South Azerbaijan: location, development history, interesting facts, photos

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

The geographical region of South Azerbaijan is known for its beautiful landscapes and rich cultural and historical past. The local population is mainly engaged in the cultivation of cotton and other textile crops, tea and nuts, as well as horticulture and cattle breeding.

Where is. General information

South Azerbaijan is located on the territory of modern Iran in its northwestern part. Its main cities are Urmia, Tabriz, Mahabad, Merend, Merage and Ardabil. In another way, this region is also called Iranian Azerbaijan. This part of the former Persia occupies an area of about 176,512 km2. About 7 million people live in this area in total. At the same time, most of the population of South Azerbaijan is Azerbaijanis or Kurds.

Currently there are several Iranian provinces in this territory:

• Western Azerbaijan;
• Ardabil;
• Zanjan;
• East Azerbaijan.

Unofficial capitalSouth Azerbaijan is considered the city of Tabriz.

Geography of the area

Most of the territory of Iranian Azerbaijan is occupied by mountains. There are also 17 rivers flowing here. In the north, this region borders on Caucasian Azerbaijan. The southernmost point of the latter is the city of Lekoran. The distance from it to the Iranian city of Ardabil is only 70 km in a straight line. Also in the north of Iranian Azerbaijan there is a border with Armenia.

To the west, this area borders Iraq and Turkey. In South Azerbaijan, the mountains are mainly part of the Armenian Highlands. Also on the territory of this geographical area are the Kurdistan Mountains (in the west) and Talysh (in the east). In addition, the eastern part of the Zagros Range stretches from north to south through Iranian Azerbaijan.

Tectonic activity in this area has always been quite serious. As a result of earthquakes, among other things, several picturesque intermountain basins were formed here. The most famous such landscape is the Urmia depression with the s alt lake of the same name.

Also on the territory of South Azerbaijan, reviews of the nature of which are simply enthusiastic on the Web, there are pits:

• Hoy Merend;
• Araks river valley;
• Bozkush;
• Sebelan.

The largest ranges of Iranian Azerbaijan are Karadag and Mishudag, bordering the Araks River, as well as the Sebelan and Bozkush depressions. Among other things, on the territory of this geographical area there are two powerful volcanoes:

• Sebelan - height 4812 m;
• Kheremdag -height 3710 m.

Nature in this geographical area is actually very beautiful. You can verify this by looking at the photos of South Azerbaijan presented in the article.

Rivers and lakes

The main river of Iranian Azerbaijan is the Araks - the right tributary of the Kura. The origins of this waterway are located in Turkey. In the middle reaches, the Araks passes through the lands of Armenia. This main river of Azerbaijan is mentioned in the works of the ancient Greek geographer Hecatius of Miletus (VI century BC). In ancient times, the Armenians called it Yeraskh and connected this water artery with the name of the ancient king Aramais Yerast. The total length of the Araks is 1072 km, and the area of its basin is 102 km2. This water artery flows mainly through mountainous terrain. In Azerbaijani, its name sounds like Araz. It may be interesting that a Soviet-Iranian hydroelectric complex was built on this river in the 70s of the last century.

Another significant water artery of South Azerbaijan is Gezel Uzan. This river flows in the east of the region and has two tributaries - Aydigyumus and Garangu.

Besides this, on the territory of Iranian Azerbaijan there are two more large lakes - Akgel and Urmia. The latter is also mentioned in the Avesta. In this Zoroastrian book it is described as a "deep lake with s alty waters" Chechasht. This reservoir is located in the Kurdish mountains at an altitude of 1275 m. The total area of its catchment area is 50 thousand km2. On this lake, among other things, there are 102 islands, the largestof which are covered with pistachio forests.

Country climate

Iranian Azerbaijan is located mostly in territories with a continental climate. Hot summers here alternate with cold snowy winters. Iran is a state experiencing a great deficit of natural moisture. South Azerbaijan is a pleasant exception in this regard. The average annual rainfall here can vary between 300-900 mm. Thanks to this, the local population has the opportunity to engage in agriculture without artificial irrigation. In the northeast of this geographical area, the climate is completely subtropical.

Why is it called that

It was this region that until the 20s of the last century was actually called Azerbaijan. It stuck with her historically. The more northern Caucasian territories became Azerbaijan only after the collapse of the USSR. In Soviet times, they were called a little differently. In the USSR, these territories, as is known, were the Republic of Azerbaijan. The latter was formed in 1918 and received this name primarily for ethnic reasons.

Today Azerbaijan is called precisely the Caucasian territories. Indeed, here at the moment there is a state recognized throughout the world, which has its own borders. South Azerbaijan (or Iranian) is considered nothing more than a historical and geographical region.

Actually, the very ancient word "Azerbaijan" comes from the Persian Mad-i-Aturpatkan (Âzarâbâdagân‎). This name was given to the province of Media, where, after the invasion of Alexander the Great, the last AchaemenidSatrap Atropat (Aturpatak). It is on this territory that South Azerbaijan is mainly located today.

It is known that in ancient times on these lands there were many Zoroastrian fire-worshipping temples. Therefore, later the name "Azerbaijan" began to be interpreted a little differently. The peoples inhabiting these territories considered their homeland "a place protected by divine fire." In Persian, it sounds like "Ador Bad Agan", which is very consonant with the word "Azerbaijan".

Zoroastrian period

Initially, the territory of South Azerbaijan, as well as Caucasian, was part of the state of Manna. Subsequently, for some time, it was dependent on the Scythian kingdom. Even later, these territories became part of the newly formed Median state, and then the Achaemenid Empire. Iranian Azerbaijan was called Little Mussel in those days.

After the suppression of the Atropate dynasty, these territories became part of the Parthian kingdom, and then the Sasanian Empire. The kings of Media Minor in that era were usually the heirs to the throne of both empires. Part of South Azerbaijan to the east of Lake Urmia belonged to Greater Armenia during this period. In the 4th c. e. the king of these territories, Urnair, followed the example of Trdat III, converted to Christianity.

Islamic period

In 642, Lesser Media (Adurbadgan) became part of the Arab Caliphate. After the collapse of this empire, it went to the Caliphate of the Sajids with its capital in Tabriz. Two centuries later, the territories of South Azerbaijan were subdued by the Seljuk Turks and made part of them.of his empire. After the collapse of the latter, Adurbadgan was ruled for some time by Atabeks from the Ildegizids dynasty, former vassals of the Seljuks.

In 1220 the Tatar-Mongols invaded Lesser Media and devastated it. Five years later, the capital of South Azerbaijan, Tabriz, was captured by Khorezmshah Jalal-ad-Din, putting an end to the Ildegizid dynasty. After the collapse of the Mongol Empire, these lands went to Hulagu Khan. In the XIV century. Iranian Azerbaijan became part of the empire of the Jalairids, and later of the Safavids, who restored the unity of Iran. Isfahan became the capital of Adurbagan in those days.

Azerbaijani ethnos

Starting from the reign of the Jalairids and Safavids, the territories of South Azerbaijan began to be actively populated by Turkic peoples. Having assimilated the local Persian population, they gave rise to the development of the Azerbaijani ethnos. At the same time, a new nationality began to form not only in Adurbadgan itself, but also in Transcaucasia. Here the Turks assimilated Iranians and Dagestanis (Albanians).

Subsequently, militant Azerbaijani tribes, ardent Shiites, actively defended Iran from the Turks. Over time, Adurbadgan became the richest and most important province of this state. The heirs to the Shah's throne were most often appointed governor-general of these lands.

History of the country in the XIX - early XX in

In October 1827, during the Caucasian War, the Azerbaijani city of Tabriz was taken by the troops of General Paskevich. However, later, after the signing of the Turkmenchay peace, the Russian army left these territories. At the same time, according to the agreement, North Azerbaijanwas annexed to Russia. The southern one remained under the influence of the Gajar shahs of Iran. The border in those days passed along the Araks River.

In the 19-20 centuries, South Azerbaijan periodically fell under the influence of either the Turks or the Russians. In 1880, a Kurdish uprising broke out here. The rebels, trying to create their own state, almost took Tabriz. However, the rebels were eventually defeated. After another 25 years, Tabriz became the center of the Iranian revolution of 1905-1911. Russian troops helped the then Shah of Iran suppress the uprising.

After that, the weakened country finally became the arena of struggle between Russia and Turkey. South Azerbaijan, after the suppression of the uprising in Tabriz and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Kurdistan they had captured by that time, like northern Azerbaijan, fell under the influence of the Russians.

In 1914, under pressure from the Germans and Turks, the tsarist troops were forced to leave the territory of present-day Iranian Azerbaijan. However, a year later, the Russians returned and remained here until 1917. From the beginning to the end of 1918, these territories were under the influence of the Turks.

The newest era

For a long time, the population of Azerbaijan did not identify itself as a separate ethnic group. The inhabitants of these lands called themselves either "Turks" or "Muslims". The concepts of "Azerbaijani language", "Azerbaijani people" were introduced by European scientists only in the 19th century.

First Turkey and then Russia helped the peoples who inhabited the territories of the north-west of Iran and the south of the Caucasus to decide on self-identification as an ethnic group. Initially, Azerbaijani nationalism arose in these territories as a reaction to Persian pressure under the rulers of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Turks began to support the dissatisfied through agitation in the early years of the 20th year. In 1941, South Azerbaijan was occupied by Soviet troops. At the same time, 77 divisions consisting exclusively of ethnic Azerbaijanis were introduced to the lands. In those days, active pan-Azerbaijani propaganda was, of course, conducted by Soviet agents sent from Baku.

In November 1945, under pressure from the USSR, the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan was established in these territories with its own government, and later an army. However, Moscow's attempt to take control of the northwest of present-day Iran ultimately failed. In 1946, under pressure from the United States and Great Britain, Russia was forced to withdraw its troops from South Azerbaijan. Left without the support of Moscow, the DRA, of course, did not last very long. A year later, its territories were again ceded to Iran.

Iranian and Caucasian ethnic groups

Initially, Southern and Caucasian Azerbaijan were inhabited by almost identical ethnic composition of the population. After Eastern Transcaucasia was ceded to Russia, the situation changed somewhat. The Azerbaijanis who remained in Iran continued to live under the influence of traditional Islamic culture. In the USSR, representatives of this people developed for several decades under the influence of Europeanized Russian traditions (although 99% of the population still remained Muslims).

Since the 1990s, many politiciansboth Azerbaijans spoke out for the unification of the divided lands. In 1995, for example, the South Azerbaijan National Awakening Movement (DNSA) was founded.

In Iran, the Persians for a long time tried to suppress any Azerbaijani ethnic sentiments. But the forces advocating the unification and independence of both regions have always remained in these parts. For example, in 2006, there were serious unrest in the country about this. In 2013, a group of deputies in the Iranian parliament prepared a bill giving the country the right to insist on the unification of North and South Azerbaijan.

History of the region: interesting facts

Azerbaijan is officially considered Northern. However, the territory of the former Soviet republic is only 86600 km². The area of South Azerbaijan, which is considered just a geographical region, is 100 thousand km^{2. At the same time, a little less than 10 million people live in the Caucasian state. More than 7 million people live in Iranian Azerbaijan proper.}

The entry of Soviet troops into the territory of South Azerbaijan in the middle of the last century was associated primarily with the pro-fascist sentiments of the Shah of Iran during the Second World War. The USSR then relied on the agreement of 1921 that existed between the countries. The entry of troops into the territory of Iranian Azerbaijan was allowed by Article 6 of it. In the north of the country at that time the British settled down, and later the Americans. Thus, during the Second World War, Iran became the most important transport artery, through which ammunition and equipment were delivered to the USSR fromallies.

In the 20s and 40s of the last century, Iran issued special banknotes in South Azerbaijan, different from those used in other parts of the state. In the 1920s, money in this part of the country was simply overprinted.

The unrest in 2006 in this geographical area was caused by the publication of a cartoon in the Azerbaijani language in the Iranian media. Protests then took place throughout the north-west of the country. After 10 days, they turned into riots. During their suppression, 4 people died and 330 were arrested. There is information that in July 2007, about 800 activists of the national awakening movement of South Azerbaijan were already kept in Iranian prisons.

Caucasian Azerbaijan was not considered Azerbaijan at the beginning of the 20th century. Some historians believe that the new Soviet republic got its name only because the government of the USSR planned to unite all the lands inhabited by representatives of one nationality. According to scientists, it would be more correct to call modern Caucasian Azerbaijan Arran.

Culture of South Azerbaijan: interesting facts

According to the descriptions of Herodotus, the Medes, who once settled in the north-west of Iran, invaded this country through mountain passes to the west of the Caspian Sea, in ancient times were divided into 6 tribes. One of these nationalities was called "magicians". Many scholars believe that this tribe was a priestly tribe, and later all the priests, not only the Medes, but also the Persians, originated from it.

Tightly related betweenMagicians traditionally kept in touch with urban civilizations - Urartu, Assyria and Babylon, and, of course, learned a lot from them. It is believed that these priests once looked down on the Eastern peoples and actively resisted the spread of Zoroastrianism. Later, however, this religion did become popular throughout the country.

Many scientists consider the reign of the Ildegizids to be the time of the cultural heyday of Southern Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the Seljuk empire, their former vassals actively patronized the local poets and architects. For example, such well-known oriental poets as Zahir Faryabi, Anvari Abivardi, Nizami Ganjavi enjoyed the support of the Ildegizids.

The Safavids also patronized the sciences and arts in South Azerbaijan, starting from Shah Ismail I. In the palaces of these rulers, there were even Houses of the Book, where the rarest manuscripts were kept. Libraries were especially rich in those days in Tabriz and Ardabil.

Safavid Shah Abbas II tried at one time to bring equipment for printing books from Europe. However, the ruler did not have enough money for this then, unfortunately. In 1828, Russian troops occupied Ardabil and removed 166 most valuable books from the library of this city, which were then sent to the storehouses of St. Petersburg.

In addition to poets, during the Safavid period, a whole generation of calligraphers-miniaturists grew up in Iranian Azerbaijan: Seyid Ali Tabrizi, Ali Rza Tabrizi, Mir Abdulbagi Tabrizi. During this dynasty, the world-famous ashyglar of the SouthAzerbaijan Gurbani. Already after his death in the 17th century, the anonymous dastan "Gurbani" was created, including episodes of the poet's biography and his poems.

Culture and education of South Azerbaijan in the 19th-20th century

As already mentioned, after the conclusion of the Turkmenchay Treaty, parts of the divided Azerbaijan took different paths of development. In the northern regions, which were under the influence of the Russians, secular education began to actively develop (schools at the madrasah were closed at the same time).

In the southern part of Azerbaijan, the Iranian authorities practically did not pay attention to the development of science and education. However, schools at the madrasah, which provided secondary and higher education, still existed here. At the end of the 19th century, even several new secular educational institutions were opened in South Azerbaijan. But the credit for this did not belong to the then ruling Qajars, but to several patriotic intellectuals. For example, in 1887, Mirza Hasan Rushdiya, nicknamed the "father of Iranian education", opened a school in Tabriz with teaching according to a new method, which was called "Dabestan".

In 1858, the foundations of periodicals were laid in South Azerbaijan. Then the newspaper "Azerbaijan" was published here for the first time. In 1880, the Tabriz edition began to be printed in Tabriz. In 1884, the Medeniyet newspaper was published in Iranian Azerbaijan.

Politics today

At the moment, in South Azerbaijan, national sentiments, like several years ago, are quite strong. Moreover, the political forces of this orientation openly declare their desire for self-determination. For example, in May 2017representatives of the National Resistance Organization of Azerbaijan (ANRO) appealed to Donald Trump not to consider Iranian Azerbaijanis as Iranians at all.

The dissatisfaction of the indigenous population of South Azerbaijan with the Iranian authorities with their fundamentalist regime is caused, for example, by the fact that they are not even given the opportunity to receive education in their native language, despite the corresponding clause in the country's Constitution. According to some reports, many local residents today prefer not to stay in Iran, but to emigrate to Tehran or the former Soviet republic. According to statistics, about 10 million people have left South Azerbaijan over the past three decades.