Ardabil province (Persian:استان اردبیل) is one of the 31provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city ofArdabil.[4] The province is in thenorthwest of the country, inRegion3, bordering theRepublic of Azerbaijan, and the Iranian provinces ofEast Azerbaijan,Zanjan, andGilan.[5] 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.[citation needed]
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.[9][10] 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.[11] The following census in 2011 counted 1,248,488 people in 337,943 households.[12] The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,270,420 inhabitants in 377,423 households.[2]
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".
^Jahangiri, Ishaq (24 March 2017) [Approved 7 December 1397].Approval letter regarding national divisions in Parsabad County of Ardabil province.rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Council of Ministers. Notification 164180/T55515H. Archived fromthe original on 15 March 2019. Retrieved26 March 2023 – via Islamic Parliament Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
^Davodi, Parviz (15 July 2009) [Approved 24 April 1388]."With the approval of the government, Sareyn became a county".irna.ir (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Political and Defense Commission of the Government. Archived fromthe original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved5 November 2023 – via Islamic Republic News Agency.
