The city lies at an altitude of 1,330 metres (4,360 ft) above sea level along theShahar River on theUrmia Plain.Lake Urmia, one of the world's largestsalt lakes, lies to the east of the city, and theborder withTurkey lies to the west.
The city is the trading center for a fertile agricultural region where fruits (especiallyapples andgrapes) andtobacco are grown. Even though the majority of the residents of Urmia are Muslims, the Christian history of Urmia is well preserved and is especially evident in the city's many churches and cathedrals.
An important town by the 9th century, the city has had a diverse population which has at times included Muslims (Shias andSunnis), Christians (Catholics,Protestants,Nestorians, andOrthodox),Jews,Baháʼís andSufis. Around 1900, Christians made up more than 40% of the city's population; however, in the next decades most of the Christians were either killed by the advancing Ottoman troops or in raids by Kurdish tribes[8][9] or fled shortly after the end of the war.[10][11][12]
Urmia,Takab andPiranshahr respectively have the highest number of registered provincial sites in the list of national sites.[13]
People of Urmia awaiting the Shah, 1911Urmia fruit market, 1911
According toVladimir Minorsky, there were villages in theUrmia Plain as early as 2000BC, with their civilization under the influence of theKingdom of Van. Excavations of the ancient ruins near Urmia led to the discovery of utensils that date to the 20thcentury BC. In ancient times, the west bank of Urmia Lake was part ofGilzan, and in the 9thcentury BC an independent government ruled there, which later joined theUrartu or Manna empire; in the 8thcentury BC, the area was a vassal of theAsuzh government until it joined theMedian Empire.
Assyrians who did survive the invasion of Baghdad byTimur fled through northern Iraq up into the Hakkari Mountains to the west of Lake Urmia and the area remained as their homeland until the 19th century.[29][30]
During theSafavid era, the neighboringOttoman Turks, who were the archrivals of the Safavids,[31] made several incursions into the city and captured it on more than one occasion, but the Safavids successfully regained control over the area. When in 1622, during the reign of Safavid kingAbbasI (r. 1588–1629)Qasem Sultan Afshar was appointed governor ofMosul,[32][33] he was forced to leave his office shortly afterwards due to the outbreak of aplague.[33] He moved to the western part ofAzerbaijan, and became the founder of theAfshar community of Urmia.[33] The city was the capital of theUrmia Khanate from 1747 to 1865. The first monarch of Iran'sQajar dynasty,Agha Muhammad Khan, was crowned in Urmia in 1795.
Due to the presence of a substantialChristian minority at the end of the 19thcentury, Urmia was also chosen as the site of the first Christian missionaries from the United States in Iran in 1835 led byJustin Perkins (1805–1869) withAsahel Grant (1807–1844); and followed byFidelia Fiske (1816–1864),Joseph Gallup Cochran (1817–1871), andJoseph Plumb Cochran (1855–1905).[34] Another mission was soon underway in nearbyTabriz as well. DuringWorld War I, the population was estimated by Dr.Caujole to be 30,000 people, a quarter of which (7,500) were Assyrians and 1,000 Jews.[12]
During the 19th century, the region became the center of a short-lived Assyrian renaissance with many books and newspapers being published inSyriac. Urmia was also the seat of aChaldean diocese.[35][36]
During late 1914 Ottoman forces under the command ofEnver Pasha stepped up clandestine activity in the region with the aim of committing the Ottoman Empire to war.[37] DuringWorld War I, the city changed hands several times between theRussians and the Ottoman troops and their Kurdish allies in the following two years.[38] In 1914, before the declaration of war against Russia, Ottoman forces crossed the border into Persia and destroyed Christian villages. Large-scale attacks in late September and October 1914 targeted many Assyrian villages, and the attackers neared Urmia.[39] Due to Ottoman attacks, thousands of Christians living along the border fled to Urmia.[40]
Many Christians fled during the Russian withdrawal from Azerbaijan at the beginning of January 1915,[41] and 20,000 to 25,000 refugees were left stranded in Urmia.[42] Nearly 18,000 Christians sought shelter in the city's Presbyterian andLazarist missions. Although there was reluctance to attack the missionary compounds, many died of disease.[43] Between February and May (when the Ottoman forces pulled out), there was a campaign of mass execution, looting, kidnapping, and extortion against Christians in Urmia.[42] More than 100 men were arrested at the Lazarist compound, and dozens (including Mar Dinkha, bishop of Tergawer) were executed on 23 and 24 February.[44]
The Russian army advanced later in 1915.[citation needed] After Russia's withdrawal as a result of the 1917Russian Revolution,[45][46] about 5,000 Assyrian[47] and Armenian militia policed the area, but they frequently abused their power and killed Muslims without provocation.[48]
Armenian and Assyrian refugees in the avenue leading out of the Kurdish Gate, Urmia, July 1918
From February to July 1918, the region was engulfed by ethnic violence.[49][50] On 22 February, local Muslims and the Persian governor began an uprising against the Christian militias in Urmia. The better-organized Christians, led by Agha Petros, brutally crushed the uprising; hundreds (possibly thousands) were killed.[48] On 16 March, Mar Shimun and many of his bodyguards were killed by the Kurdish chieftainSimko Shikak, probably at the instigation of Persian officials fearing Assyrian separatism, after they met to discuss an alliance. Assyrians went on a killing and looting spree; unable to find Simko, they murdered Persian officials and inhabitants.[51][52] The Kurds responded by massacring Christians, regardless of denomination or ethnicity.[50] Christians were massacred in Salmas in June and in Urmia in early July,[49] and many Assyrian women were abducted.[53]
Christian militias in Azerbaijan were no match for the Ottoman army when it invaded in July 1918.[48] Tens of thousands of Ottoman and Persian Assyrians fled south toHamadan, where the BritishDunsterforce was garrisoned, on 18 July to escape Ottoman forces approaching Urmia underAli İhsan Sâbis.[54][55] The Ottoman invasion was followed by killings of Christians, including Chaldean archbishopToma Audo, and the sacking of Urmia.[56][50]
On March 22, 2025, large-scale demonstrations were held in the city. Slogans against Kurdistan were chanted during the demonstrations.Anadolu Agency reported that there was ethnic tension between Turks and Kurds in the city and that Turks were protesting theNowruz celebrations held by Kurds living in the city a few days ago. Some protesters stated that the Iranian government was trying to change the demographics by bringing Kurds to the city. It was reported that those who participated in the demonstration chanted Turkish slogans such as "Urumiyah is Turkish and will remain Turkish" and "Urumiyah's Turkish identity is not negotiable". 2 days after the protest, 22 people were arrested.[57][58][59]
The city has been home to variousethnic groups during its history. The population of Urmia in the early Islamic period was Christian.[60] In late 19th century,George Curzon reported a population of 30 to 40 thousand people, chieflyAfshars, Nestorians, Jews, and Armenians,[61] while other sources also referred to an additional Persian community.[62] At the beginning of the 20thcentury, the city had a significant Christian minority (Assyrians and Armenians).[10][63] According to Macuch, and Ishaya, the city was the spiritual capital of theAssyrians, who were influenced by four Christian missions that had been established in the city in the period from 1830 to the end ofWorld War I.[64] A large number of the Assyrians and Armenians were killed in 1914 during theArmenian andAssyrian genocides,[65] which resulted in a change in the city's demographics.[64] In the fourteenth edition of Encyclopædia Britannica from 1929, the town's population was roughly estimated to be 45 thousand before the war, mainly being Turkish with Armenian and Nestorian minorities.[66] During the era ofReza Shah Pahlavi, Iranian Assyrians were invited to return to the region, and several thousand did return. There are around 5,000 Assyrians remaining in the city.[67]
According to theFederal Research Division ofLibrary of Congress, ethnic Azeris form around 40% of the population of Urmia region.[68] The majority of the city's residents are Azerbaijanis, with a large minority of Kurds, and a smaller number of Assyrians, and Armenians, as well as Persian-speakers who moved to the city mostly for employment.[69]
The majority of the population can speak the official language of Iran,Persian, in addition to their own native tongue.[70][71]
When 17th-century explorerEvliya Çelebi visited the region, the city's Muslim population was mostly Sunni and not yet converted to Shia Islam.[23] Around 1900,Christians made up more than 40% of the city's population; however, most of the Christians were either killed when theOttoman Empire invadedQajar Iran and committedgenocide against Urmia'sAssyrian andArmenian population[74][75] or fled shortly after the end of the war. Approximately 15,000Assyrians reside in northern Iran, in Urmia and various Assyrian villages in the surrounding area.[76] TheChristian history of Urmia is well preserved and is especially evident in the city's many churches and cathedrals.
Urmia is the10th-most populous city inIran. At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 577,307 in 153,570 households.[78] The following census in 2011 counted 667,499 people in 197,749 households.[79] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 736,224 people in 225,050 households.[3]
Parks and touristic centres
The tourist attractions of the city of Urmia include many parks and coastal villages lying on or near the shores of Lake Urmia. The oldest park in Urmia, called Park-e Saat, was established in the firstPahlavi era. Urmia's largest park is Ellar Bagi Park (Azerbaijani "People's Garden") along the Shahar Chayi, or the "City River".
Urmia's climate iscold semi-arid climate (Köppen:BSk,Trewartha:BS), bordering onhumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfa,Trewartha:Dc), with cold winters, mild springs, hot dry summers, and cool autumns. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in late autumn, winter (mostly in the form of snow), and especially spring, while precipitation is scarce in summer. Temperatures in Urmia are much colder than most of the remainder of Iran. The drought ofUrmia Lake will have a negative impact on the climate of the region.
Azerbaijanis hold festivals and ceremonies such asNowruz andEid al-Adha like other Iranian ethnic groups with small differences.[84]Ashik music is one of the features of the Turkish speaking people of the world. It has different versions in Iran. Meanwhile, as many experts of this art testify the Urmia Ashik, is the most original and oldest version in the world, which has preserved its origin until the present day. Ashik music has its unique styles. As a piece of the culture of Azerbaijan, Urmia Ashik music has been registered in Iran's national heritage.
Museums
Natural History Museum – Displays the animals native to the vicinity of Urmia.
The first modern style school established in Urmia in 1834.[85]
Urmia University's hall
Higher education
Urmia was an important centre forhigher education approximately a century ago; indeed, the medical college of Urmia, which was built byJoseph Cochran and a team of American medical associates in 1878, is the first modern university of Iran. Unfortunately, the college was shut down even before the establishment of the first official University of Iran,University of Tehran. Today, Urmia has become an important centre of education, with several state and private universities and institutes, including those listed below.
Urmia has one state-owned television channel,Urmia TV, which broadcasts in bothAzerbaijani, andPersian, and internationally through satellite Intelsat902.[86]
Most of Urmia's residents travel by car through the system of roads andhighways. Urmia is also served bytaxis and publicbuses. There are also some private groups that provide services called "Phone-taxi."[citation needed] Two Tram-lines for Urmia are Planned.[citation needed]
Urmia is linked toEurope throughTurkey'sroads and Sero border crossing.Urmia Airport, which opened in 1964, was the first international airport inWest Azerbaijan county,Iran. As of April 2015 it only has regularly scheduled domestic flights toTehran'sMehrabad International Airport, although there are plans to establish a direct flight between Urmia andErbil, due to the large number of passengers travelling between the two cities.[87][88] The city is recently connected toIran National Railways (IRIR,رجا).
Health systems
The Iranian government operates public hospitals in the Urmia metropolitan region. There are also a number of private hospitals and medical centers in the city. Hospitals include:[citation needed]Hospitals:
The Turkish government has aconsulate on Beheshti Avenue.
People
During its history Urmia was the origin for many Iranian illumination[clarification needed] and modernization movements. The city was the hometown of numerous figures including politicians, revolutionaries, artists, and military leaders. Following is a partial list of some of the people who was born or lived in Urmia.
Haydar Khan e Amo-oghli, was a leftist revolutionary during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and among the founders of the Communist Party of Iran.
Davood Azad, is an Iranian classical and folk music singer.
Oyan Nazariani, is an Azerbaijani Beach wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestler born in Urmia. He is the head coach of the Azerbaijani beach wrestling team.[101]
^Urmia can be found atGEOnet Names Server, atthis link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3077456" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
^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 غربی به مرکزیت شهر ارومیه [Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of West Azerbaijan province, centered in the city of Urmia].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] D6D37EAB-50D7-43D6-B320-D774C01ADE50.شماره دوره [Course number] 69,شماره جلد [Volume number] 3. Archived fromthe original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved29 September 2025.
^Richard Nelson Frye, The history of ancient Iran, München (1984), 48–49
^The Proto-Indoaryans, by T. Burrow, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, No.2 (1973), pp. 123–140, published by Cambridge University Press, see 139
^"Search Entry".assyrianlanguages.org. Retrieved23 November 2020.
^Hooper, Franklin Henry; Garvin, James Louis; Cox, Warren E. (1929).The Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia britannica Company, Limited. p. 899. Retrieved17 September 2022.
^دكتر م پناهايان، مجموعه اي در چهار جلد به نام " فرهنگ جغرافياي ملي تركان ايران زمين " سال 1351 Dr. M. Panahian, a four-volume collection entitled "National Geographical Culture of the Turks of Iran" in 1351
^سيري در تاريخ زبان ولهجه هاي تركي , دكتر جواد هئيت- چاپ سوم , سال1380,ص 307 A Journey in the History of Turkish Language and Dialects, Dr. Javad Hayat – Third Edition, 2001, p. 307
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1385 : استان آذربایجان غربی [General Population and Housing Census 2006: West Azerbaijan Province].مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran] (in Persian). Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved25 September 2022.
^abسرشماري عمومي نفوس و مسكن 1390 : استان آذربایجان غربی [General Population and Housing Census 2011: West Azerbaijan Province].Iran Data Portal—Syracuse University (in Persian).مرکز آمار ایران [Statistical Centre of Iran]. Archived fromthe original(Excel) on 20 January 2023. Retrieved19 December 2022.
Gaunt, David (2020). "The Long Assyrian Genocide".Collective and State Violence in Turkey: The Construction of a National Identity from Empire to Nation-State. Berghahn Books. pp. 56–96.ISBN978-1-78920-451-3.
Hellot, Florence (2003). "La fin d'un monde: les assyro-chaldéens et la première guerre mondiale" [The end of a world: the Assyro-Chaldeans and the First World War].Chrétiens du monde arabe: un archipel en terre d'Islam [Christians of the Arab world: an archipelago in the land of Islam] (in French). Autrement. pp. 127–145.ISBN978-2-7467-0390-2.
Hellot-Bellier, Florence (2018). "The Increasing Violence and the Resistance of Assyrians in Urmia and Hakkari (1900–1915)".Sayfo 1915: An Anthology of Essays on the Genocide of Assyrians/Arameans during the First World War. Gorgias Press. pp. 107–134.ISBN978-1-4632-0730-4.
Naby, Eden (2017). "Abduction, Rape and Genocide: Urmia's Assyrian Girls and Women".The Assyrian Genocide: Cultural and Political Legacies. Routledge. pp. 158–177.ISBN978-1-138-28405-0.
Nasiri, Ali Naqi; Floor, Willem M. (2008).Titles and Emoluments in Safavid Iran: A Third Manual of Safavid Administration. Mage Publishers. p. 309.ISBN978-1933823232.
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![Oyan Nazariani, is an Azerbaijani Beach wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestler born in Urmia. He is the head coach of the Azerbaijani beach wrestling team.[101]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aOyan_N%25C9%2599z%25C9%2599riani.jpg)
