastic Ensemble:St. Thaddeus Monastery,Saint Stepanos Monastery,Church of the Holy Mother of God, Darashamb,Chapel of Dzordzor, andChurch of Chupan are World Heritage Sites.

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  Bazaar of Tabriz
•  
  Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble
•  
  Takht-e Soleymān
•  
  Soltanieh Dome inSoltaniyeh
•  
  Qara Klisa

There are many universities in Azerbaijan, included units and centers:public university andprivate university,Islamic Azad University,Payame Noor University, Nonprofit educational institutions,University of Applied Science and Technology.

Some of the most prestigious public universities in the area are:

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  Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
•  
  Physics department interior ofIASBS inZanjan
•  
  University of Zanjan
•  
  Joseph Cochran in Westminster Hospital Urmia (nowUrmia University of Medical Sciences)
•  
  Shahid Chamran Hall (central library) – of theUniversity of Urmia
•  
  Behnam House is part of the School of Architecture ofTabriz Islamic Arts University.
•  
  University of Tabriz's Tower
•  
  Maragheh observatory

Azeri style is a style (sabk) of architecture when categorizingIranian architecture development in Azerbaijan history. Landmarks of this style of architecture span from the late 13th century (Ilkhanate) to the appearance of theSafavid dynasty in the 16th century CE.^[144]

Ashik is a mystic bard, balladeer, or troubadour who accompanied his song be it a hikaye or a shorter original composition with a long-necked lute. The modern Azerbaijani ashiq is a professional musician who usually serves an apprenticeship, masters playing saz, and builds up a varied but individual repertoire of Turkic folk songs.^[145] andThe Coffeehouse of Ashiks is a coffeehouse in cities of Azerbaijan where ashiks performTurkish hikaye.^[146] In cities, towns, and villages of Iranian Azerbaijan ashiks entertain audiences in coffeehouses.^[147]

Azerbaijan Cultural and Literature Foundation, was founded for the purpose of research, study and promote the study of the culture, art, language, literature, and history of Azerbaijan in four provinces (East Azerbaijan,West Azerbaijan,Ardabil, andZanjan) of Azerbaijan region.^[148]

Iranian Azerbaijan is connected to other parts of Iran and the world via several air routes. There are seven civil airports in the region and the biggest Airport in the region isTabriz International Airport located in north-west of Tabriz. The other Airports are:

Ata Airlines is anairline based inTabriz,Iran. Operates scheduled domestic services and international services in theMiddle East, as well as charter services includingEurope. Its main base isTabriz International Airport. This airplane company is in Azerbaijan withEram Air.

• Urmia Lake Bridge is a bridge in region. It crossesLake Urmia and connectsEast Azerbaijan andWest Azerbaijan.
• Meshginshahr suspension bridge is Middle East's largestsuspension bridge in height of 80 metres (260 ft).
• Tabriz Cable Bridge is the biggest cable-stayed bridge in Iran.

Azerbaijan is connected to the rest of Iranian railways through a line that connects Tabriz toTehran. This line continues from Tabriz toJolfa city in the north of East Azerbaijan province and is connected to the railways ofNakhichevan. Tabriz–Jolfa railway is one of the oldest railways in Iran that was built between 1912 and 1916. This railway line is the only part of Iranian railways that has an electric line. Tabriz also connected to Turkey through Tabriz-Razi railways which were built 1960–1961.The most important railways station in Azerbaijan isTabriz Railway Station which was founded in West ofTabriz in 1917; the current railway building of Tabriz railway station was built during the secondPahlavi era by Iranian architectHeydar Ghiaï-Chamlou. The first railroad arriving at Tabriz had been built byRussians. The railway started fromJolfa, a city on the border of Iran and the modernRepublic of Azerbaijan.

Active lines this railway included: Tabriz–Tehran, Tabriz–Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, and Tabriz–Turkey.

Tabriz Metro opened on 28 August 2015 with 7 km length and 6 stations.^[149] It will encompass 5 lines (4 lines are underground subway and 1 line is planned to connectTabriz to Sahand) and the total planned length is 75 kilometres (47 mi). Line 1 is the first line under construction that connects Shah-Golu in the southeast to Laleh district in the southwest after passing through the city center of Tabriz.^[150]

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  Tabriz Urban Railway Organization (TURO), El-Gölü Station
•  
  Tabriz Railway Station

A network of Iranian national roads connects cities and populated areas of Azerbaijan to each other and to other parts of Iran. The only freeway in Azerbaijan isFreeway 2 (Iran) which connects Tabriz to Tehran and it is planned to construct the rest of the freeway up to the Iran-Turkey border atBazargan. Other roads and highways includeRoad 32 (Iran) which connects Tehran to Tabriz and continues to the Iran-Turkey border at Bazargan. Here is a list and map of roads that pass through Azerbaijan.

• Sahand TV fromTabriz
• Eshragh TV fromZanjan
• Sabalan TV fromArdebil
• Azerbaijan TV fromUrmia

Azerbaijani language is not taught in Iranian schools; but for the first time at the level of academic education since 2016, Azerbaijani language and literature launched in Azerbaijan forTabriz University.^[151]

For the first time, Sports Olympiad of northwest in 23 sports to hostArdabil city will be held the presence ofWest Azerbaijan,East Azerbaijan,Ardabil andZanjan provinces.^[156]

Representatives of Azerbaijani in the top two leagues:

Football

• Tractor Sazi
• Machine Sazi
• Gostaresh Foolad
• Shahrdari Tabriz

Futsal

• Mes Sungun
• Behrad Ardabil

Volleyball

• Shahrdari Urmia
• Shahrdari Tabriz

Basketball

• Shahrdari Tabriz

Cycling Team

• Tabriz Petrochemical CCN Team
• Tabriz Shahrdary Team

• 2010 Asian Men's Cup Volleyball ChampionshipGhadir Arena inUrmia.
• 2012 WAFF Futsal ChampionshipGhadir Arena in Urmia.
• 2012 Asian Junior Men's Volleyball ChampionshipGhadir Arena in Urmia.
• 16th Wrestle International Children's DayShahid Poursharifi Arena inTabriz.
• 2014 Asian Men's Junior Handball ChampionshipShahid Poursharifi Arena in Tabriz.
• 1976: Part of1976 AFC Asian Cup's final tournament held inBagh Shomal Stadium, Tabriz.
• Tour of Iran (Azerbaijan) since 1986.

Large and important stadiums:

^a Reporting and estimationWorld Factbook andLibrary of Congress

^c Reporting and estimationNew America Foundation

^d Reporting and estimationMinority Rights Group International

^e Reporting and estimationBritannica Encyclopaedia

^f Reporting and estimationEthnologue

^g Reporting and estimationEncyclopædia Iranica, The number of Turkic speakers in Iran today is estimated about 16 million, The majority are ethnic Azeris

^h Just inSonqor County

^iAhmad Alirezabeighi,Zahra Saei,Masoud Pezeshkian,Mohammad Hosein Farhanghi,Shahabaddin Bimegdar,Mohammad Esmaeil Saeidi

^jHadi Bahadori,Rohollah Hazratpour andNader Ghazipour

^kReza Karimi,Sodeif Badri andMohammad Feyzi

^mAli Waqfchi andFereydun Ahmadi

^nFardin Farmand andYaqub Shivyari

^oHomayun Hashemi andJahanbakhsh Mohebbinia

• Fisher, William Bayne; Avery, P.; Hambly, G. R. G; Melville, C. (1991).The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 7. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.ISBN 0521200954.

• "Azerbaijan" (Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition; 2001–05)