Ardabil province (Persian:استان اردبیل) is one of the 31provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city ofArdabil.[5] The province is in thenorthwest of the country, inRegion3, bordering theRepublic of Azerbaijan, and the Iranian provinces ofEast Azerbaijan,Zanjan, andGilan.[6] Spanning an area of 18,011 km2, and established in 1993, Ardabil was carved out of the eastern part of East Azerbaijan province.
Shah Ismail I started his campaign to nationalize Iran's government and land from here, but consequently announcedTabriz as his capital in 1500CE. Yet Ardabil remained an important city both politically and economically until modern times.
Other languages in Ardabil includeTati (in Khalkhal county) andTalysh (in Namin county). Furthermore, there is a group of Kurmanji-speaking Kurds around the city of Khalkhal known as Gormanj.[10][11] Persian is known by almost everyone in the province as it is the official language of the country, although very few speak it as their mother tongue.
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the province's population was 1,209,968 in 281,433 households.[12] The following census in 2011 counted 1,248,488 people in 337,943 households.[13] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,270,420 inhabitants in 377,423 households.[3]
The population history and structural changes of Ardabil province's administrative divisions over three consecutive censuses are shown in the following table.
Many tourists come to the region for its cool climate (max 35 °C [95 °F]) during the hot summer months. The winters are bitterly cold, with temperatures plummeting to −25 °C (−13 °F).
Its famous natural region is theSabalan mountains.[clarification needed] The province is considered the coldest province in Iran by many. Large parts of the province are green and forested.
Ardabil is the seat of the sanctuary and tomb ofShaikhSafî ad-Dîn,eponym of theSafavid dynastyKulliye.It has many hot springs and natural landscapes which attract tourists.[citation needed] The mineral springs of Ardabil are Beele-Darreh,Sareyn, Sardabeh and Booshloo, which are known throughout Iran for their medicinal qualities.
It also has a number of lakes: the largest of which are Ne'or, Shoorabil, ShoorGel, NouShahr and Alooche, which are the habitats of some species of water birds.
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. Lake Shoorabil is 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 minerals, which is useful for healing skin diseases and rheumatism. Near the lake there is the leisure complex of Shoorabil.
Ardabil is a city of great antiquity. Its origins go back 4000 to 6000 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.
One of the most ancient cities in Iran is Meshkin Shahr. It is located in the north-west of Iran in Azerbaijan, 839 kilometers from Tehran. It is the closest city to the Sabalan mountains. In the past, it was called "Khiav", "Orami", and "Varavi".
^abcdسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1395 : استان اردبیل [General Population and Housing Census 2016: Ardabil Province].مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 22 March 2019. Retrieved20 June 2025.
^Habibi, Hassan (12 September 1990) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1369/06/21 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تصویب سازمان و سلسله تابعیت عناصر و واحدهای تقسیمات کشوری استان آذربایجان شرقی به مرکزیت شهر تبریز [Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of East Azerbaijan province, centered in the city of Tabriz].لام تا کام [Lam ta Kam] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].کمیسیون سیاسی دفاعی هیأت دولت [Political Defense Commission of the Government Board].شناسه [ID] 2F97A0C4-C95C-4D40-9B57-0BFDC9DC6683.شماره دوره [Course number] 69,شماره جلد [Volume number] 3. Archived fromthe original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved18 June 2025.
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان اردبیل [General Population and Housing Census 2006: Ardabil Province].مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved20 June 2025.
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان اردبیل [General Population and Housing Census 2011: Ardabil Province].Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University (in Persian).مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran]. Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 15 January 2023. Retrieved20 June 2025.
^Jahangiri, Eshaq (26 February 2019) [تاریخ ابلاغ (Notification date) 1397/12/07 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تصویب نامه در خصوص تقسیمات کشوری در شهرستان پارس آباد استان اردبیل [Approval letter regarding national divisions in Parsabad County of Ardabil province].مرکز پژوهشهای مجلس شورای اسلامی ایران [Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].شماره ۱۶۴۱۸۰/ت۵۵۵۱۵ه [Notification Number 164180/T55515H]. Archived fromthe original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved18 June 2025.
^Davoodi, Parviz (14 May 2009) [تاریخ تصویب (Approval date) 1388/03/03 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تصویب نامه در خصوص تقسیمات کشوری در استان اردبیل [Approval regarding national divisions in Ardabil province].لام تا کام [Lam ta Kam] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].شناسه [ID] 8CA6796D-1A36-4FBB-BF61-6CDD8D649444. Archived fromthe original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved18 June 2025.
^Jahangiri, Eshaq (26 February 2019) [تاریخ ابلاغ (Notification date) 1397/12/07 (Iranian Jalali calendar)].تصویب نامه در خصوص تقسیمات کشوری در شهرستانهای جم، کنگان در استان بوشهر [Approval letter regarding national divisions in Germi County of Ardabil province].مرکز پژوهشهای مجلس شورای اسلامی ایران [Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran] (in Persian).وزارت کشور [Ministry of the Interior].هیات وزیران [Council of Ministers].شماره ابلاغیه : ۱۶۴۱۸۲/ت۵۵۷۴۱ه [Notification Number: 164182/T55741H. Archived fromthe original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved19 June 2025.
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